What changed

Google’s latest local ranking update leans harder on real-world trust signals: page speed and Core Web Vitals, review velocity and response rate, and how often a Google Business Profile is actively updated. Static, unmaintained listings are losing visibility to competitors who are simply more active.

What it means for you

If your site is slow, your Business Profile hasn’t been touched in months, or you’re not actively generating reviews, this update likely cost you ranking position — even if nothing else about your business changed. The businesses moving up are treating local SEO as an ongoing habit, not a one-time setup.

Where to start

Run a quick audit of your Core Web Vitals, check when your Business Profile was last updated, and look at how consistently you’re collecting and responding to reviews. Those three levers explain most of the local ranking movement we’re seeing right now.