Google Maps ranking refers to where your business listing appears when someone searches for local services on Google Maps or triggers the local map pack in standard search results. The map pack is that block of three business listings with a small map that appears for queries with local intent, like "plumber Ottawa" or "dentist near me." Three core factors determine your position: relevance (how well your Google Business Profile matches the search query), distance (how close you are to the searcher or the location they specified), and prominence (how well-known and authoritative Google considers your business based on reviews, citations, links, and offline reputation). Unlike organic SEO where you can sometimes rank for anything with enough links, Maps ranking heavily weights physical proximity. A business 2 km away with a weaker profile often outranks a stronger business 15 km away. The stakes are significant because the map pack typically appears above traditional organic results for local queries. Position one in the map pack gets roughly 30% of clicks, position two gets about 20%, and position three gets 10-15%. Everything below the fold gets scraps. In competitive markets like Toronto or Vancouver, the difference between position three and position four can mean 50+ monthly leads. Key ranking signals include: - Google Business Profile completeness and category selection - Review quantity, quality, recency, and response rate - NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone) across the web - On-site SEO and location-specific content - Backlinks to your website from local sources - User behavior signals (clicks, calls, direction requests) At Ottawa SEO, we've seen dramatic swings from simple fixes. One client jumped from position 7 to position 2 in their city after we cleaned up duplicate listings and got them 15 quality reviews over 60 days. Maps ranking is more volatile than organic because Google constantly tests user engagement and adjusts based on real-time behavior. The business that was number one last month can drop to four if reviews slow down or a competitor gets aggressive.