What is the map pack?

Where does the map pack appear?

It appears in Google Search when a query has local intent, meaning the searcher wants a business they can visit or hire nearby. Searches like "electrician," "HVAC repair near me," or "dentist in Scranton" usually trigger it. Each listing shows the business name, its star rating, and basic details, and links to the full Business Profile.

The same businesses compete in Google Maps. Google's help page on local ranking treats them together, explaining that customers searching nearby will "find local results on Google Maps and Search," and applying the same ranking factors to both. A business that does well in one usually does well in the other.

Why is it called the "3-pack"?

Before August 2015, Google showed up to seven local listings for many searches. On August 7, 2015, Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google had dropped the seven-listing block in favor of three listings with a link to show more, and that local search practitioners were upset about the impact on clients ranked below third. Three listings has remained the usual size since, which is where the "3-pack" name comes from.

Losing four spots raised the stakes for everyone outside the top three. A business in fourth place can still be found, but only by people who click through to the full list.

What decides which businesses appear?

Google says local results are "mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity," and describes the third factor, prominence, as how well-known a business is, including "how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have." Google doesn't publish how much each factor counts.

The closest thing to a ranked list comes from Whitespark's 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey, which invites 47 local search specialists to score each factor. Their top five map pack factors were the business's primary profile category, proximity to the searcher, keywords in the business name, a physical address in the city being searched, and being open at the time of the search. These are expert scores, not Google's data, but they line up with Google's own description: what you are, where you are, and how established you are.

Can a business pay to be in the map pack?

Not for the regular listings. Google states: "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google." Advertising is a separate track. Google's Local Ads can appear on Search, Maps, and Waze, and Google's ad documentation says they can show "as independent ad units or embedded ads within organic modules," which means a paid listing can sit inside or next to the local results. An ad stops showing when the budget runs out. A profile's organic position doesn't depend on ad spend at all.

How is the map pack different from the regular results?

The map pack ranks Business Profiles. The regular results below it rank web pages. A business can appear in both, and the two run on different signals. In the Whitespark survey, proximity was the second biggest map pack factor but only 41st for regular local results, where the top factors were a dedicated page for each service, content about the specific city or neighborhood, and the quality of links pointing to the site.

That difference shapes how we plan work at Junefruit. The profile competes for customers near the business's location, and the website competes for customers everywhere else it serves.

How does a business get into the map pack?

• Claim and verify a Business Profile. Google says creating one "is free." Google may already list your business, and its own sign-up page offers to "claim an existing profile." Claiming and verifying it is what lets you control the details Google ranks.
• Choose the most accurate primary category. It was the top map pack factor in the expert survey.
• Keep hours, services, and contact details current. Google ties relevance to "complete and detailed business info," and being open at the time of a search ranked in the survey's top five.
• Earn reviews steadily. Google says more reviews and positive ratings "can help your business's local ranking."
• Be honest about location. Use a real address or a hidden address with a service area. Virtual offices aren't eligible for a profile, and guideline violations can get a profile suspended.