Definition
Local justifications are text snippets that Google displays under a business name in the Local Pack to explain why it appears in the results. There are several types of justifications: review justifications (customer review excerpts containing searched keywords), website justifications (site content excerpts), post justifications (Google Posts content), service justifications, and menu justifications. These justifications increase CTR because they show the user that the business precisely matches their search. Optimizing content to generate justifications is an advanced local SEO strategy.
Key Points
- Review justifications are the most frequent and impactful
- Encourage reviews containing keywords for your services
- Your site content and Google Posts can also generate justifications
Practical Examples
Review justification
A user searches for 'balayage hair colorist Chicago'. A salon appears in the Local Pack with the justification '... best balayage in Chicago, stunning result ...' extracted from a customer review. This snippet increases click probability.
Web content justification
A plumber has a detailed page about drain unclogging. When a user searches 'drain unclogging Miami', Google displays the justification 'Their website mentions drain unclogging' under their listing in the Local Pack.
Frequently Asked Questions
You cannot directly control which justifications Google displays. However, you can influence them by encouraging detailed reviews mentioning your services, creating rich content on your site, and regularly publishing Google Posts targeting your local keywords.
Justifications do not directly affect Local Pack ranking. They impact CTR by showing users the result's relevance. Better CTR can indirectly signal to Google that your listing is relevant.
Go Further with LemmiLink
Discover how LemmiLink can help you put these SEO concepts into practice.
Last updated: 2026-02-07