How to get into the Google Map Pack.
Make your listing useful.
The map pack, also called the local pack or 3-pack, is the box of local businesses, with a map, that Google shows for searches like “plumber near me”. Use this checklist to make your listing useful and decide what to update.
The short answer
Start with an accurate profile: the right business category, services, hours and contact details. Add real photos and a straightforward way for customers to leave honest reviews. These are useful improvements you can make yourself or ask someone to maintain for you.
Google says you cannot request or pay for a better local ranking. A service provider can do the setup and upkeep; they cannot promise a particular position. Read Google's local ranking guidance.
The next step.
Made easy.
The map pack is the group of business listings shown with a map in local search results.
Put yourself in the customer's place. Can they tell whether you offer the service they need, whether you are open, and how to reach you? Fixing a wrong phone number or missing holiday hours gives them a clearer next step.
Check what happens after someone finds you. Open the listing, follow its website link and check the enquiry route. The profile and website should describe the same services and give the same practical details.
When you pay for help, ask for the work to be listed clearly: setup, photos, review requests, replies or regular updates. Agree what is included and how you will review it.
Local results.
Three key factors.
Google describes relevance, distance and prominence. No checklist guarantees a place in the map results.
Relevance
How well the business matches the search. Complete, accurate information helps Google understand what you offer.
Distance
How far the business is from the person searching. The results can vary by location, so one search on your phone is not a complete picture.
Prominence
How well known the business is. Google considers information such as links to your business and customer reviews. This is broader than filling in a profile.
Your profile.
Ten checks.
Start with access and accurate details, then give someone responsibility for keeping them current.
- Find the existing profile. Search your business name before creating a new listing. Claim it if needed and follow the verification steps Google offers. Google chooses the verification method.
- Choose accurate categories. Use a specific primary category that describes your core business, with only the additional categories needed to represent it. Do not add categories for services you do not offer.
- Check the practical details. Keep normal and holiday hours, services, location or service area, and extras such as parking or wheelchair access current. Include the details a customer needs before calling or visiting.
- Correct conflicting information. Compare the listing with your website and other business pages. Prioritise wrong phone numbers, old addresses and outdated hours that could send a customer to the wrong place.
- Show the real business. Use photos of the entrance, inside, team or work, where appropriate. Choose images that help a first-time customer recognise the place and understand what to expect.
- Ask for honest reviews. Use a consistent request process that welcomes all feedback. Do not reserve the request for happy customers or offer a reward. Read Google's review rules.
- Read and respond to feedback. Keep replies helpful and brief. If someone raises a problem, explain how they can contact you privately without sharing personal details in public.
- Share updates when you have something useful. New hours, a service update or a current offer can help customers plan. Use posts to communicate, without treating a posting schedule as a ranking guarantee.
- Give the website link a useful destination. Explain the services and locations you actually cover, answer common questions and show how to enquire. Avoid extra pages that merely repeat the same text with another place name.
- Check your numbers every month. Your profile’s Performance report shows calls, direction requests, website clicks and the searches that found you. Open business.google.com and select Performance. Google’s guide to the report.
Not showing up?
Check these first.
Most missing listings have an ordinary cause you can check in a few minutes.
- The profile isn’t verified. Google says only verified businesses can show their information on Maps and Search. Sign in with the Google Account that manages the profile and finish verification.
- You changed something recently. Google says edits can take up to three days to appear, and a new business can take up to a month to show up in rankings.
- The profile was suspended. A profile that breaks Google’s guidelines is disabled or suspended and hidden from other users. Google notifies the account that manages it.
- You’re searching from the wrong place. Results depend on distance, so a search from your own address isn’t what a customer across town sees. Search from where your customers are.
- The category or service area doesn’t match. Check that your primary category names your core service and that your service area covers the places you work. Google’s help on finding your business.
Avoid these shortcuts.
Use the business name customers know from your real-world branding. Adding search phrases to the name can violate Google's business guidelines and risk suspension.
Reviews should reflect real experiences. Google prohibits rewards for posting, changing or removing a review. Build a request process for honest feedback instead.
Use a real location customers can visit, or set the listing to show the areas you serve. A rented mailbox is not a substitute for a business location under Google's guidelines.
Quick answers.
Is a Google Business Profile free?
How long does it take to show up on Google Maps?
Can I pay Google to rank higher on Maps?
Do I need a storefront to be on Google Maps?
Want help with your Google profile?
Setting up your listing comes with a website build. Weekly posts, review requests, replies and new content come with the $249.99/month plan. Share your business and listing link to discuss the work you need.