Have you ever searched for a local business on Google and noticed a map with three businesses listed beneath it?
That section is commonly called the Local Map Pack, Local 3 Pack, or simply the Local Pack. For businesses that serve a particular city or geographic area, appearing there can be one of the most valuable forms of online visibility.
The good news is that you do not need to be an SEO expert to begin improving your local rankings. You simply need to understand what Google is looking for and consistently work on a few important areas.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the process of improving your online presence so your business is more likely to appear when someone searches for a product or service in your area.
For example, someone might search for:
- Plumber near me
- Personal injury lawyer in New Orleans
- Best coffee shop in Mandeville
- Air conditioning repair on the Northshore
Google recognizes that these searches have local intent. Instead of showing only traditional website results, it will often display a map and a small group of nearby businesses.
What Is the Local Map 3 Pack?
The Local Map 3 Pack is the group of local business listings that frequently appears near the top of a Google search results page. It normally includes a map along with three businesses that Google believes are especially relevant to the search.
Each listing may show information such as:
- The business name
- Its average review rating
- The number of Google reviews
- Its primary business category
- Hours of operation
- Address or service area
- Website and phone-number buttons
- Photos and other business information
Because the Local Pack is prominent, easy to use, and often appears above the traditional organic results, earning a position in it can lead to more phone calls, website visits, requests for directions, and customer inquiries.
How Do You Rank in the Local Map Pack?
There is no single trick that guarantees a top-three position. Local rankings are influenced by your location, the relevance of your business to the search, the strength of your online presence, and the amount of competition in your market.
However, most businesses can improve their chances by focusing on four primary areas.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is one of the most important pieces of your local SEO presence. It provides Google with detailed information about your company and gives potential customers a quick way to learn about your business.
Claim and Verify Your Profile
Start by making sure you have claimed and verified your business. An unverified profile may have limited visibility, and you may not be able to manage all of the information customers see.
Use Your Real Business Name
Your profile’s business name should match the name your business actually uses in the real world.
Adding extra keywords to your business name may appear tempting, especially when competitors are doing it. However, unnecessary keywords can violate Google’s guidelines and potentially lead to profile edits or suspension.
Choose the Right Business Categories
Your primary category should describe the main service your business provides as specifically as possible. You can then select relevant secondary categories for other meaningful services.
For example, a business that primarily installs residential air-conditioning systems should select the most specific available HVAC-related category rather than relying on a broad category such as “contractor.”
Complete Every Relevant Section
Provide as much accurate information as possible, including:
- Phone number
- Website address
- Physical address or service area
- Regular and holiday hours
- Services or products
- Business description
- Appointment links
- Accessibility information
- Relevant business attributes
The more complete and accurate the profile is, the easier it is for Google and prospective customers to understand what your business offers.
Add High-Quality Photos
Upload recent photos of your location, team, products, completed work, vehicles, signage, and other aspects of your business.
Authentic photos help prospective customers feel more comfortable with your company and make the profile look active and trustworthy.
Keep Your Information Current
Review your profile periodically. Update your hours, services, contact information, photos, and other details whenever something changes.
Google may also accept suggested edits from users, so checking the profile regularly can help you catch incorrect changes.
Earn More High-Quality Google Reviews
Reviews can strengthen both your local visibility and your credibility with potential customers.
A business with numerous positive, recent reviews will often look more appealing than a competitor with very few reviews or feedback that is several years old.
Ask Customers at the Right Time
The best time to request a review is usually shortly after you have successfully completed a service, delivered a product, or received positive feedback from the customer.
Make the process simple by sending customers a direct link to your Google review form through email or text message.
Do Not Incentivize Positive Reviews
Avoid paying customers, offering discounts, or providing gifts in exchange for favorable reviews. Your goal should be to earn honest feedback from real customers.
Respond to Your Reviews
Responding shows that your company is attentive and appreciates its customers. Thank people for positive feedback and respond calmly and professionally to negative reviews.
A thoughtful response to a negative review can sometimes be just as valuable as the review itself. Future customers are often interested in seeing how a business handles problems.
Focus on Consistency
Do not treat review generation as a one-time campaign. Build it into your regular customer-service process so your business continues receiving authentic reviews over time.
Build Accurate Local Citations
A local citation is an online mention of your business’s name, address, and phone number. Citations commonly appear in business directories, map services, local websites, industry associations, and social platforms.
Accurate citations reinforce the fact that your business is legitimate and help search engines connect the information found across the web.
Keep Your Business Information Consistent
Your core business information should be as consistent as possible wherever it appears. Pay particular attention to your:
- Business name
- Street address
- Primary phone number
- Website URL
- Business hours
Small formatting differences are not usually disastrous, but outdated phone numbers, old addresses, duplicate listings, or completely different business names can create confusion.
