How search rankings work
No black boxes. No pay-to-win. Here is exactly how we decide which businesses appear at the top of your search results.
What determines your rank
Distance from the searcher
Primary factorA customer searching for a roofer gets results sorted by how close each business is to them. A highly-rated business across town will generally rank below a solid local option down the street. LooKN4 is built for local — proximity matters most.
Review score
Strong factorBusinesses with more reviews and higher ratings rank above those with fewer or lower-rated reviews. We use a Bayesian average that weighs review volume — a 5-star average from 2 reviews ranks below a 4.8 average from 50 reviews. Gaming thin ratings does not work here.
Profile completeness
Moderate factorA business with a complete profile — description, service area, business type, contact info — ranks above one with a bare-minimum listing. This rewards businesses that take their listing seriously and helps customers make more informed decisions.
Keyword & type relevance
Baseline factorWe use full-text search to match your query against business names, descriptions, and service types. A search for "roof repair" surfaces businesses tagged as Roofing before businesses that only mention the word in a description. Exact type matches get a boost.
What does not affect your rank
These are the things that drive ranking on other platforms but have zero weight on LooKN4.
Ad spend or promoted listings
We do not sell sponsored positions. You cannot pay to appear above a competitor.
Lead purchases
We do not have a pay-per-lead model. Ranking has nothing to do with buying leads.
Referral relationships
Businesses that referred others or have been on the platform longer do not get ranking advantages.
Premium or Pro subscription tier
Upgrading to Premium Business improves your profile presentation — it does not move you up in search results.
The best way to rank higher is simple.
Do great work, ask happy customers to leave reviews, and fill out your profile completely. That's it. No ad budget required.