Local SERP
Also called: local search results page, local pack SERP, map pack results
A local SERP is a search results page dominated by location features, mainly the local pack (a map plus three Google Business Profile listings) and Google Maps results, shown when a query carries local intent like "plumber near me." Google ranks the listings by relevance, distance, and prominence.
What shows up, and when
Google serves a local SERP when it reads location intent in a query, whether you type the place (“dentist in Austin”) or Google infers it from your device (“emergency plumber”). Roughly 46% of all searches carry that intent, per Oneupweb’s breakdown, and the page stacks several location features:
- The local pack (also called the map pack or 3-pack): a map plus three Google Business Profile listings with star ratings, hours, and call or directions buttons.
- Google Maps and the local finder for the fuller list.
- Local Service Ads and paid results, often above the pack.
- Classic organic links, usually pushed well down the page.
Ranking inside the pack runs on three signals Google names directly: relevance, distance, and prominence. Practitioner data narrows it further. BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey puts the Google Business Profile primary category as the single strongest pack factor, with proximity and business-title keywords ranked next. A complete profile, accurate categories, and steady review flow move the needle more than on-page tweaks alone.
One shift worth watching: AI Overviews and Google’s AI Mode increasingly summarize local options at the very top, sometimes above the classic pack. The listings feeding those answers still lean on the same profile, review, and relevance signals, so solid local groundwork carries over rather than going to waste.
How it affects your traffic
Landing in the local pack puts your business in front of people ready to call, visit, or request directions right now, while classic organic results get shoved down the page. If your Google Business Profile, categories, and reviews are not dialed in, you are effectively invisible for exactly the searches with buying intent. Our Local SEO service builds the profile, review, and local-relevance signals that decide who fills those three slots, so you capture the clicks before a competitor does.
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