Updated 2026-10-14 · by Fivefoot Studio
Short answer: Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, and advises complete, detailed business information. A profile shows that you exist and where; a website explains what you do in depth, shows your work, answers customers' questions and gives Google more to match against what people search.
Fivefoot Studio writes these guides from Google's own documentation and published Singapore price guides; each figure links to where it comes from.
What Google says decides local results
Local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence (Google):
- Relevance: how well a profile matches what someone searches. Google’s advice is complete, detailed business information.
- Distance: how far the business is from the searcher.
- Prominence: how well known the business is.
Google also states plainly that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
What a profile does, and does not do
A Google Business Profile shows your name, location, hours, photos and reviews on Maps. It does not give you room to explain each service, show a price list, answer the questions customers ask before calling, or take a booking. That is what a website is for.
Where a website helps
- Relevance. A page per service and area gives Google more to match against searches like “aircon chemical wash Tampines”.
- Conversion. Prices, photos and real reviews answer the questions that otherwise become a WhatsApp each.
- AI search. Google’s guidance is that its AI features (AI Overviews, AI Mode) have no additional requirements beyond SEO fundamentals (Google). A site with clear service pages and business details is what those fundamentals describe.
The short version
Keep the profile complete, and link it to a website that says the same things in more depth. Not sure what your site would look like? Fivefoot Studio builds the homepage first, free.
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More questions
Can I pay Google for a better Maps ranking?
No. Google states there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
Does a website help with Google's AI Overviews?
Google says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode; the fundamentals of SEO still apply, and those start with a website.