The three local ranking signals in practice
Proximity is the dominant local signal: a five-star dental practice 2 miles from the searcher outranks a ten-star practice 15 miles away in most cases. Google assumes intent to visit and weights distance heavily. Prominence covers your business authority and trust signals: reviews, consistent citation, media mentions, and how long you've been in business. A brand that has been a local landmark for 10 years has an inherent relevance advantage over a new startup in the same category.
Relevance ties the keywords in your business profile, website, and citations to the search query. A plumber ranking for 'drain cleaning' is more relevant than one ranking for 'general plumbing' if the searcher specifically asked about drains. NAP consistency (name, address, phone) across Google Business Profile, directories, and your website reinforces relevance.
How to strengthen each pillar
Proximity is set by your address and not easily changed, but Google Business Profile optimization ensures your precise location displays correctly. Prominence grows through building a review program (monitor and respond to reviews), securing local citations in directories your industry uses, and creating location-specific content. Relevance improves when your on-page content, schema markup, and profile match the keywords your local audience searches.