A

Additional Category

An additional category is a secondary business category added to a Google Business Profile after the primary category.

Example: A business with the primary category “Electrician” may add another relevant electrical-service category if it genuinely describes the business.

Additional categories should represent services the business actually provides.

Address

An address is the physical location connected with a local business.

For a storefront business, the address can appear on Google Search and Maps. A service-area business that does not receive customers at its location should normally hide its address.

Address Suppression

Address suppression means hiding a business’s street address from customers.

It is normally used by service-area businesses that travel to customers instead of receiving customers at their own premises.

Example: A plumber operating from home can hide the home address while displaying the areas served.

Google specifically tells service-area businesses that do not serve customers at their address to remove the address from public display.

AI Citation

An AI citation is a business, webpage, directory, review source, or other source referenced by an AI-generated answer.

Example: An AI tool recommends three roofers and references a trade directory and the companies’ websites.

For local businesses, strong and consistent information across trusted sources can improve the chance that AI systems correctly understand the business.

AI Local Discovery

AI local discovery is the use of AI to find local businesses, attractions, services, restaurants, shops, or other places.

Example: A user asks, “Find me a quiet coffee shop nearby with outdoor seating.”

It is an emerging local-search behavior rather than one official SEO ranking factor.

AI Local Recommendation

An AI local recommendation is a business or place suggested by an AI-powered search or mapping system.

Example: An AI assistant recommends a nearby restaurant after considering location, reviews, opening hours, and other available information.

AI Local Visibility

AI local visibility describes how often and how prominently a local business appears in AI-generated recommendations or answers.

It is an emerging measurement alongside traditional Maps and organic-search visibility.

Apple Actions

Apple Actions are buttons or links on an Apple Maps Place Card that let customers perform an action.

Examples: Reserve, order, view a menu, buy tickets, or visit a website.

Apple currently allows businesses to connect these actions with their own websites or supported platforms.

Apple Business Connect

Apple Business Connect is Apple’s platform for managing how a business appears in Apple Maps and other Apple experiences.

Businesses can manage information such as their location, hours, images, Place Card, and customer actions.

Apple Insights

Apple Insights is reporting information showing how users discover and interact with a business on Apple Maps.

It can include Place Card views and actions such as calls, website taps, directions, sharing, and interactions with showcases.

Apple Maps

Apple Maps is Apple’s mapping and local place-discovery platform.

Local businesses can manage their information for Apple Maps through Apple Business Connect.

Apple Place Card

An Apple Place Card is the information panel shown for a business or place in Apple Maps.

It can contain information such as hours, contact details, photos, directions, and actions.

Apple Showcase

An Apple Showcase is promotional content displayed on a business’s Apple Place Card.

Example: A restaurant can highlight a seasonal menu or a retailer can promote a sale.

Apple allows a showcase to include an image, short text, and a customer action.

Appeal

A Google Business Profile appeal is a request asking Google to review a suspended or disabled Business Profile.

Businesses can submit evidence such as registration documents, licenses, tax documents, or utility bills when appropriate.

Google now directs suspended businesses through its appeals process rather than simply creating another profile.

Ask Maps

Ask Maps is Google’s AI-powered conversational search experience inside Google Maps.

It allows users to ask detailed questions about places instead of entering only short keywords.

Example: A person can ask for a nearby place to charge a phone that is unlikely to have a long coffee queue.

Google introduced Ask Maps in March 2026 and began rolling it out in the United States and India.

Attribute

An attribute is a feature or characteristic displayed on a local business profile.

Examples: Outdoor seating, Wi-Fi, accessibility features, payment options, or other amenities.

Google says some attributes can be added by the business while others can come from customer input.

Average Star Rating

An average star rating is the average rating customers have given a business on a review platform.

Example: A business may have an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.

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Bing Places for Business

Bing Places for Business is Microsoft’s local business listing system.

It allows businesses to manage information that can be used in Bing’s local search experiences.

Brick-and-Mortar Business

A brick-and-mortar business operates from a physical location where customers can visit.

Examples: A dentist, restaurant, supermarket, gym, or retail shop.

Branded Local Search

A branded local search contains the name of a particular local business or brand.

Example: “Wilson Dental Manchester.”

It differs from a non-branded search such as “dentist Manchester.”

Bulk Management

bulk management means managing information for many business locations together.

It is commonly used by franchises, chains, agencies, and enterprise businesses.

Bulk Upload

A bulk upload means adding or changing information for many business locations through a file or management system instead of editing every profile manually.

Business Category

A business category tells a local platform what kind of business a company is.

Examples: Dentist, Pizza Restaurant, Plumber, Hotel, or Car Dealer.

Categories are particularly important in Google Business Profile because Google states that they help connect businesses with searches for their products or services.

Business Description

A business description is a short explanation of what a business does.

Example: “Family-run plumbing company providing emergency repairs and boiler installations throughout Sheffield.”

Business Eligibility

business eligibility determines whether a business is allowed to have a profile on a local platform.

