How Local Search Works: The Basics
When someone searches with local intent, such as “personal injury lawyer near me,” Google aims to show nearby firms that best match what the searcher needs.
Local search results usually include:
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A Google Business Profile in the Local Pack (top map results) -
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Additional listings within Google Maps -
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Organic website results below the map
Google uses three core local signals to decide which firms appear and how they rank:
Relevance
How closely your Google Business Profile and website content match the searcher’s intent.
Distance
How close your firm is to the user’s physical location at the time of the search.
Prominence
How established, visible, and authoritative your firm appears online.
Prominence reflects how clearly Google can recognize your firm as established, trusted, and active online. It is influenced by factors like consistent business information, quality reviews, engagement on your Google Business Profile, and signals that indicate ongoing credibility.
Prominence is also supported by broader signals like consistent directory listings (citations), quality backlinks and local mentions, and a website structure that reinforces relevance. These elements don’t replace the core local signals; they strengthen them over time and deserve a deeper conversation of their own.
Reviews Influence Both Rankings and Click-Throughs
Client reviews are not just a trust signal for prospective clients. They are also closely tied to how visible your firm is in local search results.
Strong review activity helps Google understand your firm’s reputation, adds fresh engagement signals to your Google Business Profile, and increases your likelihood of appearing in the Local Pack.
Local SEO research consistently shows that review quality, quantity, and recency are all associated with higher local rankings, making reviews one of the most practical levers firms can control.
Relevance: Are You a Good Match for the Search?
Relevance refers to how closely your firm matches what someone is searching for.
For law firms, relevance is shaped by how your Google Business Profile is categorized, how your services are described, and the language used across your website and practice area pages. Together, these signals help Google understand what types of matters you handle and who you are best positioned to help.
When a profile or website is broad or vague, Google has less context to confidently match the firm to specific searches.
Relevance is not about keyword stuffing. It is about clarity, clearly signaling who you help and what types of matters you handle.
Distance: Where Is the Searcher Relative to You?
Distance is one of the more straightforward local signals, but it still plays an important role.
Google evaluates how close your firm is to the searcher’s location, or to the location specified in the search itself. This is one reason local results can vary from person to person, even when the same search terms are used.
Distance alone does not determine rankings, but inaccurate location details or unrealistic service areas can quietly limit visibility.
Prominence: How Established Does Your Firm Appear?
Prominence reflects how well-known and trustworthy your firm appears online.
It builds gradually as consistent, verifiable signals accumulate, including review activity, accurate directory listings, and a website that clearly supports your local presence. Unlike distance, prominence is not fixed. It can be strengthened over time with the right focus.
Where Law Firms Often Get Stuck
Many law firms are doing some of the right things, just not in a coordinated way.
Google Business Profiles may exist but lack optimization. Reviews may be strong in quality but inconsistent in recency. Websites may look professional but fail to clearly support local relevance. Business information may vary slightly across directories.
Individually, these issues seem minor. Together, they can limit local visibility and reduce the likelihood of being selected, even when a firm appears in search results.
Try This Now: A Simple Local SEO Check You Can Do Yourself (Free)
You don’t need paid tools or technical expertise to get a clearer picture of how your firm appears in local search. This quick exercise takes just a few minutes and helps you see what Google and potential clients are actually seeing.
➊ Search like a potential client
Open an incognito or private browser window and search for your primary practice area and city
(for example, “family lawyer San Jose”), or try a variation like “lawyer near me.”
Avoid searching your firm name directly.
As you look at the results, ask yourself:
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Do I appear in the local map results? -
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If not, which firms do, and do they clearly match the search intent?
This step helps you see how Google is evaluating relevance, distance, and prominence in context.
➋ Review your Google Business Profile
If your firm appears, click on your Google Business Profile and review it carefully. Make sure your
business information is accurate, your primary category reflects what you actually do, and your
website link is working and relevant.
Google has confirmed that complete and accurate Business Profiles are more likely to appear in relevant local searches.
➌ Look beyond the star rating
Reviews matter, but not just the number. Pay attention to whether reviews are recent, whether they mention
specific services or situations, and whether responses are posted.
Review activity and engagement help establish prominence and influence how your firm is perceived.
➍ Check consistency across the web
Search your firm name and phone number together. Look for outdated addresses, duplicate listings,
or inconsistent formatting.
Inconsistent information can weaken local signals and create uncertainty, both for search engines and for people.
➎ Ask the most important question
If someone found this listing today, would it be immediately clear who you help, what you do,
and how to contact you? If the answer is anything other than a confident “yes,” you’ve identified an opportunity.
Why this matters: Local SEO isn’t about tricks or shortcuts. It’s about clarity.
When your firm sends clear, consistent signals through accurate listings, relevant content,
and a credible online presence, you make it easier for Google to understand your business
and easier for potential clients to choose you. Small improvements here often compound over time.
What We’ll Cover Next
Now it’s your turn to put this into practice.
This article focused on how Google evaluates law firms in local search because visibility is foundational. In the next part of this series, we’ll build on these core signals and look at the additional trust and authority factors that influence local performance over time, including:
- →How trust and credibility are assessed beyond reviews, including citations and local authority signals
- →Common website signals that support or quietly undermine confidence
- →How small digital improvements can work together over time
Each article will continue to include practical checks you can do yourself, so you always have a clear, realistic sense of where your firm stands and where improvements can make the most impact.
“Now go forth and Google yourselves!”