Proximity is the geographic distance between the point a search is run from and the location of a business. In local and map results, it is one of the strongest influences on which businesses appear and in what order.
| Term | Proximity |
|---|---|
| Category | Local SEO and Maps |
| Also known as | Distance Signal |
| Where it appears | Maps factors |
What it means in RankGear
Proximity lives among RankGear’s Maps factors, where rankings are measured from specific geographic points rather than a single national position. When RankGear checks how a business ranks in map results, it does so from a defined coordinate center, and proximity describes how far that center sits from the business being tracked. Because map placement shifts as the searcher moves, the same business can hold a strong position for a searcher standing nearby and disappear entirely for one a few miles away.
How to interpret it
Before reading anything into a proximity-driven rank pattern, pin down the inputs that produced it. Confirm the exact coordinate center the search ran from, the data provider behind the map, the spacing of the grid points, how deep the results were checked, and the specific business identity being tracked. A ranking that looks weak may simply reflect a center point far from the storefront, and a ranking that looks strong may only hold within a tight radius. Proximity is best read across a grid of points rather than from any single location.
Example
Suppose RankGear runs a local grid for a dental practice across a nine-point grid spanning a city. At the point nearest the office, the practice ranks in the top three. Two miles north, it slips out of the visible pack. At a third point on the edge of the grid, the provider returns an error and no result is recorded. Read together, these points show a business whose visibility is tightly bound to distance rather than a single fixed rank.
Important considerations
- Map rankings are highly proximity-sensitive and can change with the coordinate center, zoom level, provider data, and the time the search was run.
- A missing result at one grid point may mean the business is genuinely absent there, or that the provider returned an error for that point. The two are not the same and should not be read identically.
- Proximity is a comparative, geographic indicator of where a business shows up. It is not a score Google assigns, and being physically closer does not by itself cause a higher rank.
Related terms
Part of the RankGear glossary · how RankGear measures · the 870 factors.