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Residential Care Network

Transparency

How search results are ranked

We publish our ranking logic so families can judge for themselves whether the order of results serves them.

Ranking is objective and identical for every listing

Every search result is ordered by the same factors, in this order of weight, regardless of whether the listing is a Basic Listing or a Professional Listing:

  1. Location match

    Homes in the city, county, ZIP code, or state you searched appear before homes further away. A more specific match ranks above a broader one.

  2. Filter match

    Homes that report every care type, payment option, accessibility feature, and amenity you selected rank above homes that match only some of them.

  3. Availability freshness

    Homes whose provider recently confirmed their availability rank above homes whose confirmation has gone stale. Confirmations older than 30 days are labeled as needing an update.

  4. Verification and claim status

    Homes with an administrator-verified license or confirmed ownership rank slightly higher, because their information has been checked against a public registry or submitted documentation.

  5. Listing completeness

    Homes with a description, photos, care details, and payment information rank above sparse listings, because families can make a more informed decision from them.

No provider can pay to rank higher

Upgrading to a Professional Listing never changes a home's position in organic search results. There is no paid ranking boost, and organic results are never reordered based on payment.

If sponsored placement is introduced in the future, it will follow strict rules:

  • Every sponsored result will carry the visible text "Sponsored" — never color alone.
  • Sponsored placements will appear in a section clearly separated from organic results.
  • Sponsored placement will never reorder or replace the organic results below it.
  • Paying for a Professional Listing or sponsored placement never makes a home verified, licensed, or endorsed by us.

What we do not do

  • We do not sell higher organic ranking.
  • We do not match, refer, recommend, screen, or place families with providers.
  • We do not publish sample, placeholder, or scraped care homes.
  • We do not take referral fees, commissions, or per-lead fees.
  • We do not publish a home's exact street address unless its provider chose to.

Questions about a specific listing? Read about how the directory works.