Hi,

Does anyone know what criteria Google uses to rank the Google Local results? Sometimes, it seems like the physical location is a big part of it, but sometimes it seems like location is not the most important factor.

If you are search for "realtor new york city", how does Google decide which one should go first, given the city is huge?

Thanks in advance!

It depends on what you mean by Google Local. Are you talking about the first three listings? Then location does seem to be one of the factors. If you'r etalking about the natural listings below, however, the algorithm is the same as for ranking nationally. It's about using the key phrases such as New York City realtor and getting links to your site.