How to Rank Higher in the Google Maps Local Pack
Three results decide most local visibility. Here's what actually earns a place.
Local SEO · 8 August 2026 · 2 min read
Written by the Biztour team - Google Trusted Photographers since 2013.
The local pack, the box of three businesses with a map that appears above normal search results for local queries, is where most local business visibility actually happens now, before anyone scrolls to the full results list. Google's own stated ranking factors for it are relevance, distance and prominence, and each one is genuinely actionable.
- Relevance: how well your profile matches what was actually searched
- Distance: how close you are to the searcher, or the location implied in the search
- Prominence: how well-known and well-reviewed your business is, both online and off
- A complete, active, well-reviewed profile influences all three simultaneously
Relevance: matching the search, not just existing
A complete profile with the right primary category, relevant secondary categories, and a description using the actual terms customers search matches more queries than a thin, generic listing. This is the factor most directly within your control, and the one most businesses under-invest in.
Distance: mostly fixed, but not entirely
Your physical address is what it is, but businesses serving a wider service area should make sure that area is genuinely reflected in the profile settings, since Google uses this to decide which searches you're eligible to appear for beyond your immediate postcode.
Prominence: the factor most businesses ignore
Review count and rating, how often you're mentioned and linked elsewhere online, and general engagement with your profile, photo views, tour views, direction requests, all feed into prominence. This is where a complete profile with a virtual tour and a steady stream of genuine reviews does compounding work over time, not a one-off fix.
Questions people ask
Can paid ads get us into the local pack?
Google Ads can show a separate sponsored placement near the local pack, but the organic three-result pack itself is ranked on relevance, distance and prominence, not paid spend.
How long does it take to see a ranking change after improving our profile?
Changes can show within days to a few weeks, though prominence-related factors like reviews and engagement build gradually over a longer period.
Google virtual tours for every kind of business
Over a decade of shooting means we've worked in almost every kind of space. Find yours to see what a tour does for your industry.
Trusted by
Ready to open your doors 24/7?
Our prices start at £435 and are based on your specific requirements. We endeavour to respond to all form submissions and email enquiries within 15 minutes.
5-star rated on Google
