Local pack
Also called: map pack, local 3-pack, google 3 pack, google map pack, 3-pack, snack pack
The local pack is the block of local business listings, usually three, that Google shows with a map above the regular organic results when a search has local intent. Also called the map pack or 3-pack, it is the most prominent spot in local search and the main target of local SEO.
What decides who ranks
Google does not use the phrase “local pack” itself; its documentation calls these “local results.” Whatever you call it, each listing carries fairly rich detail: business name, average star rating and review count, primary category, street address, partial hours, and links to call, visit the site, or get directions.
Google says three things decide which businesses appear: relevance (how well your Business Profile matches the query), distance (how far you are from the searcher or the place they named), and prominence (how well known you are, shaped by reviews, links, and mentions across the web). Google is blunt that “there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking,” so a slot is earned, not bought.
A search like emergency plumber near me or tacos downtown triggers the pack, and it sits above the ten organic links, so it intercepts intent before a user ever scrolls. Practitioners nickname it the 3-pack because it usually shows three slots, though the count can vary and Google sometimes swaps in images, review quotes, or booking buttons. Winning one of those slots depends far more on your Business Profile categories, review signals, and citation consistency than on your website alone.
How it affects your traffic
For a business that serves a local area, the local pack is often where the highest-intent clicks land, since it sits above the organic results and puts a call button and directions one tap away. Ranking there depends on signals a standard on-page audit misses: Google Business Profile category choices, review volume and velocity, and consistent name-address-phone citations across the web. Our Local SEO work targets exactly those levers to move you into the three-listing block and hold the position against nearby competitors.
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