How to get more funeral home calls from Google Maps

Google says local results are “mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity” (it calls the last one prominence). Every funeral home in your area is weighed on the same three things for every search.

• Relevance: how well your profile matches what the family searched for. Complete, detailed business information helps Google make the match.
• Distance: how far your funeral home is from the person searching. If they don't share their location, Google uses what it knows about where they are.
• Prominence: how well known your funeral home is. Google points to things like how many websites link to you and how many reviews you have.

There's no set radius: how close a family has to be explains how distance really works. Google is also clear that there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Everything that moves your position comes from your profile and your reputation. If a competitor keeps appearing above you, this guide explains why.

If families can't find you even when they search your funeral home's exact name, the problem is the profile itself, not your ranking. The usual causes are an unverified profile, a suspension, a duplicate listing or an address Google won't accept. Work through them one at a time here.

If you do appear for your name but not when families search “funeral home”, that's a ranking problem instead: why a funeral home only shows on its exact name.

Distance is fixed: your building is where it is. Relevance and prominence are where the work is. How to get into the map pack sets out the order to work in.

1. 1.Verify your profile. Google says verification tells it you're authorized to represent the business, so your profile is more likely to show up.
2. 2.Make every detail complete and accurate. Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to appear in local results.
3. 3.Earn reviews steadily, and reply to them. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.
4. 4.Keep your name, address and phone number the same everywhere. Google builds its picture of your business from sources across the web as well as your profile.
5. 5.Follow Google's rules. Keywords added to a business name, or an address you don't operate from, can get a profile suspended.

Finding you on Maps is only the first step. The next is often the call button on your listing, and that can come at any hour: late at night, on a weekend, or while your team is with another family. How to see how many calls Maps sends you shows where to look.

This is the part most Maps advice leaves out. A better position only helps if the call is answered. For at-need calls, that means a person from your funeral home. For pre-need questions and general inquiries, it means a calm, accurate answer and a time booked with a director.

Google doesn't publish a timeline, and anyone who promises a date is guessing. Fixing a problem that stops your profile appearing, like verification or a suspension, can make a difference as soon as Google accepts the fix. Building prominence through reviews and mentions across the web is gradual and ongoing.