What is the map pack Google shows above the results?

The Map Pack is the box with a map and three businesses that Google shows at the top of a search like “dentist near me”. It has other names (local pack, 3-pack, snack pack) and one rule: it is the first thing people see, so the three businesses in it get most of the calls. This lesson shows what it looks like, how Google chooses the three, and how to check whether you are one of them.

By the PinRipple team · Checked and updated · 3 min read

What the Google Map Pack looks like on a search

Search for a kind of business and a place on Google, or just “near me” on your phone. Above the ordinary blue links you get a small map and three businesses, each with its star rating, number of reviews and opening hours. That box is the Map Pack.

dentist near me
  1. 1Garden Dentist4.3★ (799)Open · Closes 6 pm
  2. 2Bright Smile Dental you4.4★ (35)Open · Closes 7 pm
  3. 3Square Dentist4.0★ (80)Open · Closes 5 pm

More places ›

A Google search for “dentist near me”: the map, then three businesses, then the usual links. Made-up businesses.

Tapping “More places” opens the full Google Maps list, which goes on for dozens of results. Most people never tap it. If you are fourth, you are one tap away from being invisible.

Local SEO 3 pack, local pack, snack pack: the same box

You will see the same box called the local pack, the 3-pack, the snack pack (an older name, from when it showed a smaller card) and sometimes the map results. They all mean the same three businesses. Google itself just calls them local results.

How Google chooses the 3 businesses in the local pack

Google's help page for business owners says local results are based mainly on three things:

  • Relevance: how well your Google Business Profile matches what the person typed. A complete profile with the right category matches more searches.
  • Distance: how far you are from the person searching, or from the place they named.
  • Prominence: how well known you are, which includes your reviews and your rating.

Local results are based primarily on relevance, distance, and prominence.

Distance is the one most owners forget. It means the three businesses in the box are different for a customer two streets away than for you at your desk. There is no single Map Pack for your town; there is one for every spot a customer can stand on.

The same search from two places 2 km apart. The business is second in one list and fourteenth in the other.

Local SEO map pack benefits for a small business

The Map Pack sits above every other result, shows a phone button and directions, and is the only part of the page many people read on a phone. Being in it for the searches your customers make is worth more than any other local marketing you can do for free. Being just outside it, in fourth or fifth place, is the most common and most fixable problem we see.

Check if you are in the Map Pack today, free

Google Map Pack questions

Is the Map Pack the same as Google Maps?

No. The Map Pack is the box of three results on a normal Google search page. Google Maps is the full map app with the long list. The same ranking rules decide both, so a business that ranks well in Google Maps is usually in the Map Pack too.

Can I pay to be in the Map Pack?

Not for the three organic results. Google sometimes shows one ad above them, marked “Sponsored”. Google's help page says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.

Why do I see my business in the box but my customer does not?

Because the box is built for where the person is standing and what Google knows about them. You are usually close to your own business and search for it often, so your own result is the least typical one. Check from fixed spots around you instead.

Does the Free plan show this?

Yes. The Free plan runs a 5 × 5 grid for one business and one search term, 100 credits a month, and counts the spots where you are in the top 3.

Next lesson Local business listings and SEO: your Google Maps listing explained

Sources

Read next

LessonHow to find your Google ranking for a keywordThree ways to check your position for a keyword, what each gets wrong, and the three numbers to write down.GuideHow to rank higher on Google My Business and Google MapsThe changes that move a business up, in order, and the shortcuts that break Google's rules.ToolFree keyword rank checker for Google MapsCheck your ranking from 9 spots around your business, free and without signing up.

See which streets put you in the top 3

A free scan searches Google Maps from a grid of spots around your business and colours each one by your position.

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15 days free, with 1,000 credits. No card needed.