| Factor | Area | Position 1 vs 10 | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
Review Count Ranking + Conversion |
Reviews |
P1: 555 P10: 395 |
The clearest separator in the study. 40% more reviews at #1. Volume signals active, trusted businesses to Google's algorithm. |
Review Rating Ranking + Conversion |
Reviews |
P1: 4.9 ⭐ P10: 4.8 ⭐ |
Marginal but consistent edge at the top. Study recommends targeting 4.4–4.7 — anything close to 5.0 can look suspicious. |
New Reviews / Month Ranking |
Reviews |
P1: 11/mo P10: 10/mo |
Review velocity — steady, ongoing generation — signals current activity. A system matters more than a one-time push. |
Proximity to City Centre Ranking |
Location |
P1: 0.7 mi P10: 1.6 mi |
One of the strongest factors in Google's local algorithm. Closer to the centroid = significantly stronger ranking signal. Not controllable, but other signals can offset distance. |
Correct Primary Category Ranking |
Categories |
P1: 2 unique P10: 3 unique |
Fewer unique primary categories at P1 means more focused, precise choices. "Personal injury attorney" beats "Law firm". #1 factor in Whitespark's LSRF. |
Using 2+ Categories Ranking |
Categories |
P1: 90% P10: 80% |
Secondary categories expand search coverage. P1 firms use more, but only relevant ones — irrelevant categories hurt more than help. |
Unique Referring Domains Ranking |
Links |
P1: 679 P10: 553 |
Quality and diversity of links beats raw volume. A wide mix of referring sites signals broader authority than many links from few domains. |
Keyword in Title Tag Ranking |
Content |
P1: 22% P10: 14% |
The most underused opportunity in the study. Only 12% of firms do this on average, yet P1 firms are nearly twice as likely to have it. High ROI fix. |
City in Title Tag Ranking |
Content |
P1: 88% P10: 75% |
Strong local signal. P1 firms are more consistent about pairing location with practice area in the most important on-page element. |
Keyword in Meta Description Ranking |
Content |
P1: 19% P10: 8% |
More than double the usage at P1. Influences click-through rate and reinforces relevance signals across the page. |
Keyword in Alt Tags Ranking |
Content |
P1: 26% P10: 14% |
Nearly double at P1. Easy win that most firms skip. When all page elements align on the same keyword + city, the signal is much stronger. |
Homepage Word Count Ranking |
Content |
P1: 2,478 P10: 2,305 |
P1 firms have more content for Google to index. Study recommends 800–1,000 words minimum per page, client-focused not keyword-stuffed. |
HTTPS (SSL) Ranking |
Technical |
P1: 4% non-HTTPS P10: 9% non-HTTPS |
A ranking signal since 2014, hardcoded in the 2021 Page Experience Update. Still 1 in 10 firms missing it — an unnecessary penalty. |
Total Ranking Keywords Ranking |
Search Visibility |
P1: 6,134 P10: 4,389 |
P1 firms rank for ~40% more keywords, including positions 1–3, 4–10, and 11–20. Broad, consistent optimization compounds keyword coverage. |
Open on Sunday Ranking |
GBP Setup |
P1: 95% P10: 76% |
A real differentiator unlike 24/7 — not all firms offer Sunday availability, so it remains a meaningful signal when competitors are closed. |
Correct UTM Setup Conversion |
GBP Setup |
P1: 17% wrong medium P10: 24% wrong medium |
Not a ranking factor but a data hygiene issue. Wrong UTMs pollute analytics, leading to misattribution and poor strategic decisions. |
Photo Volume Conversion |
Photos |
P1: 84 photos P10: 74 photos |
More photos = higher conversion signal. Customers use photos to judge trust and quality. Not a direct ranking factor but drives contact decisions. |
| Factor | Area | Data Point | Why it hurts |
|---|---|---|---|
No Website Link on GBP Ranking + Conversion |
GBP Setup |
P1: 0% P10: 2% |
Zero P1 firms are missing a website link. Missing it cuts both visibility signals and the primary conversion path for potential clients. |
Missing or Wrong UTMs Conversion |
GBP Setup |
48% missing 43% wrong medium |
GBP-driven traffic appears as "direct" in GA4, making performance measurement impossible. Leads to flawed reporting and budget misallocation. |
Wrong or Vague Primary Category Ranking |
Categories |
P1 used only 2 unique primary categories vs 3 at P10 |
