Cracking the Code: What Google Really Values in Local SEO Rankings

Patrick McFadden • September 16, 2023

3 Local SEO Lessons Gleaned from a New Local Search Ranking Factors Study 

Whitespark’s 2023 ranking factors study which surveys the top experts in local search to understand what Google might use to rank businesses in the local pack/finder/maps and local organic results is out. These experts were asked to estimate the relative importance or weight that Google assigns to various ranking factor groups within the local search algorithm. This estimation is done for both local pack/finder results (those shown in map-based listings) and local organic results (traditional search results for local queries).


There is no shortage of local search engine optimization advice to get your business on google, rank higher on google my business and improve your local ranking on Google. Unfortunately, much of it is often at odds, conflicting and even confusing. For example don’t start thinking that geo-tagging photos might help your rankings. It won't. But on the on the other hand keywords in google reviews from recent research has shown that keywords in reviews don’t seem to have the ranking impact we thought they did. While this is helpful data, our take is that you still want to insert keywords in review responses because:


  • They can drive review justifications which are helpful for conversions.
  • They can trigger Place Topics which also help with conversions.
  • They can help with conversions when prospective customers browse or search through reviews looking to see if you offer a service and what people are saying about it.
  • We only have this one test so far that indicates they don’t have much of a ranking impact. We think one test is enough to provide fairly strong evidence, but we always like to see more data. I think more testing is required on this one.


Ranking Factors Local SEO Services Must Focus On

Here are three lessons we learned from the study:

1. Choosing the right primary category will determine your ranking of local results on google


One thing you've got to nail down to boost your presence on Google Maps and Search is choosing the right primary category for your Google Business Profile. Out of all factors, knowing how to choose a category for your Business Profile has the greatest impact on local pack rankings. Now, I get it, these categories tend to change from time to time, and that can leave local business owners scratching their heads. Currently, you can choose up to 10 categories for your business: 1 primary category, and rest as secondary categories. 


Lesson: Picking the right primary category for your Google Business Profile listing is the most important local SEO ranking factor, directly influencing the ranking of your business on Google and helping to improve your online visibility and attract more customers.


2. Keywords in your business name is the #2 local SEO ranking factor


You know, some folks might jump to the conclusion that your business name isn't a card you can play in the SEO game, but we beg to differ. Picking the right business name isn't just a surface-level decision; it's a strategic element with profound implications. What often goes unnoticed is the profound influence it can have on your overarching and local SEO marketing plan. Having your main keywords in your business name can make a massive difference in how your business ranks on Google in the local pack results. 


We often work with established businesses and they're invested time and effort in building your brand identity, and they're not about to toss it aside for a Google ranking boost.  Some folks resort to a quick fix: they sprinkle keywords into their Google Business profile, hoping for some SEO magic. But, this isn't in line with Google's guidelines.


However, there's a workaround that lets you harness the ranking benefits of keywords without drawing Google's wraft.  You can file for a DBA, short for "doing business as," with your state. It's essentially a trade name that lets you operate under a different title without the need for a full-blown business name change. Completely legal and A-OK with Google, as long as it is consistent with your online presence and reflects your real business identity. 


Lesson: If you have a business that is outranking you and they are adding keywords to their business name, it can be extremely difficult to compete with them due to the amount of weight Google puts on this in their local algorithm that fuels the 3-pack. The fact is keywords in your Google Business Profile name matter… a lot.


3. Being close to the prospect that is searching on Google (especially since the vicinity update)


Let's break it down in simple terms: "Proximity to searcher" refers to how close the searcher is to the place they're looking for. When you search on Google, especially in Google Maps, what you see is businesses listed based on how near they are to your exact location. Yes, physical proximity to the searcher is a Google ranking factor. 


Google flat out tells us that proximity is one of the three big factors in determining local search ranking:

“Local results are based primarily on relevance, distance, and prominence. A combination of these factors helps us find the best match for your search.
“Distance considers how far each potential search result is from the location term used in a search. If a user doesn’t specify a location in their search, we’ll calculate distance based on what we do know about their location.”

Close to a third of all Google searches have local intent – that is, the searcher is looking for something nearby or located in a specific area. Often (but now always) when Google determines there is local intent, it will display top local results in a Map Pack at the top of the search results.


Lesson: Make your location is clear to Google to ensure you appear in relevant search results.  Ensure citations (local listings) are accurate and that your business appears where people are searching for local products, services, etc. Claim and verify your Google My Business listing. For Service Area Businesses, ensure that your profile has been set up correctly so you aren’t violating Google’s guidelines for representing the business correctly.



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Contact Your Marketing Consultant at Indispensable Marketing

If you’re a established and local service based business that need insight into Google's local search algorithm to improve local search rankings showing up on the first page of search results on Google at Indispensable Marketing we can help. We offer marketing strategy consulting, marketing audits, monthly marketing packages, consultations, exploratory calls or monthly local SEO services. Contact us for more information.

The Missing Layer in AI: Why Judgment, Not Just Data, Will Define the Next Era of Intelligence

By Patrick McFadden • May 2, 2025
Everyone is scaling outputs. Almost no one is scaling judgment.

Everyone Talks About AI Judgment. We Built It.

