Local pack
A map with typically three local business listings shown for queries with local intent, drawn from Google Business Profile data rather…
LocalDistanceSearcher location
Proximity
The physical distance between the searcher and a business, one of the three factors Google names for local ranking and often the most decisive.
In full
Because proximity is computed from the searcher's position, local rankings are inherently a map rather than a list — a business can be first from one street and invisible from three kilometres away. Its weight increased notably with the November 2021 update the industry nicknamed Vicinity. Businesses cannot change their location cheaply, so practical work concentrates on relevance and prominence, and on realistic expectations about service radius.
Example
Grid tracking shows a locksmith ranking first within 1 km of the shop and outside the top twenty at 5 km.
Related terms
Local grid rank tracking
Measuring local pack rankings from many simulated points across a map to reveal how visibility varies by searcher location.
Local search updates (Pigeon, Possum, Vicinity)
Informally named updates that shaped local ranking: Pigeon (2014) tied local results to web signals, Possum (2016) changed filtering…
Service area business
A business that serves customers at their location rather than at its own premises, and which hides its address on its Google Business…
Local SEO
Optimising a business's visibility for geographically constrained searches, across both the map pack and localised organic results.