How does Google decide which cafés to show nearby? Relevance, distance and prominence, in Google’s words

Google’s help page says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity, and that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Our reading: a café cannot change how far it is from the person searching. Google says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help a business’s local ranking. It also lists replying to reviews and adding photos among its tips. Its own wording is not quite consistent: the summary line says popularity, but the third heading says Prominence.

Can a café pay Google to rank higher nearby?

No. Google’s help page says: "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google." The page adds that Google does its best "to keep the search algorithm details confidential to make the ranking system as fair as possible for everyone". So an offer from anyone who says they can buy a café a higher place on Google Maps is not something Google describes as possible.

What does Google say local results are based on?

Google says: "Local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity." The next sentence is: "Together, these factors help Google find the best match for customers’ searches." Note the word "mainly". Google does not say these are the only things involved.

There is a mismatch in Google’s own page. The summary line uses the word "popularity". The heading further down, over the third definition, reads "Prominence". Google does not say which word it means. Below I use "prominence", the heading’s word, because that heading carries the definition.

What do relevance, distance and prominence each mean?

Google gives one short definition for each. In its words:

• Relevance: "Relevance is how well a Business Profile matches what someone is searching for. To help Google better understand your business and match it to relevant searches, provide complete and detailed business info."
• Distance: "Distance refers to how far each business is from the customer who’s searching. If a customer doesn’t share where they are, Google uses what it knows about their location."
• Prominence: "Prominence means how well-known a business is. Prominent places are more likely to show up in search results. This factor’s also based on info like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have. More reviews and positive ratings can help your business’s local ranking."

Which of those can a café owner do anything about?

Our reading: distance is the one a café cannot change. A café cannot move itself closer to the searcher, and Google says that if a customer does not share where they are, it uses what it knows about their location. That leaves relevance and prominence. Google’s page does not say which factor each tip serves: complete and detailed info sits under its relevance definition, and reviews under prominence. Google’s tips are:

• Verify your business. Google says this "tells Google that you’re authorized to represent the business, so it's more likely to show up in search results".
• Keep your information complete and accurate. Google says: "Businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results." It adds that if the info is not accurate, "your Business Profile might not show up for relevant searches in your area". The details it lists are your full address, your hours including special hours, what kind of business you are, and other details such as parking or Wi-Fi. Our article on Business Profile attributes covers that last item.
• Respond to reviews. Google says: "Positive reviews and helpful replies can help your business stand out."
• Add photos and videos. Google says you "can show customers what you offer and tell the story of your business with photos and videos".

Google also lists a tip on in-store products. The page says it "is available only for retail businesses in eligible countries or regions", so I have left it out.

An example, ours and made up: a café that has never filled in its opening hours is missing something Google names in its list. Adding them is a small job, and it is one of the items Google says helps customers know "when they can visit". Google does not say how much any single item counts.

Can I offer a free coffee for a review?

No. Google’s reviews help page says: "Offering incentives, like free or discounted goods or services, in exchange for customers to post reviews, change reviews, or remove negative reviews is considered fake & misleading content and is strictly prohibited." Our reading: a free coffee is a free good, so it falls inside that wording. Our article on replying to Google reviews covers the replying side.

Where does a café’s website come in?

Google’s Prominence definition says the factor is also based on "how many websites link to your business". Our reading, not Google’s: a café’s own website, and any site that links to it, are part of what that line describes. Google does not say a website improves a café’s ranking, and I am not claiming it does. It names links as an example of the info prominence is based on, and says nothing about how much weight they carry.

Our free check reads the café’s own website. Our reading of the check page: its six items are all about the website, and none is about the Google profile. One of them is: "Ready to show up in Google search. Your home page has a title, a description and the setting that makes it fit a phone screen."

Sources

• Google Business Profile Help, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google, read 5 November 2026.
• Google Business Profile Help, Tips to get more reviews, the "Important:" line on incentives, read 7 November 2026.
• Cupán Studio, Is my café website AI ready? (cupanstudio.com/check), read 7 November 2026.

This is a summary of Google Business Profile Help pages read on 5 and 7 November 2026. The café examples and readings are ours and are not from Google. Cupán Studio builds websites for cafés in Ireland, so the website point is one we have a stake in.