Definition
The Local Pack (also commonly known as the Map Pack or Local 3-Pack) is a prominent feature block within Google’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) that displays several local business listings relevant to a search query with local intent. When a user searches for something like “Italian restaurants near me” or “hotel on Beach Road Pattaya,” Google often shows this special section near the top of the results.
Typically, the Local Pack includes:
- An interactive map showing the locations of the featured businesses.
- A list of usually 3-4 local business names.
- Key information for each listing, such as average star rating, number of reviews, business category, address, phone number (often click-to-call on mobile), opening hours, and links to the business’s website and directions.
The primary goal of the Local Pack is to provide users with quick, actionable information about local businesses matching their immediate needs. The data displayed is sourced predominantly from businesses’ optimized Google Business Profiles (GBP), formerly known as Google My Business (GMB).
Is It Still Relevant?
Yes, the Local Pack is extremely relevant and remains one of the most critical SERP features for businesses targeting local customers in 2025. Its importance is hard to overstate:
- Prime SERP Real Estate: Its position high on the results page (often above traditional organic listings) guarantees significant visibility and captures a large share of user attention.
- Facilitates Direct Engagement: By displaying crucial contact information, ratings, and directions upfront, the Local Pack often leads to direct customer actions (calls, visits, website clicks) directly from the SERP, contributing to “zero-click searches” where users get answers without leaving Google.
- Targets High-Intent Searches: It appears specifically for users actively looking for local products or services, indicating strong purchase or visit intent.
- Mobile Search Dominance: On mobile devices, the Local Pack’s concise format and integrated features (like click-to-call and directions) make it the primary way users find and interact with local businesses.
- Competitive Necessity: Appearing in the Local Pack provides a substantial advantage over competitors who are listed lower down or not featured at all. For many local queries, if you’re not in the Pack, you’re significantly less visible.
- Ongoing Enhancements: Google continuously adds features to Local Pack listings (e.g., booking buttons, messaging, product catalogs, attributes, Q&A highlights), making them richer and more central to the local search experience.
For any business relying on local customers – from restaurants and hotels in tourist spots like Pattaya to service providers anywhere – optimizing for the Local Pack is essential.
Real-world Context
Here are some examples of how the Local Pack functions, using Pattaya City for context:
- Scenario 1 (Tourism – Food): A tourist staying near Pattaya Beach searches “best Thai food near me.” The Local Pack displays a map and 3 restaurant listings close to their location, showing review scores, price range indicators, and possibly a link to view the menu or book online.
- Scenario 2 (Service – Rentals): A resident or long-stay visitor in Jomtien (near Pattaya) searches for “motorbike rental Jomtien.” The Local Pack shows several rental shops in that area, providing phone numbers for quick calls, website links for online booking, and user ratings reflecting reliability.
- Scenario 3 (Service – Emergency): Someone needs urgent help and searches “24 hour pharmacy Pattaya.” The Local Pack highlights pharmacies that are currently open or operate 24/7, showing their exact location on the map and providing directions.
- Scenario 4 (Accommodation): A user planning a trip searches “resorts Naklua” (an area north of Pattaya). The Local Pack displays resort options in Naklua, potentially showing indicative pricing, star ratings, and booking availability directly within the listing, linking to Google Hotel Search or booking partners.
In each case, the Local Pack delivers immediate, relevant options tailored to the user’s location and query intent, heavily influencing their decision-making process.
Background
The Local Pack is the result of years of evolution in how Google integrates local business information and map data into its search results.
- Early Integration: Google initially started showing basic local listings and map snippets alongside organic results. Early versions often displayed more listings, commonly referred to as the “7-Pack” or even “10-Pack.”
- Consolidation to the 3-Pack: Over time, Google significantly reduced the number of listings shown directly on the main SERP, eventually standardizing mostly around three organic local results (plus potential local ads). This move increased the visibility and value of the top spots but also heightened competition.
- Rise of Google Places/GMB/GBP: The data powering the Local Pack became increasingly tied to Google’s dedicated platform for local business listings, which started as Google Places, evolved into Google My Business (GMB), and is now known as Google Business Profile (GBP). Optimizing this profile became the cornerstone of local SEO.
- Mobile-First Focus: As mobile search overtook desktop, the Local Pack’s design and functionality were heavily optimized for smaller screens and on-the-go users, emphasizing features like click-to-call and proximity-based results.
- Feature Enrichment: Google has continually added layers of information and functionality, including integrating reviews, Q&A, photos, business attributes, booking capabilities, messaging, product listings, and more, making the Local Pack a rich information hub.
The evolution reflects Google’s push towards providing direct answers and facilitating real-world actions directly from the search results page, especially for local queries.
What to Focus on Today
To maximize your chances of appearing in the Local Pack in 2025, focus on these key Local SEO activities:
- Master Your Google Business Profile (GBP): This is non-negotiable.
- Claim and verify your listing.
- Ensure 100% accuracy and consistency of your Name, Address, Phone number (NAP).
- Select the most relevant primary and secondary categories.
- Write a compelling, keyword-aware business description.
- Upload high-quality, recent photos and videos regularly.
- Keep opening hours (including special hours for holidays) meticulously updated.
- Add details about your products and services.
- Utilize relevant attributes (e.g., “Outdoor seating,” “Free Wi-Fi,” “Wheelchair accessible”).
- Cultivate Online Reviews: Actively encourage satisfied customers to leave Google reviews. Aim for a steady stream of positive reviews and respond professionally and promptly to *all* reviews.
- Optimize Your Website for Local SEO:
- Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, secure (HTTPS), and fast.
- Include your consistent NAP details on your site, easily crawlable.
- Create location-specific content or pages if relevant (e.g., “Massage services in Central Pattaya”).
- Incorporate local keywords naturally in titles, headings, and body text.
- Embed a Google Map showing your location.
- Implement `LocalBusiness` schema markup.
- Build Local Citations: Get your business listed accurately and consistently on relevant online directories and websites (e.g., local Thai directories, industry-specific sites like TripAdvisor or Wongnai for food, general directories).
- Earn Local Backlinks: Acquire links from other reputable local websites (local news, community blogs, event pages, local business associations).
- Engage Through GBP Features: Regularly use GBP Posts for updates/offers, upload new photos, answer questions submitted via the Q&A feature, and enable messaging if you can respond promptly.
- Understand Local Ranking Factors: Google uses three main pillars to rank businesses in the Local Pack:
- Relevance: How well your GBP and website match the user’s search query.
- Distance/Proximity: How close your business is to the searcher’s location or the location specified in the query.
- Prominence: How well-known and authoritative your business is, based on factors like reviews, citations, backlinks, brand mentions, and overall website SEO.
- Monitor Performance: Use GBP Insights to track how users find your listing and what actions they take (calls, website clicks, direction requests). Use SEO tools to monitor your rankings in the Local Pack for target keywords.
Consistent effort across GBP optimization, review management, website local SEO, and citation building is key to competing effectively for coveted Local Pack visibility.