This page explains how the five businesses on each directory page are chosen. The goal is a repeatable, data-based selection that anyone can check against public sources.
Data sources
Business names, categories, addresses, phone numbers, websites, ratings and review counts come from public Google Maps business profiles, retrieved on November 9, 2026.[1] Missing phone numbers and websites were filled from each business's own website where available. Whether a business is inside the city is tested against the Census Bureau's TIGER boundary for Encinitas city (GEOID 0622678).[2] The city of out-of-town businesses is identified with the Census Geocoder.[3]
Eligibility
- Category match. The Google category or the business's own description must match the directory category.
- Location. The map pin must fall inside the Encinitas city boundary, with a small tolerance of about 150 m for pins on the boundary line. For plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors, roofers, movers and property managers, businesses within 15 km of central Encinitas are also eligible, because these trades often serve the city from nearby business parks. In-city businesses are always listed first.
- Rating and volume. A Google rating of at least 4.5 from at least 25 reviews.
- Exclusions. Profiles with keyword-stuffed names, duplicate name-address-phone records or zero reviews are excluded. A business appears in only one category, except where a practice holds separate profiles for distinct services.
Ordering
Eligible businesses are ordered by a review-weighted (Bayesian) score:
score = (reviews × rating + 50 × 4.5) ÷ (reviews + 50)
This pulls ratings based on few reviews toward a typical 4.5, so a 4.9 from 400 reviews ranks above a 5.0 from 30. The top five by score are listed.
Marketing agencies
The SEO and marketing agencies page uses a different rule, because agency review counts are small and do not reliably reflect service quality. Agencies must have a Google Business Profile address inside the Encinitas boundary and list SEO or digital marketing as a core service. Agencies whose primary stated specialty is local search, meaning local SEO and Google Business Profile management, are listed first; the rest are ordered by number of Google reviews. No review minimum applies on that page.
What is not used
Businesses cannot pay to be listed or to change position, and no listing carries affiliate links. This wiki does not write, paraphrase or select reviews, and it publishes no star-rating markup of its own. Ratings shown are Google's published figures on the check date and will change over time.
Updates and corrections
Listings are rechecked periodically, and businesses that close, move outside the area or fall below the thresholds are replaced by the next eligible business. If a detail is wrong, such as a phone number, address or closure, it will be corrected once verified against a public source.
Worked example
On the dentists page, all five listings have perfect 5.0 ratings, so review volume decides the order. Encinitas Ranch Dentistry, with 691 reviews, scores (691 × 5.0 + 225) ÷ 741 ≈ 4.966. All Smiles Dental Studio, with 268 reviews, scores about 4.921.[1]
On the plumbers page, the two in-city companies (Yogi's Plumbing & Drain Service and Burtech Plumbing) are listed first, even though MasterCraft Plumbers in Carlsbad has a higher score (5.0 from 598 reviews ≈ 4.961). This follows the in-city-first rule for trades.[1][3]
Limitations
Public ratings measure customer satisfaction as reported on one platform. They do not measure clinical quality, legal outcomes or workmanship, and they can be affected by how actively a business asks for reviews. Newer businesses with few reviews cannot meet the threshold even if they are excellent. Readers should treat the directory as a starting point and check licences, insurance and references before hiring; each page links to the relevant California licence lookup.[4][5][6][7]
Edge cases
Map pins that sit within about 150 metres of the boundary line are treated as inside the city, so businesses on boundary streets such as La Costa Avenue are not excluded because of pin placement. Where a business has two Google profiles, the one with more reviews is used.[2]
See also
Notes and sources
- Google Maps business profiles (ratings, review counts, addresses, phones). Google Maps, retrieved November 9, 2026.
- TIGERweb: Encinitas city (GEOID 0622678). U.S. Census Bureau.
- Census Geocoder (coordinates to incorporated place). U.S. Census Bureau.
- Check a License. Contractors State License Board.
- License Search. California Department of Consumer Affairs.
- License Lookup. California Department of Real Estate.
- Attorney Search. The State Bar of California.