Start With Major Platforms
Make sure your business is represented accurately on prominent platforms such as:
- Google Business Profile
- Apple Maps
- Bing Places
- Yelp
- Better Business Bureau
- Yellow Pages
Add Relevant Secondary Directories
Depending on your business and location, you may also consider directories such as:
- MapQuest
- Whitepages
- Superpages
- Manta
- Chamber of Commerce
- Local.com
- MerchantCircle
- Yellowbook
- Nextdoor
These websites may not each send a large number of customers directly to your business, but a broad and consistent citation presence can contribute to a stronger local online footprint.
Look for Industry-Specific Citations
Some of the most valuable citations are found on websites related specifically to your industry.
Examples might include:
- Legal directories for attorneys
- Medical directories for healthcare providers
- Home-service directories for contractors
- Tourism websites for hotels and attractions
- Professional associations related to your field
Local organizations can also provide valuable listings. Consider your local chamber of commerce, neighborhood associations, regional business groups, visitor bureaus, and community websites.
Earn Links From Local Websites
A link occurs when another website directs its visitors to your website. Links can act as signals that your website and business are recognized by other reputable organizations.
For local SEO, links from trusted websites in your city, region, or industry can be especially useful.
Ask Business Partners for Links
Think about the businesses and organizations you already work with. Vendors, suppliers, professional partners, builders, distributors, charities, and associations may have a resources page, partner directory, or member listing where they can link to your website.
Share Newsworthy Announcements
If your business is opening a new location, launching a community initiative, hiring a notable team member, celebrating a major anniversary, or hosting an event, consider sharing the announcement with local publications.
A meaningful local story may lead to coverage and a link from a news outlet or community website.
Sponsor Local Events and Organizations
Sponsoring a festival, school, nonprofit, youth sports team, community event, or professional organization can benefit your community while creating opportunities for online mentions and links.
Perform a Local Survey
Original local research can give journalists, bloggers, and community organizations something interesting to discuss.
For example, a dentist might survey residents about their brushing and flossing habits. A real estate company might survey homeowners about which neighborhood amenities matter most to them.
When the information is genuinely useful or interesting, other local websites may reference the findings and link back to the original report.
Create Helpful Local Content
Develop resources that are specifically useful to people in your market.
Examples include:
- A real estate agent creating a guide for people moving to the area
- A home builder publishing an article about the best communities in which to build
- A landscaping company explaining which plants perform best in the local climate
- An insurance agency creating a hurricane-preparation checklist
- A family attraction publishing a guide to local activities for children
Useful local content can attract links, appear in search results, and introduce your business to potential customers before they are ready to buy.
Do Keywords Still Matter for Local SEO?
Keywords help Google understand the products, services, and locations associated with your business. However, they should be used naturally rather than repeated excessively.
Make sure your website clearly explains:
- What your business does
- Who you serve
- Where you are located
- Which cities or communities you serve
- What makes your services different
When appropriate, create a dedicated page for each major service. Businesses with multiple legitimate locations may also benefit from a unique page for each location.
Avoid creating dozens of nearly identical city pages that simply replace one city name with another. Each page should contain useful, original information for people in that particular market.
Local SEO Takes Time
Local SEO is rarely an overnight process. A new business may need time to build the same level of online authority, reviews, citations, and recognition as competitors that have been established for many years.
Progress can also depend heavily on your industry and location. Ranking for a specialized service in a small community may be easier than competing for a highly valuable search in a major city.
Continue improving your profile, reviews, website, citations, and links rather than looking for a one-time shortcut.
Some Frequently Asked Questions About Local SEO
What If I Work From My House?
If you travel to customers and do not regularly serve them at your home, you can create a service-area business and hide the residential address from the public.
If customers genuinely visit your home during stated business hours and the location is appropriately staffed and represented, you may be able to display the address. Consider privacy and local regulations before doing so.
What If I Work From a Coworking Space?
A coworking address should not be used simply to create a presence in another city. The location generally needs to be a legitimate, staffed business location where your company receives customers during its stated hours and has clear permanent signage.
What If My Business Has Multiple Locations?
Create and verify a separate Google Business Profile for each legitimate, staffed location. Each location should also have accurate information and, ideally, a useful corresponding page on your website.
What If I Am in a Very Competitive Industry?
Competitive industries require more time and sustained effort. Focus on building a genuinely strong local brand rather than simply checking SEO tasks off a list.
While your organic visibility is developing, paid options such as Google Ads or Local Services Ads may help generate more immediate exposure and leads.
Start With the SEO Fundamentals
Ranking in the Local Map Pack requires more than creating a Google Business Profile and waiting for customers to find it.
Start by making sure your profile is complete, your business information is accurate, and your website clearly communicates what you offer and where you operate. Then build a repeatable process for earning reviews, maintaining citations, creating useful content, and developing relationships with other local organizations.
These fundamentals will not only improve your chances of ranking locally. They will also create a stronger and more trustworthy online presence for prospective customers. And if you need SEO services, contact us.