How our search ranking works
No mystery algorithm. Search rewards verified firms with a genuine, local track record in the work you searched for.
Verified firms lead the results
Profiles reviewed by both the firm and The Planning Review team rank ahead of unclaimed listings, and are matched on their full project history. Unclaimed profiles still rank on their real track record, with some details held back until the firm verifies ownership.
Within each group, local evidence decides the order
- Local track record: The strongest signal in location searches. We look at how much of a firm's verified work is genuinely near you, so the specialists who actually work in your area come first.
- Relevant experience: Verified projects in the discipline you searched. A demonstrated, solid track record in the work you need is what counts.
- Declared specialism: Firms that explicitly offer the discipline you searched rank ahead of firms that have merely touched it on a project or two.
- Profile quality: Accreditations, contact details, a description, a logo and a website each add weight. Only claimed profiles can complete all of them.
Our principles
Ranked on evidence, not self-description
Every track record is assembled from the public planning record: real applications, real councils, real outcomes. Nobody can rank well by writing a better blurb.
Local first
Planning is local. The model favours genuine local experience, because that is who most projects are best served by.
Paid placement is always labelled
Boosted results are marked as such, and boosting never edits the public record on a profile.
How specialists can rank higher
- Claim and verify your profile: The single biggest gain available: verified profiles rank above unverified ones and are matched on their full project history.
- Complete your profile: Add your services, description, accreditations, logo and contact details. Each one adds ranking weight, and together they also make visitors far more likely to get in touch.
- Keep your track record growing: Submit reference projects and let our scans pick up your new applications. A growing body of local work is what powers the local track record signal where you actually operate.
- Boost where it matters most: When you want the top spot in a specialism or region you care about, a boost places you there, clearly labelled.