Google ranking is subject to quick changes. A search conducted today may present significantly different results from those displayed yesterday. For instance, a user looking for a business in a particular area might see different businesses on different days. Numerous factors can cause this. In this guide, we’ll specifically look into how population density impacts local search rankings on Google, but before that, let’s find out what population density is.

What is Population Density?

Simply put, population density refers to the number of persons residing in a particular region, typically represented per square mile. For example, US’s overall population density stands at around 90 persons per square mile, but the individual population densities can vary from one city to another.

If you own a business, the number of persons living in your town or city will affect how your business is ranked for local searches such as “barber shop near me” or “auto dealership in NY”.

But how exactly does this happen? Let’s find out:

How Population Density Plays into Ranking

The following factors explain how population density impacts local search rankings:

Prominence

Your prominence in the eyes of Google depends on the online and offline popularity of your business. If your business is well-known in your area, there’s no reason for it to not rank well for local searches, especially if the population density in the area is high. Large population means lots of people will be searching. If people from all over the country recognize your brand, you should also rank nationwide too.

Plus, the factor also depends the prominence signals Google gets about your business from online business directories, links, and articles. On top of that, the number of people sharing reviews and ratings about your business also impact how you rank for local searches.

Proximity

As the name suggests, proximity has to do with how far your business is located from the user running a search. Google will use the data it has about your business and the searcher’s existing location to determine this distance. If your business is based in Los Angeles, and someone searches for similar businesses in Seattle, your brand won’t likely appear in the local search results.

Relevance

Relevance is just as important for local searches as for ordinary searches. If your business website doesn’t have keywords that are commonly searched on search engines, chances are you won’t rank well for local searches too.

Other Factors

While the ranking criteria primarily depends on the three factors discussed above, there are other factors too. One of them is the number of similar businesses in your area. The competitive landscape of your region determines how the local search rankings are spread over the area. If your region represents offer tremendous business security and more and more startups are entering, your standing for local searches can change significantly over short time periods.

A business-oriented environment also typically features a populated area where the population density normally remains high. Thus, population density and business-friendliness often go hand in hand and collectively affect local search results.

Final Verdict

For each of the aforementioned factors that make up the criteria that Google uses to rank businesses for local searches, population density has a role to play. The greater the number of people residing in your area, the higher the relevant searches will be, and the better your rank will be, given that your business is prominent too.

To rank high on local searches, claim your Google My Business profile and leverage citation building, which involves providing accurate and consistent business information to search engines and directories.