The Local Pack is the block Google shows at the top of the results when a search has a nearby intent: a small map, then a few businesses with their rating, number of reviews, address and opening hours. A link opens more results on Google Maps.
How Google builds it
The businesses shown come from Google Business Profiles. Google picks them using three factors it describes in its help pages: relevance to the search, distance from the person searching, and the business’s prominence (reviews, links, mentions). So the block changes from one person to another and from one street to the next.
Why it matters
For a search like “bakery near me”, many people choose straight from this block: they call, ask for directions or open the profile without ever scrolling down to websites. Being in the Local Pack means being on the shortlist.
Example: a well-rated garage with a precise category (“auto repair shop”) and up-to-date hours shows in the Local Pack for searches made around it; a nearby garage without a verified profile never does.
Common mistakes
- checking your position by searching from inside the shop: distance skews the result;
- thinking you can pay to be in it: only results marked “Sponsored” are ads;
- neglecting the primary category, which weighs on relevance.
To compare your profile with the ones that appear, read the local competitor analysis guide.
Go further
Related terms
Local SEO
Local SEO covers what a business does to show up when people search for its type of business nearby on Google and Google Maps: profile, reviews, website and consistent details.
Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows a business in Google Search and on Google Maps: name, address, opening hours, phone number, photos and reviews.
Average rating (Google stars)
The average rating is the mean of the stars (1 to 5) customers leave on a business’s Google profile, shown with one decimal next to the total number of reviews.