What the Local Pack is
The Google Local Pack (sometimes called the Map Pack or the 3-Pack) is the block of results that appears at the top of Google for local search queries. It shows a small Google Map with pins, and below it, three business listings with names, ratings, brief descriptions, and a link to the website or directions.
For trade searches — "plumber Coventry", "emergency electrician", "roofer near me" — the Local Pack typically appears before any organic website results. Studies consistently show it captures 40-60% of clicks for local searches. The three businesses in it get the vast majority of calls and enquiries. Everything below them fights over what's left.
Getting into the Local Pack is the single most valuable goal for most local trade businesses. It requires a Google Business Profile, not just a website. A great website that isn't tied to a GBP won't appear in the Local Pack at all.
The three ranking factors
Google uses three main factors to decide which businesses appear in the Local Pack for a given search:
1. Proximity
How close is the searcher to the business? This is determined by the searcher's location (their GPS position if they're on mobile, or their IP address on desktop). Proximity is the one factor you can't control directly — you're either close to the searcher or you're not.
This is why Local Pack results change depending on where you search from. A plumber in the city centre may appear for a searcher in town but not for someone on the outskirts 10 miles away. It's not that the plumber's ranking dropped — it's that a different plumber is now closer.
2. Relevance
How well does your Google Business Profile match what the person searched for? A plumber with "Plumber" as their primary category, with plumbing services listed, and with a description mentioning boilers, drains and emergency callouts is more relevant to a plumbing search than a general contractor who does some plumbing work.
Improving relevance means: choosing the right primary category (be specific), adding all relevant services to your profile, writing a detailed business description that mentions your services naturally, and having a website that confirms what your GBP says.
3. Prominence
How well-known and credible is your business, both online and offline? Google measures prominence through several signals:
- Reviews: count and average rating — the strongest single signal in most categories
- Website quality: a well-built, fast website with relevant content supporting your GBP
- Citations: your business listed consistently on Yell, Thomson Local, Yelp and other directories
- Backlinks: other websites linking to yours (less important for local than for organic, but still a factor)
- GBP activity: regular posts, responses to reviews, updated photos
Reviews are the fastest lever: Of all the prominence signals, review count and rating are the most directly actionable. A business that actively collects reviews can outrank larger competitors within 2-3 months in most local markets.
Practical steps to improve your Local Pack position
Complete your GBP fully. Fill in every section — description, services, hours, photos, attributes. An incomplete profile signals a low-effort listing. Google gives more visibility to profiles that are fully complete.
Choose the right primary category. The single most important GBP setting. "Plumber" outranks "Home Services" for plumbing searches. Be as specific as possible.
Add photos. At least 10 to start, growing to 25+. Before and after job photos, team photos, vehicle photos. Listings with more photos get more views and more calls.
Collect reviews consistently. After every job, ask the customer to leave a Google review. Send them the direct link. Aim for 2-4 new reviews per month as a minimum. Respond to every review within 48 hours.
Build a proper website. Your GBP and your website support each other. Google looks at your website to confirm your business information and service relevance. A well-structured website with individual service pages and location-specific content supports Local Pack rankings.
Post Google Posts. Use the Posts feature in your GBP dashboard to share updates, offers or recent work. Google shows recent post activity on your listing, and it signals that the listing is actively managed.
What to do about competitors appearing unfairly
Two specific Local Pack manipulation tactics are common in trades and worth knowing about:
Fake reviews: competitors sometimes have reviews from accounts with no previous history, no photo, and reviewing only one business. You can report fake reviews via Google Maps — find the review, click the three dots, and select "Report review". Google doesn't remove reviews quickly or easily, but egregious cases do get actioned.
Keyword-stuffed business names: some competitors add keywords to their GBP business name ("Best Emergency Plumber Sheffield Ltd") that aren't their actual registered name. This is against Google's guidelines. You can report it via Google Maps > Suggest an edit > flag the name as incorrect.
These reports take time to process, but they're worth making if competitors are ranking above you through clear policy violations.