Glossary · Local search
Map pack.
The three business listings Google shows above the map for a local search. They take the large majority of clicks on searches like “plumber near me”, which is why appearing there matters more for most local businesses than any position in the regular results below.
Why it matters.
Which three appear is decided by proximity to the searcher, prominence (reviews, mentions, how established the listing is) and relevance (categories, services, the linked website). Proximity cannot be changed, which is why there is no single “number one in Toronto” — the ranking is recalculated for every location a search comes from. Two people on the same street can see different orders.
How to check it yourself.
Search for your main service plus your city on a phone, with location on, standing somewhere you actually work. Whoever fills those three slots is your real competition — not whoever ranks first in the blue links below.
Questions
Asked often.
How do I check map pack on my own site?
Search for your main service plus your city on a phone, with location on, standing somewhere you actually work. Whoever fills those three slots is your real competition — not whoever ranks first in the blue links below.
Your turn
Same check,
run on your site.
The check behind this page is the one we ran on every business above. Put your own address in and it will load your site on a phone screen, look at the certificate and the page age, and tell you what a visitor meets. No email, nothing stored.
Want the same for
your business?
Tell us what you do and where you work. We will look at what you have now and say plainly whether it is worth rebuilding — including when it is not.