Google Maps ranking uses three primary signals that Google calls relevance, distance, and prominence. Relevance measures how well your Google Business Profile matches what someone searched for—listing the right categories, services, and attributes matters here. Distance is straightforward: how far your business is from the searcher's location or the point they searched around. Prominence combines your overall authority, which includes review count and rating, citation consistency across the web, how many high-quality links point to your website, and offline signals like whether you're a recognized brand in your area. Reviews carry significant weight. A business with 200 reviews at 4.6 stars will typically outrank one with 15 reviews at 5.0 stars, assuming other factors are equal. Review velocity matters too—businesses getting consistent new reviews monthly signal active customer engagement. Responding to reviews, especially negative ones, shows Google you're engaged. Your Google Business Profile completeness directly impacts relevance. Fill out every field: business description, categories (primary plus secondaries), attributes, hours, photos. Businesses with 100+ photos and weekly posts tend to rank better than sparse profiles. Use your primary keyword naturally in the business description, but don't keyword-stuff—Google penalizes that. Citations—mentions of your NAP (name, address, phone) on other websites—build prominence. Prioritize major directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific platforms. Consistency is critical: "123 Main St" on one site and "123 Main Street" on another confuses Google's entity matching. At Ottawa SEO, we track Maps rankings separately from organic because the algorithms differ. A site ranking #1 organically might sit at position 5 in the local pack if the GBP is neglected. For competitive Ottawa markets like personal injury law or home services, you need 50+ reviews, 20+ citations, and an aggressive review-generation system just to crack the top three. Less competitive niches can rank with basic optimization and 15–20 reviews. Distance always plays a role—you can't overcome being 10 km away when a competitor is 500 meters from the searcher.