How to Get Into the Google Map Pack: A Practical Guide for Local Businesses

When someone searches “accountant near me” or “plumber Coventry” on Google, the first thing they see isn’t a list of websites — it’s a box showing three local businesses, their phone numbers, their star ratings, and a map. That box is called the local pack or map pack.

The businesses in it get the majority of clicks. The businesses below it are competing for what’s left.

Here’s exactly how to get in.

What determines map pack rankings

Google uses three primary factors to decide which businesses appear in the map pack:

Relevance — Does your business match what the person searched for? This is driven by your Google Business Profile category, your services list, and mentions of relevant terms in your description and website.

Distance — How close is your business to the person searching? This you can’t control — but you can control how accurately you’ve set your service area.

Prominence — How well-established and trusted is your business? This is driven by reviews, links to your website, how active your Business Profile is, and how long you’ve been registered.

All three matter. Here’s how to optimise each.

Step 1: Claim and verify your Google Business Profile

If you haven’t claimed your listing at business.google.com, nothing else in this guide will help. An unclaimed or unverified listing cannot appear in the map pack.

Once claimed, verify your business. Google will either send a postcard with a PIN to your address, or offer phone/email/video verification depending on your business type. Complete this immediately.

Step 2: Set the right primary category

Your primary category is the most important signal you give Google about what your business does. It needs to match what people search for exactly.

• Use “Plumber” not “Heating Engineer” or “Maintenance Service”
• Use “Accountant” not “Financial Consultant” or “Business Services”
• Use “Electrician” not “Electrical Services” or “Contractor”

To find the best category: search for the top three competitors in your area on Google Maps and check what category they’re listed under. Match the most common one.

Add secondary categories for any additional services.

Step 3: Complete every section of your profile

Google treats profile completeness as a relevance and prominence signal. Work through every section:

• Business name (your real trading name — no keyword-stuffing)
• Address or service area
• Phone number
• Website link
• Opening hours (including bank holiday variations)
• Business description (750 characters, plain English)
• Services (list every service you offer — Google uses this to match you to specific searches)

Leave nothing blank.

Step 4: Add photos

Profiles with photos receive significantly more views and clicks than those without. Upload:

• Exterior photo of your premises or vehicle
• Interior or workspace photo
• Team photo
• Work in progress or completed work photos
• Your logo

Aim for at least 10 photos when first setting up. Add new photos regularly — profile activity is a ranking signal.

Step 5: Generate reviews consistently

Reviews are one of the top three factors in map pack rankings. More importantly, review velocity matters — how often new reviews arrive — not just total count.

A business with 20 reviews received in the last six months typically outranks one with 50 reviews all received two years ago.

To generate reviews consistently:

• After every completed job or satisfied client interaction, send a direct link to your Google review page (find this in your Business Profile dashboard under “Ask for reviews”)
• Ask personally: “Would you mind leaving us a review? It helps new customers find us”
• Respond to every review, positive or negative — this is also a ranking signal

Target: 2–4 new reviews per month.

Step 6: Post weekly

Google Business Profile posts take two minutes to create and signal to Google that your business is active and engaged. Post once a week — a photo of recent work, a seasonal tip, a service reminder, anything relevant.

Consistency matters more than quality. A photo with one sentence posted every week outperforms a detailed post published once a month.

How long does it take?

For businesses in less competitive areas or niches, a properly completed and verified profile can start appearing in the map pack within 2–4 weeks.

For competitive searches in Birmingham city centre — accountants, solicitors, busy trades — expect 2–4 months of consistent activity before you rank regularly.

The profile you set up and actively manage today will be compounding in authority six months from now. The businesses in the local pack next year are the ones doing this work now.

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At mybitness, Google Business Profile setup and optimisation is included as standard in our website builds for West Midlands businesses.

Get a free review of your current setup →