P10 firms used more varied (unfocused) primary categories. Vague choices like "Law firm" vs "Personal injury attorney" directly suppresses relevance matching. |
Irrelevant Secondary Categories Ranking |
Categories |
Examples found: Nursing home Aviation consultant Counselor |
Selecting categories that don't reflect what you do sends conflicting signals to Google and reduces relevance for the searches that actually matter. |
Missing LocalBusiness Schema Ranking |
Schema |
36% of all firms missing it entirely |
Schema helps Google understand what you are and where. Missing it leaves a foundational visibility signal unclaimed — especially important as AI-driven search expands. |
Non-Responsive Website Ranking |
Technical |
5% avg not responsive P1: 7% · P10: 3% |
Hardcoded into Google's algorithm since the 2021 Page Experience Update. Non-responsive sites are actively demoted. Most local searches happen on mobile. |
Link Volume Without Diversity Ranking |
Links |
Largest gap: 860,143 links from few domains |
An inflated link signal from a handful of domains doesn't translate to ranking. Google discounts repetitive sources. Unique domains matter more than raw link count. |
Keyword Only in Headings (not elsewhere) Ranking |
Content |
~100% use keywords in headings but only 12% in title tags |
The optimization mismatch finding. Doing one thing without aligning title, alt, and meta creates a weak, inconsistent signal. Heading-only optimisation leaves easy wins unclaimed. |
| Factor | Area | What the data showed | Why this is surprising |
|---|---|---|---|
24/7 Hours Ranking⚡ Myth busted |
GBP Setup |
P1: 95% P10: 74% Avg: 76% |
Assumed to be a ranking boost. Doesn't work once competitors all do it — ceases to be a differentiator. Only matters if you're truly the only one open at odd hours. |
Google Posts Frequency Conversion⚡ Surprise |
GBP Setup |
P1: 4 posts/yr avg P10: 5 posts/yr avg P10 posts more |
Expected more posts = higher ranking. The data shows P10 firms actually post slightly more. Posts are a conversion aid, not a ranking factor. Activity signal only. |
Review Response Rate Conversion⚡ Counter-intuitive |
Reviews |
P1: 27% not responded P10: 37% not responded P10 responds to MORE negatives (35% vs 30%) |
P10 firms respond to a higher % of reviews, especially negatives. Doesn't mean responding less is a strategy — lower-ranked firms are simply trying harder on this one lever while losing on fundamentals. |
Photo Freshness Conversion⚡ Surprise |
Photos |
P1 most recent photo: 322 days ago P10: 215 days ago (P10 more recent) |
Expected fresher photos at the top. P10 firms had more recently uploaded photos — likely trying harder to stand out. Photo freshness is not a ranking separator. |
Page Load Speed Ranking⚡ Surprise |
Technical |
P1: 2.8 sec P10: 1.9 sec (P10 is faster) |
P10 firms have faster sites on average. Speed is a small signal — Google only penalises bottom 20% of a vertical. P1 firms are stronger across so many other factors that a slightly slower site doesn't drag them down. |
Conflicting Schema Types Ranking⚡ Unexpected |
Schema |
P1: 40% have conflicting schema P10: 22% (P1 has more conflicts) |
Counter-intuitive: top-ranked firms have more conflicting schema, not less. Likely because they have more complex, multi-page sites. Schema accuracy matters but conflicts alone don't block top rankings when other factors are strong. |
Raw Inbound Link Count Ranking⚡ Nuanced |
Links |
P1: 20,022 links P10: 19,524 links (Near-identical) |
Total link volume is almost identical at P1 and P10. Unique referring domains are the real differentiator — diversity beats volume. This debunks link-count chasing as a primary strategy. |
Appointment Links / Products Conversion⚡ Overhyped |
GBP Setup |
P1: 81% have both P10: 64–71% Being phased out |
These features look different on profiles but "rarely converted" in practice and some are being phased out by Google. Presence correlates with P1 but the study cautions against adding them as gimmicks without real client value. |
SearchLab Digital · 2025 Google Business Profile Report: Personal Injury Law Edition · 3,200 profiles across 20 US cities · Data collected via Places Scout, Ahrefs, and Whitespark Local Search Ranking Factors. Study author: Greg Gifford, COO, SearchLab Digital.