Another term for the Google Maps Pack — the three local business listings shown at the top of Google search results for location-based queries.
The local pack is another name for the Google Maps Pack — the block of three business listings that appears near the top of Google search results when someone searches for a local service or business. You may also see it called the "map pack," "3-pack," or "local 3-pack." All of these terms refer to the same thing: the three businesses Google highlights at the top of local search results, displayed with a map, ratings, and contact information.
The local pack appears for virtually all local service searches — "electrician near me," "roofing contractor Dallas," "plumber Houston TX" — and typically appears above all organic website results. This positioning makes local pack placement among the most valuable in all of search marketing for service businesses. Appearing in the local pack means your business is one of the first three options a potential customer sees, before they've even scrolled to any website results.
Local pack rankings are separate from traditional website SEO rankings. A contractor can have a modest website that ranks poorly in organic search but still appear prominently in the local pack through strong Google reviews, a complete Business Profile, and local citations. This makes local pack optimization particularly accessible for independent contractors who don't have the time or resources for extensive website SEO.
The three businesses shown in the local pack are not fixed — they change based on the searcher's location, the time of search, and Google's real-time assessment of which businesses are most relevant and prominent. A contractor might appear in the local pack for searches from customers near their office but drop out for searches from customers on the other side of the city.