For Google, businesses generally need a real-world presence where customers can visit them or where the business serves customers in person. Online-only businesses without an in-person local service are generally not eligible for a Google Business Profile.

Business Group

A business group is a way to organize and manage multiple business locations together.

It is useful when several people or teams need controlled access to many locations.

Business Hours

business hours show when a business normally operates.

Accurate hours matter particularly for searches such as “pharmacy open now.”

The 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey also ranked being open at the time of search among influential Maps factors, although this is industry research rather than an official Google weighting disclosure.

Business Listing

A business listing is an online record containing information about a local business.

It can include a name, address, phone number, website, hours, photos, categories, and reviews.

Business Name

A business name is the real-world name used to identify the company.

Google requires businesses to represent themselves consistently with how they are known in the real world rather than adding unnecessary keywords to the name.

Business Profile ID

A Business Profile ID is an identifier Google assigns to a Business Profile.

It can be useful when dealing with profile management, support, APIs, or appeals involving multiple locations.

Business Profile Performance

Business Profile Performance is Google’s reporting system for measuring how users discover and interact with a Business Profile.

Depending on the business, it can include searches, views, clicks, calls, bookings, directions, and other interactions.

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Call Tracking

call tracking measures telephone leads generated by particular marketing sources.

Example: A business can compare calls generated by Google Business Profile with calls generated by paid advertising.

Call Tracking Number

A call tracking number is a telephone number used specifically to measure calls.

It forwards calls to the business’s real telephone number while allowing the source of the call to be recorded.

Category

A category is a predefined label describing what a business is.

On Google Business Profile, a business chooses a primary category and can use relevant additional categories.

Category Confusion

category confusion is an informal local SEO term for using categories that poorly or inconsistently describe a business.

It is not an official Google metric.

Example: A plumbing company should not add unrelated categories simply because those categories receive searches.

Centroid

A centroid is a central geographic point.

Older local SEO discussions often treated the geographic center of a city as especially important. Modern local results are much more dependent on the location of the individual searcher.

CID

A CID is an identifier associated with a business entity in Google’s local systems.

Local SEO tools sometimes use the CID to open or track a particular Google business listing.

Citation

A citation is an online mention of identifying information about a local business.

It commonly includes some combination of the business’s name, address, and phone number.

Example: A local chamber of commerce lists a restaurant’s name, address, and telephone number.

Citation Audit

A citation audit is a check of where a business is mentioned or listed online.

It can identify incorrect addresses, old phone numbers, duplicates, or missing important listings.

Citation Building

citation building means creating accurate local business listings and mentions on relevant online sources.

Citation Cleanup

citation cleanup means correcting inaccurate or duplicate business information found on third-party websites.

Citation Consistency

citation consistency means keeping important business information accurate across major online sources.

The purpose is to avoid genuinely conflicting information, such as two different phone numbers or an old address.

Citation Management

citation management is the ongoing process of creating, updating, correcting, and monitoring local business listings.

Citation Source

A citation source is the website, directory, database, publisher, or platform containing a citation.

Examples: An industry association, chamber of commerce, local directory, or news website.

Citation Velocity

citation velocity is an industry term describing how quickly new online mentions or citations are created.

It is not an official Google ranking metric.

Claim

To claim a listing means to take authorized control of an existing business profile.

After claiming and completing any required verification, the business can normally manage its information.

Co-located Business

A co-located business is a separate business operating from the same address as another business.

Example: Several legitimate medical practitioners may work from one medical center.

Co-located businesses need to meet the platform’s eligibility requirements independently.

Competitive Density

competitive density describes how many relevant competing businesses operate within an area.

Example: A dentist in a street containing 20 dental practices operates in a denser competitive environment than a dentist with no nearby competitors.

It is a useful local SEO analysis concept rather than an official ranking factor.

Competitor Grid

A competitor grid is a geo-grid comparison showing how several businesses rank across the same geographic area.

It helps identify where one competitor is stronger or weaker than another.

Conversion Action

A local conversion action is an action that moves a searcher toward becoming a customer.

Examples: Calling, requesting directions, booking, ordering, or visiting the website.

Custom Service

A custom service is a service a business manually adds to its Google Business Profile when appropriate.

Example: A roofing company may add a specific roof-repair service it provides.

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Data Aggregator

A data aggregator is a company that collects local business information and supplies it to other websites, applications, directories, or mapping systems.

Data Provider

A data provider is an organization that supplies business or location information to another platform.

The terms data provider and data aggregator are often used similarly in local SEO.

Department Listing

A department listing is a separate listing for an eligible department inside a larger business or institution.

Examples: A pharmacy department inside a large store or a specialist department within a hospital, where platform rules allow it.

Directions Request

A directions request happens when a user asks a map platform for directions to a business.

It is an important customer-interaction metric for businesses that depend on physical visits.

Distance

distance is how far a business is from the searcher or from the location Google believes is relevant to the search.

Google identifies distance as one of its main local-ranking considerations.

