The local pack displays three businesses at the top of local search results alongside a map
Google ranks businesses based on three factors: relevance, distance, and prominence
Your Google Business Profile is the foundation of local pack visibility
Reviews, NAP consistency, and citations all influence your rankings
Expect meaningful results within 3-6 months of consistent effort
When someone searches for local services, Google displays a map with three business listings at the top of the results page.
Those three positions capture the majority of clicks for local searches. If your business isn’t among them, potential customers find your competitors first.
While paid ads can appear in and around the local pack (marked “Sponsored”), the main three organic positions are earned through optimisation, not payment. Google selects which businesses appear based on specific ranking factors, and many of those factors are within your control.
This guide explains how Google decides which businesses earn a place in the local pack and what you can do to improve your position. By the end, you’ll have a clear action plan for improving your local visibility.
Table of Contents
What Is the Google Local Pack?
Search for “plumber in Birmingham” or “café near me” on Google, and you’ll see a box containing a map and three business listings before the regular search results. That’s the local pack.
Google shows the local pack for searches with local intent. The three featured businesses get prime position, complete with star ratings, address snippets, and phone numbers displayed prominently.
You might hear this called the “map pack”, “local 3-pack”, or simply “local results”.
Whatever the name, these positions matter enormously. Industry research indicates the top spot receives around 33% of clicks, while businesses ranked fourth and below get less attention.
For any business serving local customers, appearing in the local pack puts you directly in front of people ready to make contact.
How Google Ranks Businesses in the Local Pack
Google uses three main factors to decide which businesses appear in the local pack: relevance, distance, and prominence.
Understanding these helps you focus your efforts where they’ll have the most impact.
Relevance: Does Your Business Match the Search?
Relevance measures how well your business matches what someone is searching for. Google examines your business profile, website content, and customer reviews to understand what you offer.
To improve relevance, you need complete and accurate business information. Choose the most specific primary category for your business from Google’s options. A “personal injury solicitor” is more relevant to someone searching that term than a general “law firm”.
Fill in your services, add a detailed business description, and make sure your website content matches what you offer. The more Google understands your business, the better it can match you with relevant searches.
Distance: How Close Are You to the Searcher?
Distance is straightforward. Google considers how far your business is from the person searching or from the location they specified.
You can’t change where your business is located, but distance isn’t everything. A well-optimised business with strong prominence signals can outrank a closer competitor with a weak online presence. Service-area businesses like plumbers or mobile hairdressers can specify the areas they serve rather than displaying a physical address.
Don’t obsess over distance. Focus your energy on the factors you can actually control.
Prominence: How Well-Known Is Your Business?
Prominence reflects how established and trustworthy your business appears online.
This includes your review profile, how often your business is mentioned across the web, and the overall strength of your online presence.
Of the three factors, prominence offers the most opportunity for improvement. You can build it through consistent effort: earning reviews, keeping your business information correct across directories, and maintaining an active online presence.
Industry studies suggest prominence accounts for the largest share of ranking weight. A business with fewer reviews but stronger overall signals can outrank a competitor with more reviews but poor presence elsewhere.
How to Improve Your Local SEO: Strategy and Tips That Work
Your Google Business Profile Is the Foundation
Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the single most important element for local pack rankings.
Without a claimed, verified, and complete profile, you won’t appear in local results at all.
Claim and Verify Your Profile
If you haven’t already, search for your business on Google Maps. You should see an option to claim the listing. Google will verify you own the business, usually by sending a postcard with a code to your address.
Many businesses have unclaimed profiles with incorrect or outdated information. Claiming yours gives you control over what customers see.
Complete Every Section
A complete profile signals to Google that your business is legitimate and active. Fill in everything:
Your business name should match your real trading name exactly. Adding keywords to your name violates Google’s guidelines and can get your profile suspended.
Choose your primary category carefully. Google offers over 4,000 options, so pick the most specific one that fits. Add secondary categories for other services you provide.
Keep your opening hours accurate. Add your phone number and website. Write a business description that explains what you do using terms your customers actually search for.
Add quality photos of your premises, team, and work. Businesses with photos receive significantly more engagement than those without.
Update your profile regularly with Google Posts to show you’re active.
Why Reviews Matter for Local Rankings
Customer reviews influence both your rankings and whether people click on your listing. They’re one of the strongest signals Google uses when assessing prominence.
Both quantity and quality matter.
A business with 50 reviews and a 4.7 rating often outperforms one with 200 reviews but a 4.2 rating. Recent reviews carry more weight than older ones, so a steady stream of feedback helps more than a burst followed by silence.
Responding to reviews matters too.
When you reply to feedback, it shows Google and potential customers that you’re engaged. Thank people for positive reviews and address concerns professionally when someone leaves negative feedback. A thoughtful response to criticism can actually impress potential customers.
Encourage happy customers to leave reviews, but never offer incentives. Google’s guidelines prohibit offering discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews, and fake reviews can result in penalties. Simply asking satisfied customers directly remains the most effective approach.
NAP Consistency and Local Citations
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number.
For the best results, these details must appear identically everywhere your business is mentioned online.
Even small variations cause problems.
If your website shows “123 High Street” but your Google profile says “123 High St”, that inconsistency reduces Google’s confidence in your information. Different phone numbers or slight variations in your business name create the same issue.
Citations are mentions of your business on directories and other websites.
