Behind the Scenes: How Google Decides Your Business's Prominence and Ways to Supercharge It!

Patrick McFadden • November 14, 2023

In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization (SEO), businesses are constantly seeking ways to improve their organic search rankings and attract more traffic. One factor that has gained significant attention in recent years is prominence. But what exactly is prominence, and how does it impact your business's Google rankings? In this article, we will explore the concept of prominence, and its role as a ranking factor in Google's search algorithm.

Understanding Google’s Local Search Algorithm

The three major ranking pillars that I will discuss are relevanceproximity, and prominence. By understanding each core pillar, you can set yourself (and your clients) up for success in local search and conquer Google’s local algorithm.


Prominence refers to how popular and well-known a local business is offline. It takes into account factors such as brand reputation, customer reviews, and overall visibility within the community. Prominent businesses, such as famous museums or landmark hotels, are more likely to appear in local search results.


Relevance determines how closely a local business matches a user's search query. Google analyzes various sources of information, but having a completed Google Business Profile (GBP) is crucial for ensuring relevance. Optimizing your GBP with keywords related to your products and services can help improve your business's relevance in search results.


Distance is a crucial factor in local search rankings. It is determined by the user's location and the proximity of local businesses. Generally, businesses closer to the user have a higher chance of appearing in local maps results. However, if another business further away has better relevance to the search query, it may outrank closer but less relevant businesses.

Best Way to Think About Prominence

Think of prominence as how well your brand stands out from the rest (in a positive way). This can come in several forms: links; articles; directories; mentions; reviews; etc. It is the trust and credibility your brand has built up with search engines.


Brands that have a stronger online prominence seem more credible and trustworthy to the Google local algorithm. We know that search engines (especially Google) pull data from all across the web. So essentially, if your brand is out there on the web, search engines will find this data and give you a prominence score. Let’s take a look at some important ways you can build up, maintain your brand prominence, and grow your economic position.


How to Improve Prominence and Local Rankings


Now that we understand the significance of prominence in local search rankings, let's explore some strategies to enhance your business's visibility and improve its Google rankings:


1. Complete and Optimize Your Google Business Profile


Start by ensuring that your Google Business Profile is complete and up-to-date. Provide accurate information about your business, including your address, phone number, website, and business category. Optimize your GBP by incorporating relevant keywords in your business description, services, and products.


2. Encourage Customer Reviews and Ratings


Positive reviews and ratings are essential for improving your business's prominence. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, or industry-specific review sites. Respond promptly to both positive and negative reviews, demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction.


3. Build Citations and Mentions


Enhance your business's prominence by building citations and mentions across the web. Citations are mentions of your business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) on external websites, directories, and social media platforms. Seek opportunities to be featured in local publications, industry blogs, and online directories to increase your brand's visibility.


4. Foster Local Partnerships and Collaborations


Collaborating with other local businesses and organizations can significantly boost your prominence. Consider sponsoring community events, participating in local charity initiatives, or partnering with complementary businesses to cross-promote each other. These partnerships can generate positive mentions, backlinks, and increased visibility within your community.


5. Leverage Social Media and Online PR


Active engagement on social media platforms can improve your business's online prominence. Share valuable content, engage with your audience, and respond to inquiries promptly. Additionally, develop a strategic online PR campaign to secure press coverage, interview opportunities, or guest blogging opportunities. These efforts can enhance your brand's visibility and reputation.


6. Optimize Your Website for Local SEO


While prominence primarily focuses on off-site factors, it's essential to optimize your website for local SEO as well. Include location-specific keywords in your website's meta tags, headings, and content. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and provides a seamless user experience.


7. Monitor and Adapt to Changing Trends


Search algorithms and user behaviors constantly evolve, so it's crucial to monitor and adapt to changing trends. Stay updated with the latest SEO best practices, algorithm updates, and industry news. Regularly review and update your Google Business Profile, website, and online presence to maintain your business's prominence.

Wrap Up


Prominence, along with relevance and distance, significantly impacts your business's local search rankings. By focusing on enhancing your business's offline popularity, earning positive reviews, building citations, and fostering local partnerships, you can improve your prominence and increase your visibility in local search results. Remember to stay proactive, adapt to changing trends, and consistently optimize your Google Business Profile and website to ensure long-term success in local SEO.