Duplicate Listing

A duplicate listing occurs when multiple profiles represent the same business or entity on one platform.

Duplicates can divide reviews, confuse users, or create management problems.

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Entity

An entity is a distinct person, business, organization, location, product, or other thing that a search system can identify.

A local restaurant, dentist, hotel, or individual practitioner can each be understood as an entity.

Enterprise Local SEO

enterprise local SEO is local SEO performed at large scale.

Example: Managing local visibility for 2,000 supermarket locations.

It usually requires systems for bulk profile management, location pages, reviews, reporting, and location data.

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Fake Engagement

fake engagement is activity that does not represent a genuine customer experience.

Google uses this term in its Maps user-generated content policies. Fake reviews and manipulated ratings are examples.

Fake Listing

A fake listing is a local business profile representing a business or location that does not genuinely exist or is not eligible.

Fake listings are a common form of local search spam.

Fake Review

A fake review is feedback that does not represent a genuine experience with the business.

It may be created to unfairly increase or decrease a business’s rating.

Franchise Local SEO

franchise local SEO is local search optimization for a business operating through multiple franchise locations.

Each legitimate location may require its own Business Profile, location page, reviews, and local information.

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Geo-Grid

A geo-grid is a map divided into multiple local search points used to measure rankings.

Instead of checking a ranking from only one location, the tool checks from many points around a town or city.

Geo-Grid Scan

A geo-grid scan is one complete local ranking check across the points in a geo-grid.

Example: A 7×7 grid produces ranking information from 49 geographic points.

Geo-Modified Search

A geo-modified search includes an explicit place name.

Examples: “lawyer Chicago” or “plumber in Bristol.”

Geolocated Search

A geolocated search relies on the searcher’s physical location even when the query does not contain a place name.

Example: Someone in Liverpool searches simply for “coffee shop.”

Geo Modifier

A geo modifier is the location part of a search phrase.

Examples: “London,” “Brooklyn,” “90210,” or “near me.”

Geotagging

geotagging means adding geographic metadata to a photo, video, or another digital file.

Geotagging exists as a technology, but adding geographic metadata to GBP photos should not be treated as a guaranteed Maps-ranking tactic. The 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors research classifies geotagged GBP photos among commonly overstated tactics.

Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile, or GBP, is Google’s system for managing how an eligible local business appears on Google Search and Maps.

Businesses can maintain information, upload photos, receive and answer reviews, and manage other profile features at no charge.

GBP Additional Category

A GBP additional category is any relevant Business Profile category added after the primary category.

It helps describe other important aspects of the business.

GBP Attribute

A GBP attribute is a feature or characteristic shown on a Google Business Profile.

Examples: Wi-Fi, accessibility, payment options, or outdoor seating.

GBP Category

A GBP category tells Google what type of business a profile represents.

Google recommends selecting a specific primary category that best describes the core business.

GBP Custom Service

A GBP custom service is a service manually created by the business in its profile.

It can help customers understand specific services offered.

GBP Predefined Service

A GBP predefined service is a service option Google already provides for a particular business category.

The business can select applicable services rather than creating all of them manually.

GBP Photos

GBP photos are images associated with a Google Business Profile.

They can include business-uploaded and user-uploaded photos.

Good photos help customers evaluate a business even when they do not directly change rankings.

GBP Posts

GBP Posts are updates businesses can publish through their Google Business Profile.

They can communicate announcements, events, offers, or other current information.

GBP Products

GBP Products are product entries eligible businesses can display through their Business Profile.

They are particularly useful for local retailers where the feature is available.

GBP Q&A

GBP Q&A is the public question-and-answer information connected with a business profile.

Customers can use it to ask questions about the business.

GBP Services

GBP Services are service descriptions associated with eligible business categories.

Example: An electrician can list rewiring, fault finding, and electrical installation.

GBP Suspension

A GBP suspension occurs when Google restricts a Business Profile because of a policy, eligibility, verification, or account issue.

A suspended profile can be appealed through Google’s Business Profile appeal system.

GBP Verification

GBP verification confirms that the person managing a Business Profile is authorized to represent the business.

The available verification method is determined by Google and can differ by business.

Google Local Guides

Google Local Guides are Maps users who contribute information such as reviews, photos, answers, or corrections.

Their contributions help build information about places in Google Maps.

Google Maps

Google Maps is Google’s mapping, navigation, and local place-discovery platform.

Local businesses can appear with details including their category, address or service area, hours, reviews, photos, products, and services.

Google Maps Pin

A Google Maps pin is the marker identifying a business or place on the map.

An incorrectly positioned pin can make directions inaccurate and can create local-search problems.

Google My Business

Google My Business, or GMB, is the former name of Google Business Profile.

The abbreviation GMB still appears frequently in older local SEO articles and tools.

Google Places

Google Places is an older name for Google’s local-business product.

It predates Google My Business and Google Business Profile.

Google Review Link

A Google review link is a direct link businesses can share with customers to make leaving a Google review easier.

Review requests should still follow Google’s user-generated content policies.