UK businesses should have accurate listings on Yell, Thomson Local, Yelp, and Foursquare at minimum. Industry-specific directories matter too. A restaurant should be on TripAdvisor; a tradesperson might focus on Checkatrade or MyBuilder.
Google cross-references your information across multiple sources. When everything matches, it gains confidence in your legitimacy. When details conflict, it may reduce your visibility to avoid showing searchers incorrect information.
What You Can Do This Week
You don’t need to tackle everything at once. These five actions will put you ahead of most local competitors:
- Claim or check your Google Business Profile. Make sure you have access and that all information is current.
- Complete every section of your profile. Add categories, services, a description, photos, and accurate opening hours.
- Check your three most important directory listings. Look at Yell, Yelp, and one industry-specific directory. Correct any inconsistencies in your NAP details.
- Ask your three happiest customers for reviews. Make it easy by sending them a direct link to your review page.
- Add a fresh photo and create a Google Post. This shows Google your profile is actively maintained.
These steps take a few hours spread across the week. The combined effect builds over the following months.
How Long Does It Take to Rank in the Local Pack?
Local SEO requires patience. Google needs time to recognise changes, verify information across sources, and build confidence in your business.
You might see some movement within 4-8 weeks. Appearing in more “near me” searches or ranking for less competitive terms often comes first. However, consistent top-three positions for your main services typically take 3-6 months of sustained effort.
Competition affects the timeline. In smaller towns with fewer businesses, improvements come faster. In competitive urban markets, the process takes longer.
Results compound over time: each review you earn, each citation you correct, and each month your profile stays active adds to your overall prominence.
Businesses that commit to ongoing local SEO continue improving beyond the initial six months.
Local SEO isn’t a one-time project. Your competitors are also working on their visibility. Maintaining and building on your position requires continued attention, though the effort reduces once your foundations are solid.
Next Steps
The local pack represents the most valuable space in local search. Appearing there puts your business in front of customers at the exact moment they’re ready to choose.
Focus on what you can control:
- completing your Google Business Profile
- earning genuine reviews
- maintaining consistent information across directories
These efforts build your prominence over time.
Start with the five actions listed above. If you’re short on time or want faster results, professional local SEO support can handle the technical work while you focus on running your business.
Your local visibility won’t improve by itself. But with consistent effort over the coming months, you can earn a place in those top three positions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The local pack shows three businesses with a map at the top of search results for queries with local intent. Regular organic results appear below and use different ranking factors. The local pack relies heavily on your Google Business Profile and local signals, while organic results depend more on website content and backlinks. You can appear in both, but they require different approaches.
Yes and no. Google Ads with location extensions can appear within or alongside the local pack, clearly marked as “Sponsored”. For certain industries like plumbers and electricians, Local Services Ads appear above the pack with a “Google Verified” badge. However, the three main organic positions cannot be purchased. Those rankings depend entirely on optimising the factors Google considers: relevance, distance, and prominence. Paid ads can boost visibility, but they won’t replace the need for proper local SEO.
Not necessarily. Service-area businesses like plumbers, mobile hairdressers, or consultants can use Google Business Profile without displaying a physical address. You specify the areas you serve instead. You’ll still need a genuine address for verification purposes, but it won’t show publicly. Purely online businesses with no physical customer interaction cannot have a profile.
There’s no fixed number. Some research suggests businesses see a small ranking boost around the 10-review mark, but the real answer depends on your competitors. If businesses ranking above you have 50 reviews and you have 5, that gap matters. Focus on steady, genuine review growth rather than chasing a specific number. Quality and recency matter as much as quantity.
Several factors could cause this. Your Google Business Profile might be incomplete or unverified. Your business category might not match what people are searching for. Your NAP information might be inconsistent across the web. You might also face strong local competition. Check your profile is complete, verify your category is correct, and audit your citations for consistency.
Read more: Near Me SEO: How to Rank for “Near Me” Searches in the UK
Yes. Google considers your website when assessing relevance and prominence. Your site should clearly show your location, services, and contact details. Local keywords in your content help Google understand what you offer and where. A poorly performing or irrelevant website can hold back your local pack rankings even if your Google Business Profile is optimised.
Related: Local Keyword Research: How to Find the Right Keywords for Your Area
Google Posts are short updates you publish directly to your Business Profile. They appear when people find your listing and can highlight news, offers, or services. Posts must be under 1,500 characters and cannot include phone numbers or email addresses in the text. Regular posting signals that your business is active, which can positively influence your visibility.
Often more so than in cities. Smaller towns typically have less competition, making it easier to achieve top positions. Search volume is lower because of smaller populations, but the percentage of local searchers you capture can be much higher. Even modest investment in local SEO can make you the most visible business in your category locally.
Related: How to Improve Your Local SEO
Active profiles will always perform better. After initial setup, aim for weekly activity: posting updates, adding photos, or responding to reviews. If your business information changes, update it immediately. Seasonal businesses should keep hours accurate throughout the year. Most business owners find maintenance takes 10-15 minutes per week once the profile is properly set up.
You can handle the basics yourself: claiming your profile, completing information, asking for reviews, and checking citation consistency. These tasks require time more than technical knowledge. However, thorough citation management, competitive analysis, and ongoing optimisation require more expertise. Many small business owners find professional help valuable for the initial setup and ongoing monitoring, even if they handle day-to-day maintenance themselves.