LOCAL SEO
Local pack: what it means and how it works
The map and short list of businesses Google shows for local searches.
- Beginner level
- 1 primary source
- Reviewed 29 October 2026
- TopicLocal SEOAlso in SEO fundamentals
- LevelBeginnerNo background needed
- Also calledmap pack, local 3-pack
- Sources1 primary sourceGoogle Business Profile Help
- Reviewed29 October 2026Re-checked every 6 months
On this page
Quick definition
The local pack is the block of map results, usually three businesses with a map, that Google shows for searches with local intent. The listings come from Google Business Profiles, ranked mainly by relevance, distance and prominence.
Why it matters
For searches like "tyre shop near me" or "dentist Westlands", the local pack often appears above the ordinary web results and drives calls, direction requests and visits without anyone opening a website. For multi-location businesses, each branch competes in its own area.
How it works
Google’s own guidance names three factors: relevance (how well a profile matches the search), distance (from the searcher or the location in the query) and prominence (how well known the business is, including reviews, links and articles). A complete, accurate Google Business Profile with the right primary category is the foundation.
Because distance matters, the same search returns different businesses a few streets apart. A local rank grid measures this by checking the search from a grid of points around the business and mapping its position at each point.
Example
A car service centre in Industrial Area ranks first for "car service" within about 2 km, but drops out of the pack in Westlands and Kilimani. A 7×7 grid shows the drop-off. Separate, genuinely local pages for each branch and consistent business details across directories help where the business has a real presence; a branch cannot rank where it has no location.
How to check it
- Search target queries from the area you serve, on mobile, or use a grid-based rank tracker.
- Check the Business Profile: primary category, address or service area, hours, photos and reviews.
- Compare name, address and phone (NAP) across the website and major directories.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Myth Keywords in the business name are a safe ranking tactic.
In fact Adding keywords that are not part of the real business name breaks Google Business Profile guidelines and can lead to suspension.
Check it on your site
Free tools, no sign-up
- FreeNAP Consistency CheckerCheck that your business name, address and phone appear the same way on up to five pages, in text and in markup.Open the tool
- FreeLocal Landing Page Quality CheckerCheck a location page: the place named in title, H1 and text, LocalBusiness markup, click-to-call and a map.Open the tool
- FreeLocalBusiness Schema GeneratorBuild LocalBusiness JSON-LD with address, map coordinates, opening hours, phone and price range.Open the tool
In the NdovuSEOLabs platform
Run the same checks on every page of your site, with your own data.
Sources and review
- Tips to improve your local ranking on Google Google Business Profile Help
Written and maintained by Ndovu SEO Labs. First published 29 October 2026. Facts last checked against the sources above on 29 October 2026. How we write and review the glossary.