Google Verified

Google Verified is the current unified verification badge Google is introducing for eligible Local Services Ads advertisers.

Advertisers must satisfy the applicable screening and verification requirements. Google states that the badge change itself does not alter LSA ranking.

Google Guarantee

Google Guarantee is older Local Services Ads badging terminology.

Google has moved toward the unified Google Verified badge and discontinued the money-back guarantee associated with the older Google Guarantee program for eligible claims after December 2025.

Google Screened

Google Screened is older Local Services Ads terminology used for certain professional-service advertisers that passed Google’s screening requirements.

Google’s newer badge system is consolidating advertiser badging under Google Verified.

Google Local Services Ads

Google Local Services Ads, or LSAs, are local lead-generation advertisements for eligible service businesses.

Google says participating businesses must pass its applicable screening and verification process, which can include business registration, licensing, insurance, background, and review requirements depending on category and location.

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Hawk Update

The Hawk Update is an industry name for a 2017 change to Google’s local filtering system.

It followed the earlier Possum update and is mainly important when reading historical local SEO discussions.

Hidden Address

A hidden address is a business address stored for verification or management purposes but not publicly displayed to customers.

It is common for pure service-area businesses.

Home-Based Business

A home-based business operates from the owner’s home.

A home-based business can be eligible for a Business Profile if it meets Google’s business rules. If customers are not served at the home address, the address should generally be hidden.

Hybrid Service-Area Business

A hybrid service-area business serves customers both at its own staffed business location and at customers’ locations.

Example: An auto repair shop receives vehicles at its garage but also provides roadside assistance.

Google allows eligible hybrid businesses to display their storefront address and set a service area.

Hyperlocal

hyperlocal means focused on a very small geographic area.

Example: A campaign targeting one neighborhood rather than an entire city.

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In-Store Products

in-store products are products a retailer makes visible through its local Google presence where the feature is available.

They can help searchers discover whether an item may be available nearby. Google currently recommends eligible retailers add in-store products to their Business Profile.

Industry Citation

An industry citation is a local business citation on a website relevant to the business’s industry.

Example: A dentist listed on a reputable dental association website.

Individual Practitioner Listing

An individual practitioner listing represents a particular professional rather than the whole organization.

Examples: A doctor, dentist, lawyer, or real estate agent.

Google permits individual practitioner listings in eligible circumstances.

Ineligible Business

An ineligible business is a business or entity that does not qualify for a local profile under the platform’s rules.

Example: Google says an online-only business with no physical presence or local in-person service is not eligible as a Google Maps business.

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Justification

A local justification is extra text Google can display with a local result to show why the business may match the search.

Example: A searched-for service may be highlighted underneath the business listing.

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Knowledge Panel

A local Knowledge Panel is an information panel Google can display for a particular business or place.

It may contain the name, category, address, phone number, photos, reviews, hours, website, and other business information.

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Lead-Generation Listing

A lead-generation listing is a listing primarily created to capture enquiries and sell or forward them to another provider.

A lead-generation profile that does not represent an eligible real-world business can violate platform rules.

Local 3-Pack

The local 3-pack is a common industry name for the small group of map-based local results Google often displays in Search.

The exact presentation can change, so local pack is the broader term.

Local Algorithm

The local algorithm is the collection of systems used to determine which local businesses should appear for a search.

Google publicly describes local results mainly through relevance, distance, and prominence/popularity.

Local Backlink

A local backlink is a link to a business website from a geographically relevant website.

Example: A local newspaper links to a restaurant after covering its opening.

Local Business Schema

LocalBusiness schema is structured data used on a website to describe a local business.

It can communicate information such as business type, address, telephone number, opening hours, and other details to search engines.

Google recommends using the most specific appropriate LocalBusiness type where possible.

Local Citation

A local citation is an online reference to identifying information about a local business.

It commonly includes some or all of the company’s name, address, and phone number.

Local Content

local content is website content created for a geographically relevant audience.

Example: A roofing company publishes a guide to roofing problems caused by weather conditions common in Glasgow.

Local Entity

A local entity is a business, practitioner, landmark, institution, or other identifiable thing connected to a real-world location.

Local Finder

The Local Finder is the expanded list of local businesses that users can reach after opening more local results from Google Search.

It provides more options than the smaller initial local pack.

Local Intent

local intent means the searcher wants a result connected to a particular geographic area.

Examples: “dentist near me,” “pizza Boston,” and “car wash.”

Local Landing Page

A local landing page is a webpage designed for visitors associated with a particular business location or geographic market.

Local Link

A local link is a backlink with genuine geographic relevance to the business.

Local Link Building

local link building means earning backlinks from websites connected to a local community.

Examples: Local news sites, charities, business associations, universities, clubs, event organizers, or relevant local partners.

Local Organic Results

local organic results are normal unpaid website results that have been localized according to the search or searcher’s location.

They are different from Google Maps or local pack results.

Local Pack

The local pack is Google’s map-based group of business results shown for many searches with local intent.

