Google Business Profile still controls the map pack. In 2025, BrightLocal's Local Search Ranking Factors survey put GBP categories and business attributes at the top of pack ranking signals, ahead of reviews and links. Pick categories carefully. Google reports that primary category alone can shift map pack ranking more than any other single setting, so choose the most specific category available rather than the broadest one.
Complete every field Google gives you. Services, products, attributes, opening hours, and the appointment URL all feed the local ranking algorithm and the AI-generated answers that now appear above the map pack. Real data only. Placeholder values like "Example City" or a 00.0000 latitude will tank trust signals the moment a customer or a crawler reads them, so replace them with your actual address, hours, and coordinates before you publish.
Photos move click-through rates more than any other GBP element. Post fresh images weekly, geotagged, showing the actual storefront and staff.
Q&A is the most ignored ranking asset. Seed your own questions with the answers customers search for, because Google surfaces those answers directly in the SERP.