# What is Map pack?

> The map pack is the small map with a short list of local businesses, usually three, that Google shows near the top of results for local searches.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/glossary/map-pack
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-26

Also called: local pack, 3-pack, local 3-pack, Google Maps results.

When you search for something local, like ‘plumber near me’, Google often shows a map with a few pins and a short list of businesses underneath it, before the normal website results. That block is the map pack, sometimes called the local pack or the 3-pack.

The listings in it come from Google Business Profiles, not directly from websites. Google picks them based on three broad things it has publicly described: how relevant the business is to the search, how close it is to the searcher, and how prominent or well-known it seems, which includes reviews.

On a phone, the map pack can fill most of the screen, so appearing in it is often worth more than ranking first in the ordinary results below.

## Why it matters for a small business

Getting into the map pack for your main service in your town is one of the most valuable spots a local business can hold, because it comes with a Call button and your star rating right there. People with an urgent problem, like a leak or a lockout, often ring the first sensible option they see.

**Example:** A search for ‘emergency electrician Bristol’ shows a map with three electricians, each with stars, opening hours and a Call button. Everyone else is further down the page, below the fold on most phones.