It can contain business names, reviews, categories, hours, locations, and other information.

Local Pack Filter

A local pack filter is an industry term for situations where Google limits or suppresses one business from local results because other highly similar nearby businesses are present.

Local filtering became especially well known after updates such as Possum.

Local Pack Ranking

A local pack ranking is the position a business receives within Google’s map-based local search results.

It can differ from the same business’s normal organic website ranking.

Local Rank Tracker

A local rank tracker is software that measures a business’s position for geographically sensitive searches.

More advanced tools check rankings from multiple points around a city.

Local Ranking

A local ranking is a business’s position for a local search at a specific place and time.

A company can rank differently from one neighborhood to another because location affects local results.

Local Search

A local search is a search where geographic relevance matters.

Examples: “restaurants,” “dentist near me,” or “plumber Brooklyn.”

Local Search Grid

A local search grid is a group of geographic points used to measure local rankings across an area.

It is another name commonly used for a geo-grid.

Local Search Ranking Factors

local search ranking factors are signals believed or known to influence local search visibility.

Google publicly emphasizes relevance, distance, and prominence. Industry research studies more detailed groups such as GBP information, reviews, citations, local website signals, links, behavior, and personalization.

Local SEO

Local SEO, or local search engine optimization, is the process of improving a business’s visibility when people search for products, services, or places within a relevant geographic area.

Example: Helping a dental clinic appear when nearby customers search for a dentist.

Local SEO Audit

A local SEO audit is a detailed examination of a business’s local search presence.

It normally checks Business Profiles, website location signals, rankings, reviews, citations, local links, competitors, and technical problems affecting local pages.

Local SERP

A local SERP is a search engine results page produced for a query with local intent.

It can contain a local pack, organic results, advertisements, Local Services Ads, and other search features.

Local Services Ads

Local Services Ads, usually shortened to LSAs, are Google’s paid lead-generation advertisements for eligible local service businesses.

They are advertising rather than organic local SEO.

Local Inventory

local inventory is information showing which products are available at a specific nearby store.

It helps connect online product discovery with physical retail locations.

Local Inventory Ads

Local Inventory Ads, or LIAs, are paid Google retail ads designed to show nearby shoppers products available from local stores.

They belong to paid local marketing rather than organic local SEO, but they are part of the local-search ecosystem.

Localized Organic Results

localized organic results are ordinary website results that change according to geographic context.

A person in Miami and a person in Seattle can therefore receive different organic results for the same service query.

Location Data

location data is the collection of factual information identifying and describing a business location.

It can include the name, address, coordinates, telephone number, hours, category, and website.

Location Group

A location group is a system for grouping and managing multiple Business Profiles.

It is especially useful for agencies and multi-location brands.

Location Landing Page

A location landing page is a dedicated webpage for one real business location.

Example: /locations/manchester/.

A useful location page can include its address, hours, directions, services, photos, staff, parking information, and local customer information.

Location Modifier

A location modifier is a geographic word added to a search phrase.

Example: “Liverpool” in “Liverpool accountant.”

Location Page

A location page is a webpage representing one branch, store, office, clinic, or other business location.

Location Prominence

location prominence is an older local-search term describing how important or well known a location appears.

It appears more frequently in historical patents and local SEO discussions than in current Google guidance.

Location Signal

A location signal is any information that helps a search system understand the geographic relationship between a business, webpage, and searcher.

Examples: A verified business location, page content, service area, or local citation.

Location-Specific Page

A location-specific page is website content created specifically for one business location or geographic audience rather than being a generic national page.

LSA Lead

An LSA lead is a customer enquiry generated through a Local Services Ad.

It can arrive through supported methods such as calls, messages, or bookings.

LSA Ranking

LSA ranking is the order in which Local Services Ads providers appear.

It is separate from organic Maps ranking.

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Map Pack

The map pack is another common name for the Google local pack.

Map Pin

A map pin is the geographic marker showing the position of a place or business on a map.

The pin should match the business’s actual eligible location.

Map Ranking

A map ranking is a business’s position in map-based search results.

It is often measured through Google Maps or geo-grid rank tracking.

Map Spam

map spam is manipulative or ineligible information placed in local map results.

Examples: Fake businesses, fake locations, keyword-stuffed names, or duplicate profiles created to dominate an area.

Maps Results

Maps results are businesses or places returned inside a mapping platform such as Google Maps or Apple Maps.

Multi-Location Business

A multi-location business operates from more than one legitimate business location.

Examples: Banks, restaurant chains, retailers, medical groups, and franchises.

Multi-Location Citations

multi-location citations are online business listings or mentions managed for several locations of the same company.

Each location should be connected with its own correct information.

Multi-Location SEO

multi-location SEO is the process of improving local search visibility for several business locations.

It commonly involves location pages, individual profiles, reviews, citations, local rank tracking, and scalable data management.

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Name Spam

name spam means manipulating a local business name to gain extra keyword relevance.

