The three signals Google combines
For each query, Google computes a match score between the query, the profile, and the searcher's location. That score is weighted by distance (how far the practice is from the searcher) and by reputation (ratings, volume, recency of reviews, quality of replies).
Distance — you cannot move, but you can position
A practice 800 metres from the searcher almost always beats one 5 km away, profile for profile. What you can do: pick a precise primary category (not 'Doctor', but 'Dentist' or 'Physiotherapist'), and fill in the service area.
Relevance — the easiest part to neglect
Google reads the profile, the reviews, the replies, and the posts to decide whether your practice matches the query. A profile without a description, without accurate hours, without a link to the website, cannot win.
Reputation — the part Revydo handles for you
Review count, average rating, recency, and the quality of your replies carry weight. A profile that replies to every review within the day pulls ahead of a profile that lets things sit for three weeks.
The review spam trap (and how to avoid it)
Bought reviews, sudden waves of reviews from the same IP, undisclosed employee reviews: Google detects and removes them. And since 2024, Google's review policy explicitly lets businesses flag reviews they suspect are fake more easily. A buy of 50 reviews in three days does not move a practice up; it removes the practice from the local pack.
What a Google Business Profile must contain
- Name, address, phone — identical on the website, the directories, and the profile (consistent NAP).
- Precise primary category, and 2 to 4 secondary categories.
- Accurate hours, updated for vacations and bank holidays.
- Short description, that says what you do and for whom, in one or two sentences.
- Recent photos (practice, team, front of building).
- Link to the website, and where possible to the booking page.
How Revydo plays on these three signals
Revydo cannot move your location, but it acts directly on relevance (replies to every review that add context Google can index) and on reputation (recency, volume, quality of replies). It is the steady work that turns a listing into an asset.