Get found
Show up on Google Maps, street by street
When someone searches “kebab” 300 m from your door, Google shows them three businesses. Here is how Google picks them, what you can set yourself, and how to find out where you really show up.
How Google picks the three businesses it shows
Google says so itself: it ranks local businesses on relevance, distance and prominence, in other words how well known you are. You can’t change the distance. The other two you can work on every week.
Relevance
Does your profile match what people are searching for: your category, your services, your words.
Distance
Where the person searching is. You can’t move it, but it explains everything else.
Prominence
Your reviews, your rating, and what is said about you elsewhere on the web.
Your place changes from one street to the next
A customer outside your door and a customer 500 m away don’t see the same ranking. That’s why rank tracking measures your place at several points around your business: the visibility map.
The six settings that matter
- 1The right primary category
It tells Google what you are. Just “Restaurant” puts you up against the whole neighbourhood.
- 2Accurate opening hours, public holidays included
A profile that says closed when you are open loses the sale, without you knowing.
- 3Recent photos of your shop front and products
What customers see before they come. One photo a week is enough to show you are alive and kicking.
- 4Recent reviews, every one answered
The pace counts as much as the rating: reviews from this month, and a reply to each one.
- 5A description and attributes filled in
Outdoor seating, delivery, card payments, accessibility: every box you tick answers a question your customer is asking.
- 6The same name, address and phone number everywhere
On your profile, your website and your social accounts. An address that changes from one site to the next sows doubt.
What you can do yourself, what Markus does for you
On your own, for free
- Fill in your profile and keep it right
- Reply to your reviews in the evening
- Post a photo every week
- Check your place by searching yourself, knowing that Google knows you and skews the result a little
With Markus
What it costs
Your Google profile is free. What costs is the time it takes to keep it right, or someone to do it for you.
| Who does it | What you pay | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Yourself | €0 | Your time, every week |
| A local agency | On quote | Depends on the agency |
| A profile and review tool | Often on quote | Checked on 6 October 2026 on public pricing pages |
| HelloMarkus | Profile €199 excl. VAT one-off, tracking €9 excl. VAT / month, posts €49 excl. VAT / month | One module at a time, no contract |
Frequently asked questions
What decides local search ranking?
Whether your business shows up when someone searches nearby, on Google and on Google Maps. We call it getting found: your profile, your reviews and your place, street by street.
Can you pay to be first on Google Maps?
You can buy ads, marked “Sponsored”. The natural ranking can’t be bought: it is earned.
Why am I 1st outside my door and 12th 500 m away?
Because distance counts. The further away the customer is, the more your profile and reviews need to weigh to get ahead of the businesses closer to them.
How long does it take to climb?
It depends on your neighbourhood and your competitors. We don’t promise a timescale: we measure every week and show you what moves.
Does Markus promise the top 3?
No. Nobody can honestly promise that. Markus does the work, measures your place every week and shows you what has moved.
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes, the Google Business Profile is free. What costs is the time it takes to keep it right.
How does your business look on Google?
The audit is free and takes two minutes. You see where you rank on Google, your profile and your reviews, and where to start.