Example: Changing a real business name from “Wilson & Sons” to “Wilson & Sons Best Emergency Plumber London 24 Hours” when those words are not part of the genuine business name.

Google’s guidelines require the profile name to reflect the real-world business name.

NAP

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number.

These are three core pieces of information used to identify a local business online.

NAP+W

NAP+W means Name, Address, Phone number, and Website.

NAP Consistency

NAP consistency means keeping a business’s identifying information accurate across important online sources.

The practical goal is to prevent contradictory business data, not to obsess over harmless formatting differences.

Native Google Review

A native Google review is a review submitted directly through Google’s own review system rather than imported or displayed from another platform.

Near Me

“near me” is a common phrase searchers add when they want nearby results.

Examples: “pharmacy near me” or “lawyer near me.”

Nearby Search

A nearby search is any search where the user is looking for a business, product, service, or place close to their current or specified location.

Neighborhood Keyword

A neighborhood keyword contains the name of a district, suburb, or neighborhood rather than a whole city.

Example: “pizza Soho.”

New Merchant Experience (NMX)

New Merchant Experience, or NMX, is the industry name widely used for Google’s newer method of managing Business Profiles directly through Google Search instead of relying on the older standalone dashboard experience.

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Opening Hours

opening hours show when customers can normally use or visit a business.

Correct hours are especially important for searches with immediate intent such as “open now.”

Owner

A Business Profile owner is a user with high-level access to manage a Google Business Profile.

Owners can manage profile information and user access. Google allows multiple owners but only one primary owner.

Owner Response

An owner response is a public reply from a business to a customer review.

It gives the business an opportunity to thank customers, answer concerns, or provide context.

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Pigeon Update

The Pigeon Update is an industry name for a major Google local-search algorithm change launched in 2014.

It is now mainly a historical local SEO term.

Place Card

A Place Card is Apple’s information panel for a place or local business in Apple Maps.

It can include business details, photos, directions, and customer actions.

Place ID

A Place ID is Google’s identifier for a particular place within its location systems.

Local SEO tools and developers can use it to reference a specific business or location.

Place Topics

Place Topics are themes Google can identify from customer reviews.

They help summarize subjects customers frequently mention about a place.

Popular Times

Popular Times is Google’s display of how busy a place tends to be at different times.

It is based on aggregated visit information where enough data is available.

Possum Update

The Possum Update is the industry name for a significant Google local-search update observed in 2016.

It became well known for stronger filtering between similar businesses located near one another.

Practitioner Listing

A practitioner listing is a local profile for an individual professional.

Examples: A dentist, lawyer, doctor, or real estate agent.

It is separate from the listing representing the entire practice or company.

Primary Category

A primary category is the main category selected for a Google Business Profile.

It should describe the business’s core activity as accurately and specifically as possible.

Current Google guidance states that business categories affect local ranking, and the 2026 industry survey places primary category among the strongest Maps factors.

Primary Owner

The primary owner is the Business Profile owner with the highest ownership role.

Only the primary owner can transfer primary ownership to another eligible owner.

Profile Edit

A profile edit is a change to information on a local business profile.

Examples: Changing hours, phone number, category, website, or business description.

Profile Strength

Profile Strength is an interface concept intended to encourage businesses to complete useful profile information.

It should not be confused with a public Google local-ranking score.

Prominence

prominence describes how well known or established a business or place is.

Google says prominence can be influenced by information available across the web, including links, articles, directories, and reviews. More reviews and positive ratings can also help local ranking.

Proximity

proximity means how close a business is to the searcher or relevant search location.

It is closely related to Google’s official distance concept.

Proximity Bias

proximity bias is an industry term describing the strong tendency for local search results to favor suitable businesses closer to the searcher’s location.

It is not the name of an official Google metric.

Proximity to Point of Search

proximity to the point of search means the distance between the business and the specific location from which the local search occurs.

It explains why a business can rank strongly from one side of town but poorly from another.

Pure Service-Area Business

A pure service-area business serves customers at their locations but does not receive customers at its own business address.

Examples: Mobile locksmiths, plumbers, cleaners, and electricians.

Google instructs these businesses to hide their address from customers.

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Q

Q&A

Q&A means questions and answers connected with a local business listing.

It can answer common customer questions about services, parking, accessibility, reservations, or other practical details.

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R

Rank Grid

A rank grid is a grid of geographic search points used to measure local rankings across an area.

It is another common name for a geo-grid.

Reinstatement

reinstatement is the older commonly used term for getting a suspended Google Business Profile restored.

Google’s current process is centered on submitting an appeal, although local SEOs still frequently use the word reinstatement.

Relevance

relevance means how closely a local business matches what the searcher wants.

Google identifies relevance as one of its principal local-ranking considerations.

Reputation Management

reputation management is the process of monitoring and improving how customers perceive a business online.

For local businesses, reviews and owner responses are major parts of reputation management.

Reserve with Google

Reserve with Google refers to supported integrations that let customers book certain appointments, reservations, or services through Google experiences.