By Patrick McFadden May 2, 2025
Everyone is scaling outputs. Almost no one is scaling judgment.
By Patrick McFadden May 2, 2025
Ask anyone in tech where AI is headed, and they’ll tell you: “The next leap is reasoning.” “AI needs judgment.” “We need assistants that think, not just answer.” They’re right. But while everyone’s talking about it, almost no one is actually shipping it. So we did. We built Thinking OS™ —a system that doesn’t just help AI answer questions… It helps AI think like a strategist. It helps AI decide like an operator. It helps teams and platforms scale judgment, n ot just generate output. The Theory Isn’t New. The Implementation Is. The idea of layering strategic thinking and judgment into AI isn’t new in theory. The problem is, no one’s been able to implement it effectively at scale. Let’s look at the current landscape. 1. Big Tech Has the Muscle—But Not the Mind OpenAI / ChatGPT ✅ Strength: Best-in-class language generation ❌ Limitation: No built-in judgment or reasoning. You must provide the structure. Otherwise, it follows instructions, not strategy. Google DeepMind / Gemini ✅ Known for advanced decision-making (e.g., AlphaGo) ❌ But only in structured environments like games—not messy, real-world business scenarios. Anthropic (Claude), Meta (LLaMA), Microsoft Copilot ✅ Great at answering questions and following commands ❌ But they’re assistants, not advisors. They won’t reprioritize. They won’t challenge your assumptions. They don’t ask: “Is this the right move?” These tools are powerful—but they don’t think for outcomes the way a strategist or operator would. 2. Who’s Actually Building the Thinking Layer™? This is where it gets interesting—and thin. Startups and Indie Builders Some small teams are quietly: Creating custom GPTs that mimic how experts reason Layering in business context, priorities, and tradeoffs Embedding decision logic so AI can guide, not just execute But these efforts are: Highly manual Difficult to scale Fragmented and experimental Enterprise Experiments A few companies (Salesforce, HubSpot, and others) are exploring more “judgment-aware” AI copilots. These systems can: Flag inconsistencies Recommend next actions Occasionally surface priorities based on internal logic But most of it is still: In early R&D Custom-coded Unproven beyond narrow use cases That’s Why Thinking OS™ Is Different Instead of waiting for a lab to crack it, we built a modular thinking system that installs like infrastructure. Thinking OS™: Captures how real experts reason Embeds judgment into layers AI can use Deploys into tools like ChatGPT or enterprise systems Helps teams think together, consistently, at scale It’s not another assistant. It’s the missing layer that turns outputs into outcomes. So… Is This a New Innovation? Yes—in practice. Everyone says AI needs judgment. But judgment isn’t an idea. It’s a system. It requires: Persistent memory Contextual awareness Tradeoff evaluation Value-based decisions Strategy that evolves with goals Thinking OS™ delivers that. And unlike the R&D experiments in Big Tech, it’s built for: Operators Consultants Platform founders Growth-stage teams that need to scale decision quality, not just content creation If Someone Told You They’ve Built a Thinking + Judgment Layer™… They’ve built something only a handful of people in the world are even attempting. Because this isn’t just AI that speaks fluently. It’s AI that reasons, reflects , and chooses. And in a world that’s drowning in tools, judgment becomes the differentiator. That’s the OS We Built Thinking OS™ is not a prompt pack. It’s not a dashboard. It’s not a glorified chatbot. It’s a decision architecture you can license, embed, or deploy— To help your team, your platform, or your clients think better at scale. We’ve moved past content. We’re building cognition. Let’s talk.
By Patrick McFadden May 2, 2025
In every era of innovation, there’s a silent bottleneck—something obvious in hindsight, but elusive until the moment it clicks. In today’s AI-driven world, that bottleneck is clear: AI has speed. It has scale. But it doesn’t have judgment . It doesn’t really think . What’s Actually Missing From AI? When experts talk about the “thinking and judgment layer” as the next leap for AI, they’re calling out a hard truth: Modern AI systems are powerful pattern machines. But they’re missing the human layer—the one that reasons, weighs tradeoffs, and makes strategic decisions in context. Let’s break that down: 1. The Thinking Layer = Reasoning with Purpose This layer doesn’t just process inputs— it structures logic. It’s the ability to: Ask the right questions before acting Break down complexity into solvable parts Adjust direction mid-course when reality changes Think beyond “what was asked” to uncover “what really matters” Today’s AI responds. But it rarely reflects. Unless told exactly what to do, it won’t work through problems the way a strategist or operator would. 2. The Judgment Layer = Decision-Making in the Gray Judgment is the ability to: Prioritize what matters most Choose between imperfect options Make decisions when there’s no clear answer Apply values, experience, and vision—not just data It’s why a founder might not pursue a lucrative deal. Why a marketer might ignore the click-through rate. Why a strategist knows when the timing isn’t right. AI doesn’t do this well. Not yet. Because judgment requires more than data—it requires discernment . Why This Is the Bottleneck Holding Back AI AI can write. It can summarize. It can automate. But it still can’t: Diagnose the real problem behind the question Evaluate tradeoffs like a founder or operator would Recommend a path based on context, constraints, and conviction AI today is still reactive. It follows instructions. But it doesn’t lead. It doesn’t guide. It doesn’t own the outcome. And for those building serious systems—whether you’re running a company, launching a platform, or leading a team—this is the wall you eventually hit. That’s Why We Built Thinking OS™ We stopped waiting for AI to learn judgment on its own. Instead, we created a system that embeds it—by design. Thinking OS™ is an installable decision layer that captures how top founders, strategists, and operators think… …and makes that thinking repeatable , scalable , and usable inside teams, tools, and platforms. It’s not a framework. It’s not a chatbot. It’s not another playbook. It’s the layer that knows how to: Think through complex decisions Apply judgment when rules don’t help Guide others —human or AI—toward strategic outcomes This Is the Missing Infrastructure Thinking OS™ isn’t just about better answers. It’s about better thinking—made operational. And that’s what’s been missing in AI, consulting, leadership development, and platform design. If you’re trying to scale expertise, install judgment, or move from tactical to strategic… You don’t need a faster AI. You need a thinking layer that knows what to do—and why. We built it. Let’s talk.
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