How customers find a local business today

Right now, somewhere near you, someone is picking up their phone and typing something like “emergency plumber near me”, or “dentist open Saturday”. In a few seconds, Google will show them a handful of businesses. They’ll tap one or two, and they’ll call.

In this lesson, you’ll see where that list comes from, the three things Google says it looks at, and which of those you can actually do something about.

I’m Ranjit, founder of Flexi Local. My team builds websites, runs local SEO and ads, and makes review software for local businesses. Welcome to the Local SEO Academy.

It’s free, the lessons are short, and every lesson ends with one task you can do the same day.

Two promises before we start. First: everything in this course follows Google’s own rules, and when a rule matters, I’ll show you where Google says it. Second: nobody can promise you a ranking on Google. Not us, not anyone. What you can do is give Google, and your customers, every reason to choose you. That’s what this course is about.

Let’s start with what your customer actually sees. Picture a typical results page for a search like “dentist near me”.

At the top, there may be ads. They’re labelled as sponsored.

For most local searches, there’s then a map with a small group of businesses underneath it. People call this the map pack, or the local pack.

Tap “more places”, and you get a longer list with a map, the same kind of list Google Maps shows you.

Below that, there are ordinary results: websites, directories and review sites.

And for some searches, Google now shows an AI-written overview at the top, which can name businesses and link to where it found the information.

So you’re not trying to win one spot. You’re trying to show up well in several places, and nearly all of them draw on the same things: your Google Business Profile, your website, your reviews, and what the rest of the web says about you.

How much does Google matter? In a US survey BrightLocal published in July 2026, 52 percent of people started their latest search for a local business on Google Search, and 9 percent on Google Maps. Only 8 percent started with an AI tool, and 43 percent of those went on to check Google anyway. That’s US data, but it’s the clearest recent picture we have.

So how does Google decide which businesses go in that map? Google has a help page about exactly this. It says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance, distance, and prominence.

Relevance is how well your Business Profile matches what someone searched for. Say someone searches “emergency dentist”. If your profile says you’re a dentist, lists emergency appointments as a service, and your website has a page about it, you’re relevant. If your profile just says “dental practice” and nothing else, Google has much less to go on.

Distance is how far you are from the person searching, or from the place they typed in, like “plumber in Bristol”, “roofer in Denver” or “café in Brisbane”. If someone doesn’t say where they are, Google uses what it knows about their location. That’s why your position can change from one street to the next. And it’s the one factor you can’t change, because you can’t move your business closer to everyone. In Module 5, I’ll show you how to see your position across your whole area.

Prominence is how well known your business is. Google says this includes how many reviews you have and how many websites link to you. In Google’s words, more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.

And here’s the line I’d like every business owner to remember. Google says: “There’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.”

You can pay for ads, and ads can be useful. But they sit in their own labelled spots. They don’t buy you a place in the map results.

Let’s turn that into a to-do list.

Distance: leave it. You can’t move, and you shouldn’t try to fake it. Using an address that isn’t really your business breaks Google’s guidelines. We’ll cover that properly in Module 2.

Relevance: this one’s yours to win. It comes from choosing the right categories, listing your services, describing what you do in plain words, and having a website that backs it all up. That’s Modules 2 and 4.

Prominence: this takes time, but it’s very much in your hands. It comes from a steady flow of genuine reviews, replies that show you care, and other local websites mentioning and linking to you. That’s Modules 3 and 4.

And underneath all three: accuracy. Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results, and that a verified profile is more likely to show up too. Wrong hours, an old phone number, a profile nobody can log in to: these quietly cost you customers. Local search experts also rate being open when someone searches as one of the biggest factors. So keeping your hours right, holidays included, really matters.

Then, in Module 5, we make sure the customers you’ve earned actually get through to you, and we keep score.

A quick rules check, because you will be offered shortcuts. If someone promises you a guaranteed number one spot on Google Maps, be careful. Google’s own advice on hiring an SEO says nobody can guarantee a number one ranking.

And the shortcuts people sell, like fake reviews, a business name stuffed with keywords, or an address you don’t really use, all break Google’s rules. They can get reviews removed, or a profile suspended.

In this course, we only do things you’d be happy to explain to Google.

Let’s recap. One: customers find local businesses in the map results, on Google Maps, in ordinary results, and sometimes in AI answers, and they all draw on your profile, your website and your reviews. Two: Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Three: you can’t buy a better local ranking, but you can make your business more relevant, better known, and more accurate. That’s the whole game.

Your task today takes five minutes. Pick up your phone and search for your main service the way a customer would. For example, “roofer near me”, or “hair salon” plus the name of your town. Write down the businesses you see in the map results, and whether you’re one of them.

Don’t worry about the result. It’s just your starting point. The free workbook is linked from your task on this page, and box A on page one is waiting for you.

In the next lesson, we’ll turn this into a proper fifteen-minute check, before you change anything. See you there.