By Patrick McFadden • May 2, 2025
Ask anyone in tech where AI is headed, and they’ll tell you: “The next leap is reasoning.” “AI needs judgment.” “We need assistants that think, not just answer.” They’re right. But while everyone’s talking about it, almost no one is actually shipping it. So we did. We built Thinking OS™ —a system that doesn’t just help AI answer questions… It helps AI think like a strategist. It helps AI decide like an operator. It helps teams and platforms scale judgment, n ot just generate output. The Theory Isn’t New. The Implementation Is. The idea of layering strategic thinking and judgment into AI isn’t new in theory. The problem is, no one’s been able to implement it effectively at scale. Let’s look at the current landscape. 1. Big Tech Has the Muscle—But Not the Mind OpenAI / ChatGPT ✅ Strength: Best-in-class language generation ❌ Limitation: No built-in judgment or reasoning. You must provide the structure. Otherwise, it follows instructions, not strategy. Google DeepMind / Gemini ✅ Known for advanced decision-making (e.g., AlphaGo) ❌ But only in structured environments like games—not messy, real-world business scenarios. Anthropic (Claude), Meta (LLaMA), Microsoft Copilot ✅ Great at answering questions and following commands ❌ But they’re assistants, not advisors. They won’t reprioritize. They won’t challenge your assumptions. They don’t ask: “Is this the right move?” These tools are powerful—but they don’t think for outcomes the way a strategist or operator would. 2. Who’s Actually Building the Thinking Layer™? This is where it gets interesting—and thin. Startups and Indie Builders Some small teams are quietly: Creating custom GPTs that mimic how experts reason Layering in business context, priorities, and tradeoffs Embedding decision logic so AI can guide, not just execute But these efforts are: Highly manual Difficult to scale Fragmented and experimental Enterprise Experiments A few companies (Salesforce, HubSpot, and others) are exploring more “judgment-aware” AI copilots. These systems can: Flag inconsistencies Recommend next actions Occasionally surface priorities based on internal logic But most of it is still: In early R&D Custom-coded Unproven beyond narrow use cases That’s Why Thinking OS™ Is Different Instead of waiting for a lab to crack it, we built a modular thinking system that installs like infrastructure. Thinking OS™: Captures how real experts reason Embeds judgment into layers AI can use Deploys into tools like ChatGPT or enterprise systems Helps teams think together, consistently, at scale It’s not another assistant. It’s the missing layer that turns outputs into outcomes. So… Is This a New Innovation? Yes—in practice. Everyone says AI needs judgment. But judgment isn’t an idea. It’s a system. It requires: Persistent memory Contextual awareness Tradeoff evaluation Value-based decisions Strategy that evolves with goals Thinking OS™ delivers that. And unlike the R&D experiments in Big Tech, it’s built for: Operators Consultants Platform founders Growth-stage teams that need to scale decision quality, not just content creation If Someone Told You They’ve Built a Thinking + Judgment Layer™… They’ve built something only a handful of people in the world are even attempting. Because this isn’t just AI that speaks fluently. It’s AI that reasons, reflects , and chooses. And in a world that’s drowning in tools, judgment becomes the differentiator. That’s the OS We Built Thinking OS™ is not a prompt pack. It’s not a dashboard. It’s not a glorified chatbot. It’s a decision architecture you can license, embed, or deploy— To help your team, your platform, or your clients think better at scale. We’ve moved past content. We’re building cognition. Let’s talk.

We Found the Missing Layer AI Has Been Waiting For

By Patrick McFadden • May 2, 2025
In every era of innovation, there’s a silent bottleneck—something obvious in hindsight, but elusive until the moment it clicks. In today’s AI-driven world, that bottleneck is clear: AI has speed. It has scale. But it doesn’t have judgment . It doesn’t really think . What’s Actually Missing From AI? When experts talk about the “thinking and judgment layer” as the next leap for AI, they’re calling out a hard truth: Modern AI systems are powerful pattern machines. But they’re missing the human layer—the one that reasons, weighs tradeoffs, and makes strategic decisions in context. Let’s break that down: 1. The Thinking Layer = Reasoning with Purpose This layer doesn’t just process inputs— it structures logic. It’s the ability to: Ask the right questions before acting Break down complexity into solvable parts Adjust direction mid-course when reality changes Think beyond “what was asked” to uncover “what really matters” Today’s AI responds. But it rarely reflects. Unless told exactly what to do, it won’t work through problems the way a strategist or operator would. 2. The Judgment Layer = Decision-Making in the Gray Judgment is the ability to: Prioritize what matters most Choose between imperfect options Make decisions when there’s no clear answer Apply values, experience, and vision—not just data It’s why a founder might not pursue a lucrative deal. Why a marketer might ignore the click-through rate. Why a strategist knows when the timing isn’t right. AI doesn’t do this well. Not yet. Because judgment requires more than data—it requires discernment . Why This Is the Bottleneck Holding Back AI AI can write. It can summarize. It can automate. But it still can’t: Diagnose the real problem behind the question Evaluate tradeoffs like a founder or operator would Recommend a path based on context, constraints, and conviction AI today is still reactive. It follows instructions. But it doesn’t lead. It doesn’t guide. It doesn’t own the outcome. And for those building serious systems—whether you’re running a company, launching a platform, or leading a team—this is the wall you eventually hit. That’s Why We Built Thinking OS™ We stopped waiting for AI to learn judgment on its own. Instead, we created a system that embeds it—by design. Thinking OS™ is an installable decision layer that captures how top founders, strategists, and operators think… …and makes that thinking repeatable , scalable , and usable inside teams, tools, and platforms. It’s not a framework. It’s not a chatbot. It’s not another playbook. It’s the layer that knows how to: Think through complex decisions Apply judgment when rules don’t help Guide others —human or AI—toward strategic outcomes This Is the Missing Infrastructure Thinking OS™ isn’t just about better answers. It’s about better thinking—made operational. And that’s what’s been missing in AI, consulting, leadership development, and platform design. If you’re trying to scale expertise, install judgment, or move from tactical to strategic… You don’t need a faster AI. You need a thinking layer that knows what to do—and why. We built it. Let’s talk.
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