The "Local SEO Ranking Factors" report, created in 2008 by David Mihm, includes criteria that significantly influence the placement of companies in local search results. This has been published annually since then, with the content being redefined each time. How the Google algorithm behaves in local and organic search can only be determined on the basis of years of observation and analysis by experienced Google experts. For the year 2021, the digital experts identified a total of 132 potential factors that affect the ranking of companies in different ways. Important for the survey was to find out and distinguish the importance Google attaches to the Local Pack Finder (also called Local Snack Pack) and local organic results.

As it turned out, the well-maintained Google company profile (Google Business Profile) plays a decisive role when it comes to being found in the top positions in the Local Snack and Local Finder. Compared to 2020, GBP's share has increased by three percentage points to 36 percent. This means that GBP accounts for more than a third of the TOP ranking factors. And the trend is upward. But the relevance of reviews (17 percent), on-page measures (16 percent) and links (13 percent) should not be underestimated either. Responding to reviews has become just as important these days as optimizing the content and structure of a website or qualitative anchor texts and links.

Contrasting the survey results for Local Pack is the dominant role of on-page approaches to organic ranking factors, which account for the lion's share at 34 percent. On-page SEO pursues the goal of generating better rankings in search and, ultimately, more traffic and conversion rates. On-page is closely followed by links (31 percent). Links generally represent an important signal for Google and for all other search engines. Because it applies: No recommendation outward without linking! It is interesting to observe that customer behavior (Behavioral) still occupies a not insignificant place with 11 percent. So the way your website is clicked on many times or how long customers stay there is a ranking factor that should not be underestimated. On the other hand, the experts did not assign much importance to the GBP (6 percent) and reviews (5 percent) in organic search. For both local and organic search results, citations (consistency of site data) and personalization (search history, search location, etc.) are considered underweighted. Although these have been in reverse gear as ranking determinants for years, they are still not to be neglected in SEO optimization. 

In summary, one can state: Companies that want to land at the top of the search results should always keep an eye on their Google ranking factors, regardless of their relevance, in order to reach the intended goal.