Yes, you can rank in Sydney even with a Melbourne-based business, but it relies on demonstrating relevance to Sydney-based searchers through Google’s understanding of your business’s service area and content. Google’s search algorithm, as of December 2025, doesn’t inherently prioritise businesses based on physical location alone; it prioritises results matching search intent, and location is a significant ranking factor determined by multiple signals.
Google Business Profile (GBP) is central to this. Currently, you can define service areas within your GBP listing, including Sydney, even if you don’t have a physical presence there. Google’s Local Services Ads (LSA) program, available in select Australian categories as of December 2025, also allows targeting specific geographic areas. Google’s algorithms analyse content on your website – including location-specific keywords and mentions of Sydney – alongside off-page factors like citations (online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number) from Sydney-based websites. In 2026, Google is rolling out enhanced GBP features allowing for more granular location targeting and the ability to showcase specific offers for different service areas. Google’s AI-powered spam detection systems also ensure businesses accurately represent their service areas to maintain listing quality and prevent misrepresentation, with compliance checks increasing throughout 2026.
Ultimately, ranking in Sydney from Melbourne depends on Google perceiving your business as a relevant and legitimate option for Sydney-based customers based on the signals it gathers from your online presence.
