TL;DR. The Local Pack is the map-anchored block of three business listings Google surfaces near the top of results for searches with local intent. Combined, the three positions capture an estimated 40 to 50 percent of clicks on local-intent searches, with position one alone drawing roughly 17.6 percent, only about 2.5 points ahead of position three, which makes all three spots commercially worth targeting.
What is the Local Pack?
The Local Pack, sometimes called the 3-Pack, is the boxed cluster of exactly three business listings Google displays alongside a map for searches Google interprets as having local intent, coffee shop near me, emergency plumber, dentist open Sunday. Each listing pulls its name, rating, category, and hours directly from that business's Google Business Profile, and it sits above traditional organic results on most local searches.
Key highlights
- First Page Sage's 2026 click-through rate data puts position one at roughly 17.6 percent CTR, position two at 15.4 percent, and position three at 15.1 percent, a narrow enough spread that ranking third still delivers strong click volume.
- 42 percent of people running a local search click on a result inside the Local Pack specifically, a share that has held roughly steady even as AI Overviews and other SERP features have expanded into the same results pages.
- Ranking factor weight inside the Local Pack skews heavily toward Google Business Profile completeness, roughly 32 percent, ahead of on-page, review, link, behavioral, and citation signals combined in individual weight.
Local Pack versus the broader local search results
The Local Pack shows exactly three listings by design, a deliberate constraint distinct from the full Google Maps results page, which can show dozens of nearby businesses when a searcher clicks through to see more. A business can rank well in the full Maps results while still missing the Local Pack entirely, since the Pack's three slots are the most competitive real estate in local search, not simply the top of a longer list.
What actually earns a Local Pack position
- Proximity to the searcher, or to the location implied by the search, which Google weighs more heavily here than in standard organic results.
- Prominence, a composite of review volume, rating, and general business notability across the web.
- Relevance, how closely the business category and listing content match the specific intent behind the search.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the 3-Pack?
Because Google fixed the format at exactly three listings, a deliberate design choice rather than a variable count that happened to settle on three.
Does ranking in the Local Pack replace the need to rank organically?
No, they're evaluated separately, though they share overlapping signals. A business can appear in the Local Pack and still miss the standard organic results for the same query, or the reverse.
Is Local Pack position 3 worth targeting if position 1 isn't realistic?
Yes. The CTR gap between position one and position three is only about 2.5 percentage points, far narrower than the drop-off seen in standard organic rankings past the first couple of results.