Review

A review is feedback describing a customer’s experience with a business.

It usually contains text, a star rating, or both.

Review Acquisition

review acquisition means systematically encouraging genuine customers to leave reviews.

The process should follow the rules of the platform where reviews are requested.

Review Attributes

review attributes are specific characteristics associated with customer feedback.

They can summarize qualities such as responsiveness, value, or service.

Review Count

review count is the total number of reviews a business has on a particular platform.

Google confirms that review quantity can contribute to local prominence.

Review Diversity

review diversity describes having genuine reviews across more than one relevant third-party platform.

Example: A hotel may receive reviews on Google and major travel platforms.

It is an industry reputation concept rather than one official Google metric.

Review Gating

review gating means first determining whether a customer is satisfied and then sending only satisfied customers to leave a public review.

It produces a selectively positive review sample and can conflict with review-platform policies.

Review Generation

review generation means creating a repeatable process for requesting genuine customer reviews.

Example: Every customer receives the same neutral review request after a completed service.

Review Link

A review link sends customers directly to the interface where they can submit a review.

Review Management

review management means requesting, monitoring, analyzing, and responding to customer reviews.

Review Posting Restriction

A review posting restriction occurs when Google temporarily limits new reviews or ratings for a place because suspicious activity has been detected.

Google can also remove suspicious reviews or display a warning on the Business Profile.

Review Recency

review recency describes how recently a business has received customer reviews.

A profile receiving current reviews can give customers a more recent view of the business than one whose newest review is three years old.

Review recency is also treated as meaningful in current local-search industry research.

Review Response

A review response is a business’s public reply to a customer review.

Review Sentiment

review sentiment is the positive, negative, neutral, or mixed attitude expressed in customer feedback.

Review Spam

review spam is fake, manipulated, or otherwise illegitimate review activity.

Google defines fake engagement as content that does not represent a genuine experience.

Review Velocity

review velocity describes the rate at which a business receives new reviews.

Example: A business receiving ten genuine reviews every month has a different review velocity from one receiving ten per year.

Review with Photo

A review with photo is customer feedback that includes one or more images.

Photos can provide useful real-world evidence of products, locations, or customer experiences.

Rating

A rating is the numerical score attached to a review.

Local business platforms commonly use a one-to-five-star scale.

Rating Distribution

rating distribution describes how a business’s ratings are spread across different scores.

Example: A 4.5-star business might have mostly five-star reviews but also a smaller number of one-, two-, three-, and four-star ratings.

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S

Service Area

A service area is the geographic area where a business travels to or delivers to customers.

Google lets eligible service-area and hybrid businesses specify the locations they serve.

Service-Area Business

A service-area business, or SAB, goes to customers instead of serving them at its own publicly accessible storefront.

Examples: Plumbers, cleaners, electricians, and mobile repair businesses.

Service-Area Page

A service-area page is a useful website page explaining services available in a particular geographic area.

Example: A roofing company may create a detailed page about its work in Bristol.

A strong service-area page contains meaningful local information rather than simply changing the city name on duplicate pages.

Service Area Overlap

service area overlap describes situations where several locations of the same business serve some of the same geographic areas.

It is an operational local SEO concept used when planning multi-location coverage.

Service Radius

A service radius describes the distance around a business from which it accepts customers.

The term remains common in local SEO, although Google’s current Business Profile interface describes service areas through geographic areas rather than relying only on a simple radius.

Share of Local Voice

share of local voice is a third-party local rank-tracking metric estimating how much visibility a business controls across a geographic search grid.

The exact calculation varies by tool.

Spam Fighting

spam fighting means identifying and reporting local search listings that violate platform rules.

Examples: Fake businesses, duplicate profiles, or keyword-stuffed names.

Store Code

A store code is an internal identifier used to distinguish one location from another in multi-location management systems.

It is especially useful when several branches have similar names.

Storefront Business

A storefront business receives customers at a physical business location during its stated hours.

Examples: A shop, restaurant, dental clinic, or gym.

Storefront Eligibility

storefront eligibility means meeting the requirements to represent a business as a customer-facing physical location.

Google’s video verification guidance states that storefront and hybrid businesses should have a real physical location with permanent on-site signage.

Structured Citation

A structured citation is a business mention presented in organized listing fields.

Example:

Business Name: Smith Plumbing
Address: 10 High Street
Phone: 01234 567890

Directories commonly contain structured citations.

Suggested Edit

A suggested edit is a change a Google Maps user proposes to information about a place or business.

Users can suggest corrections to information or report businesses that are closed, missing, or ineligible.

Suspension

A suspension occurs when Google restricts a Business Profile.

It can happen because of eligibility, policy, verification, account, or business-information problems.

A business that believes the action is incorrect can use Google’s appeal process.

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T

Temporarily Closed

temporarily closed is a status showing that a business is not currently operating but is expected to reopen.

It should differ from a business that has permanently closed.

Third-Party Review

A third-party review is customer feedback published on a platform independent from the business.

Examples: Google, Yelp, or Tripadvisor reviews.

