Have you ever typed “coffee shop near me” into Google and noticed the box of three local coffee shops that sits on top of the page, just under the “sponsored” section? That’s the Google Local Pack in action. It’s fast, but effective, a small feature with the potential for huge conversions for local businesses who need to reach customers within their community. At Majestic One Limited, we’ve seen firsthand how a well-optimised Local Pack listing can turn an under-the-radar business into the go-to destination for locals.
What exactly is the Google Local Pack?
Put simply, the Local Pack (sometimes called the “3-Maps Pack”) is Google’s way of showcasing the three most relevant local businesses for a particular search query within a desired distance to you. Accompanied by a mini-map and key details like address, opening hours, phone number, and user ratings, it’s prime real estate on the search results page. Appear here, and you’re instantly more visible than any organic result down below.
Why does the Google Local Pack matters so much
Research indicates that around 46% of all Google searches have a local intent, and between 75% of users never see the second page of results. If your business is not on that Local Pack, you’re essentially passing by an opportunity to attract local customers searching for your products or services.
Case study: we helped a Christchurch based drain company who was struggling to drive local customers and as a result, were having to travel up to 2/3 hours for the work. Weeks after we had optimised their Google Business Profile and gathered new customer reviews, they burst into the Local Pack for searches like “Drain unblocking near me” or “Blocked drain [Location]”. As a result, website traffic was doubled, calls were up 30% and website enquiries up by 200%. This along with reduced travel times and an abundance of local work helped the business considerably. Small changes, big benefits.
Majestic One has proven to achieve top 3 rankings in Google Local Packs time and time again. Visit our local SEO page If you are interested in learning more or read our latest post on “What is local SEO? and why Bournemouth based business should care” for more detail.
How Does Google decides who gets in the local pack?
The Local Pack isn’t luck. It’s governed by three main factors:
1. Relevance
Google wants to match a searcher’s intent with the best possible result. If your business category, description and services align closely with the query, let’s say; “emergency plumber near me”, then you’re in a good position to rank higher. Your Google Business Profile and profile content needs to be relevant to what users are searching.
2. Distance
Proximity matters. Google calculates how far each potential result is from the searcher’s location (or the location specified in the search). If you’re ten miles away and a competitor is one mile down the road, they’ll likely rank higher, unless you’ve got a massive relevance advantage (and this can be optimised).
3. Prominence
This includes all the way through to the quality and number of your customer reviews. A popular, well-known company with high ratings and lots of mentions all over the web will have more authority. The frequency of reviews also shows that your company is active and customer are still using the services or products, so make sure to keep up to date with reviews and ensure you reply to them.
At Majestic One, we’ve honed all of these levers. We check our clients’ Google Business Profiles so that every field is completed and optimised. We help them collect actual, glowing reviews. And we build local citations, mentions of the business name, address, and phone number on high-quality directories to raise visibility. This along with ongoing profile updates, picture updates, service updates and offers will put your profile in a good position to rank higher.
Tips For Optimising Your Google Business Profile For The Local Pack
If you’re aiming for that holy grail top 3 box, here’s what we recommend:
Fill out and update your Google Business Profile information
Fill in all fields: business hours (holiday hours included), description (with natural, locally-focused keywords), services, and images. Use the description section and the service section to target specific keywords that your customers are searching for. Ensure that all your information is kept up to date and relevant. Upload images to show customers the products, services and location.
Solicit and reply to reviews
Politely ask happy customers to review your services and products, if they have had a good experience, why wouldn’t they. You can offer discounts or promotions if customers leave reviews to prompt them to leave them. Once you’ve received a review, respond quickly whether it’s a five-star or a one-star that needs a thoughtful response. If the review is not good, its best to approach this head on and show other customers the positive response and professionalism of your company.
Be consistent with NAP across the web
NAP stands for (Name, Address & Phone Number). Ensure your NAP is consistent on your website, social profiles and third-party directories. Google matches the information found across the web to build a profile of your business information.
Create locally relevant content
Blog posts on neighbourhood events, local partnerships, and local engagement can boost relevance signals. Update your profile with picture of local work and tell local stories relevant to your audience.
Monitor performance
Use Google’s Insights dashboard to observe how people find your listing, what they search for, and what they do. Then optimise your strategy.
Putting it all together
The Google Local Pack is a business game-changer for companies that depend on local traffic. It’s brief, compelling, and puts your business in the spotlight when someone in your local area needs what you have to sell. But it’s not magic, there’s a strategy of relevance, distance and prominence behind every top-ranked listing.
At Majestic One Limited, we’ve guided dozens of Bournemouth and Poole based clients through this process. From local electricians, plasterers, drain companies, scaffolders and more, we’ve helped brands climb into the Local Pack, watch enquiries soar, and ultimately grow revenue.
If you’re looking to put your local visibility into top gear, we should talk. We can help you rise above the rest, one local search at a time. Contact us or call us on 01202 985183
