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The local pack is the block of three businesses and a map that Google shows for local searches. Learn how it works, its ranking factors and how to get in.
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Summary
The local pack is the block of a map and three business listings that Google displays at the top of results for searches with local intent, such as "dentist near me".
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The local pack (also called the map pack or the 3-pack) is the block of results that Google shows for searches with local intent: a map with pins, followed by three business listings taken from Google Business Profile, each with its rating, address, opening hours and buttons to call or get directions. It typically appears for queries such as "plumber near me", "pizza Lyon" or "accountant in Austin".
For local businesses, the local pack is often the most valuable spot on the page. It sits above or near the top of the organic results, it is designed for people ready to act, and a "More places" link leads to the full list in Google Maps. Being one of the three listings can drive calls and visits without a single click on a website.
The local pack is a SERP feature fed by Google's local index, the database of business profiles, rather than by web pages alone. Each listing is a Google Business Profile with its category, reviews, photos and contact details. Google decides when to display it: when the query names a place, contains "near me", or simply implies a local need (a search for "locksmith" is treated as local).
The format has changed over the years. Google showed up to seven local results until 2015, then reduced the block to three. Today the pack can include sponsored listings from Local Services Ads or Google Ads, so the first visible business is not always an organic result.
Google states that local results are based mainly on three factors. Relevance: how well a profile matches what the person is searching for, which depends on categories, description and services. Distance: how far each business is from the location used in the search, or from the searcher. Prominence: how well known the business is, based on reviews, links, articles and directory listings across the web.
Google also says that its organic ranking signals count for prominence, so a strong website helps the profile. Distance cannot be optimized, but relevance and prominence can: a complete and accurate profile, consistent business information across the web, and a steady flow of genuine reviews.
The local pack and the organic results are two different rankings on the same page. A business can be in the pack without ranking organically, and the reverse. The pack ranks profiles; the organic results rank web pages. The best local strategies work on both: a complete profile for the pack and well optimized location and service pages for the classic results.
The two also reinforce each other. A website linked from the profile, with consistent NAP details and useful local content, strengthens prominence. In turn, a visible profile with many reviews increases brand searches, which benefit the whole site.
Start with the profile: claim and verify it, choose the most precise primary category, add secondary categories, fill in services, hours, attributes and a description, and publish real photos. Keep the business name as it is used in the real world: adding keywords to the name breaks Google's guidelines and can lead to suspension.
Then build prominence. Ask every satisfied customer for a review and reply to all reviews. Keep your name, address and phone number identical on your website and in the main directories, which are local citations. Create a page for each location on your site, with its address and embedded map. Finally, earn local links from partners, press and associations.
The most frequent mistake is an incomplete or inaccurate profile: wrong category, missing hours, an old phone number. The second is inconsistent business information across directories, which weakens Google's confidence in the listing. The third is chasing fake reviews or keyword-stuffed names, which Google detects and can penalize.
Another mistake is measuring only rankings from the office. Local results change with the searcher's position, so a business can look first from its own street and invisible two kilometers away. Use grid-based rank checks or test from several locations before drawing conclusions.
For local SEO, the local pack concentrates a large share of clicks and calls on local queries. It is the entry point for "near me" searches on mobile and the first thing users see in Google Maps. Without it, a local business depends on organic rankings that sit lower on the page.
The same data now feeds the AIs. When someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity for "the best physiotherapist in Bordeaux", the answer draws on business profiles, reviews, directories and local pages. Consistent information everywhere makes your business easier to recommend. Sorank's AI mention tracking shows whether your brand appears in those answers.
The local pack is the map block with three businesses that Google shows for local searches. It ranks Google Business Profiles on relevance, distance and prominence, and it often captures the most valuable clicks for local businesses. A complete profile, consistent NAP data, real reviews and strong local pages are the levers you control.
To go further, read our guides on local SEO and Google Business Profile. Reference sources: Google Business Profile Help on local ranking and Google guidelines for representing your business.
Sources
Usually three organic listings, under a map. Google reduced the block from up to seven results to three in 2015. Sponsored listings from Local Services Ads or Google Ads can appear above or within the pack.
No, a verified Google Business Profile is enough to be eligible. A website still helps: Google uses organic signals to assess prominence, and a site with consistent business details and location pages strengthens the profile.
Distance is one of the three main local ranking factors. Google ranks businesses relative to the searcher's location or the place named in the query, so the same business can be first in one street and absent a few kilometers away.
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