Local Pack
The Local Pack, also called the Map Pack or 3-Pack, is the box with a map excerpt and three business listings that appears directly above the classic search results for searches with a local reference. It is based on the Google Business Profile, not the website.
Anyone searching for “dentist Munich” or “electrician near me” usually sees neither a list of links nor a block of text first, but a small map with three businesses underneath: name, star rating, category, distance and often a “Call” button. That is the Local Pack, and for many local businesses this very box decides whether anyone clicks at all.
What the Local Pack contains
The Local Pack shows exactly three results plus an embedded map, with a “More places” link below that leads to the full map view with many more listings. The three visible spots are the real prize: whoever appears there gains visibility without competing for a click on one of ten blue links.
The Local Pack only appears for searches with a recognisable local intent, either because a place is named explicitly or because Google infers local intent from the device location and the type of query.
Where the data comes from
Unlike classic organic results, the Local Pack draws primarily on a business’s Google Business Profile, not on its own website. The name, address, opening hours, category, photos and reviews in the profile determine whether and how a business shows up in the Local Pack. An excellent website without a well-maintained profile remains practically invisible to the Local Pack.
What decides the ranking
Google itself names three main factors: relevance (how well the profile matches the search), distance (how close the business is to the assumed or entered location) and prominence (how well known and trustworthy the business is, measured among other things by the number of reviews, star ratings and mentions on the web). Consistent NAP details across website, directories and profile count towards prominence.
The three factors work together; an excellent score in one dimension only partly makes up for weaknesses in another. A business very close by with few reviews can still end up behind one slightly further away with considerably more and better reviews.
Related, but not the same: local SEO
Local SEO is the umbrella term for all measures that improve local visibility; the Local Pack is a single, particularly visible result of that work. Local optimisation also affects the organic results below it and the full map view that the Local Pack only offers a glimpse of.
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