Tracking Number

A tracking number is a telephone number used to measure calls from a particular marketing source.

The call is normally forwarded to the business’s main number.

Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor is a travel and local-business discovery platform containing reviews and information about hotels, restaurants, attractions, and other travel businesses.

It can be an important local citation and reputation source for relevant industries.

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U

Unclaimed Listing

An unclaimed listing is an existing business profile that has not yet been brought under authorized management by the business.

Unlinked Brand Mention

An unlinked brand mention is a mention of a business online without a clickable link to the business website.

Example: A local newspaper names a restaurant in an article but does not link to its site.

In local SEO, these mentions can also function as unstructured citations when useful business information is included.

Unstructured Citation

An unstructured citation is a business mention that appears outside a standard directory listing format.

Examples: A news article, blog post, local sponsorship page, or association website.

User Edit

A user edit is a change to place information suggested by a Google Maps user.

Examples: Correcting opening hours or reporting an incorrect location.

User-Uploaded Photo

A user-uploaded photo is an image a customer or Maps user adds to a business listing.

It differs from a photo uploaded directly by the business owner.

UTM Tracking for GBP

UTM tracking for GBP means adding UTM parameters to Business Profile website links so visits can be identified more clearly in analytics.

Example: A marketer can distinguish traffic from the Business Profile from other Google traffic.

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V

Verification

verification is the process used to confirm that a business or representative is legitimate and authorized to manage a profile.

Verification Method

A verification method is the method Google offers to confirm control of a Business Profile.

Methods can vary by business and Google decides which options are available.

Video Verification

video verification is a Google Business Profile verification method requiring a business to record evidence of its location, existence, and management.

For storefronts, this can include the surrounding location, permanent signage, and access to business-only areas. Service-area businesses may instead show tools, branded equipment, documents, or other proof appropriate to the business.

Vicinity Update

The Vicinity Update is the industry name for a major Google local-search change observed in late 2021.

It became known for changes involving proximity and the advantage some keyword-heavy business names had previously received.

Virtual Office

A virtual office is an address service where a business may not actually operate or maintain eligible staff.

Google does not allow a service-area business to use an unstaffed virtual office as its Business Profile location.

Visibility

local visibility describes how frequently and prominently a business appears to potential customers across local search.

It can include Google Maps, local packs, local organic results, Apple Maps, directories, and newer AI-powered local discovery.

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W

Web Reference

A web reference is an older term for an online mention of a local business.

It is often used similarly to citation.

Website Click

A website click occurs when somebody clicks from a local business profile to the business website.

It can be measured as a customer interaction on supported local platforms.

Website Link

A website link is the URL connected to a local business profile.

For a multi-location business, it normally makes sense to send users to the page most relevant to that particular location.

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Y

Yelp

Yelp is a local business discovery and review platform.

A Yelp page can contain business information, photos, ratings, and customer reviews.

For businesses in markets where Yelp is widely used, it can form part of citation and reputation management.

Yext

Yext is commercial software used by businesses to manage location data and listings across multiple digital platforms.

It is a local marketing tool, not a Google ranking factor.

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Z

Zero-Click Local Search

A zero-click local search occurs when a customer gets the information needed directly from a search result without opening the business website.

Example: A customer sees a restaurant’s hours and phone number in Google and calls directly.

For local businesses, this means website traffic alone does not measure every customer generated by local search.

ZIP Code Keyword

A ZIP code keyword is a local search phrase containing a ZIP or postal code.

Example: “dentist 10001.”

It is one form of geo-modified search.

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Important Historical Local SEO Terms

Some older terms are no longer current products or interfaces, but you will still find them in SEO tutorials, audits, software, and old discussions.

Authoritative OneBox

An Authoritative OneBox was an older Google result format that prominently displayed one local business.

It is mainly a historical local SEO term today.

Google+ Local

Google+ Local was an older version of Google’s local-business product connected with Google+.

It was eventually replaced by Google My Business.

Google Business Messages

Google Business Messages was a messaging product that allowed customers to communicate with businesses through Google.

The service was discontinued in 2024, so older advice telling every business to activate it is no longer current.

Google MapMaker

Google MapMaker was a Google tool that allowed users to edit geographic information in Google Maps.

It was closed in 2017.

Google Places

Google Places was an earlier name for Google’s local-business platform.

Google My Business

Google My Business was the name used before Google Business Profile.

Many people still use the abbreviation GMB, but GBP is the current term.

Google Guarantee

Google Guarantee is older Local Services Ads badge terminology now being replaced by Google Verified.

Google Screened

Google Screened is another older LSA badge term being consolidated under Google’s newer verification badging.

LBC — Local Business Center

Local Business Center, or LBC, was an early name for Google’s business-listing management product.

Seven-Pack

The seven-pack was an older Google local-results format displaying seven local businesses.

It was later replaced by smaller local-result formats.

Ten-Pack

The ten-pack was an even older local-results format displaying ten businesses.

It is now only a historical local SEO term