Map Pack Engineering: compete for the top three on Google Maps
The map pack is the box of three local businesses that sits above the regular results when someone searches for a plumber or an HVAC company. Many calls start there. Map Pack Engineering is how we build and maintain the profile, reviews and website signals that decide which three businesses make it.
- From $600 a month
- Free audit first
- Month-to-month. 90-day call guarantee. No lock-in.
- Profile, reviews and website together
How the map pack picks three businesses
Google names three factors for local ranking: relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile matches the search. Distance is how far you are from the person searching. Prominence is how well known you are, based on things like links from other sites and your reviews.
Google also says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. That is why the profile work matters. Everything in it is free to change, and most contractors have never finished it.
We can't move you closer to the customer, but we can check where you appear from several points across your service area, and fix the relevance and prominence signals that you control.
The three factors
- Relevance. Your categories, services and description against the search
- Distance. Where the searcher is compared with your business location
- Prominence. Reviews, links from other sites and how well known you are
What we do on your profile and around it
Most of the work is careful setup and steady habits. None of it involves tricks that put your profile at risk of suspension.
What is included
- Profile set-up and clean-up. Your real-world name, an honest address setup for a service-area business, up to 20 service areas and accurate hours
- The right categories. The most specific primary category, and secondary ones only for work you really do
- Services and description. Every service listed with a plain description of what it is and where you do it
- Real photos. A steady flow of pictures from real jobs, not stock images
- A review habit. A simple way to ask each customer after the job with a direct link, replies to every review and no rewards, which Google prohibits
- Suspension and duplicate checks. We look for the name, address and duplicate problems that get profiles suspended or split your reviews
- A matching website. The same name, phone number and towns on your site, plus a page for each main service and town
- Monthly posts and checks. Fresh updates, and a regular check that nothing has changed on your profile without you knowing
How the work runs
We start by comparing your profile with the businesses that already rank in the map pack for your trade, then fix the gaps in order of impact.
Four steps
- Audit. We compare your profile and website with the top three in your market and list what is missing, ranked by impact.
- Fix the set-up. Categories, services, description, service areas and hours go in first, because everything else depends on them.
- Build the habits. Review requests, photo uploads and posts are set to a schedule you can keep.
- Check and report. Each month we re-check your position from several points in your service area and report what changed.
How you can see it working
Map pack results move slowly, so we track the trend rather than a single day. Google gives no timeline, and ranking against established competitors usually takes months, while profile fixes can show effects sooner.
What we report
- Your position for your main searches, checked from several points in your service area
- Calls and form requests from your profile and site
- Review count and rating over time
- How each new caller found you, taken from your job tickets
- Issues found and fixed: duplicates, wrong details, missing services
Where Map Pack Engineering sits in our plans
Map Pack Engineering is part of the work in these plans. Your trade, number of towns and the size of your site set the final price, and you get it in writing before any work starts. The audit that comes first is free.
| Plan | Price | What it covers here |
|---|---|---|
| Fix-it package | $750 to $1,500, one time | Full Business Profile optimization and the first round of fixes |
| Monthly care | $600 a month | Weekly checks, profile posts and the monthly position report for one trade and one market |
| Growth | $1,500 a month | Monthly care plus a competitor review showing what the top three do that you do not |
| Authority | From $2,500 a month | The same work across several trades or markets, with a competitor review for each |
90-day call guarantee. If your tracked calls from Google search and Maps are not above your starting baseline after 90 days, we keep working at no monthly fee. It applies to Monthly care, Growth and Authority. Read the full terms.
See every plan and price on the pricing page, or compare the plans on the services page.
Keep reading
These guides explain the thinking behind this service, with sources for every claim. Our other services work alongside it.
Questions about Map Pack Engineering
What is the Google map pack?
It is the group of three local businesses shown with a map near the top of many local searches, such as "plumber near me". Google picks them using relevance, distance and prominence.
Can I pay to be in the map pack?
No. Google says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Local Services Ads are a separate paid listing above the map pack, and they do not change your map pack position.
How long does it take to get into the map pack?
Profile fixes can show effects within weeks, but climbing into the top three against established competitors usually takes months. Google gives no timeline, so we track the trend each month.
Do I need a storefront to rank on Google Maps?
No. A service-area business can hide its street address and list the areas it serves. Google allows up to 20 service areas, and it says the overall area should not stretch beyond about two hours of driving time from where you are based.
What if my Google Business Profile was suspended?
Fix the cause first, gather proof the business is real, and file one complete appeal in Google's appeals tool. Do not create a new profile. We check your name, address and categories against Google's rules before anything goes wrong.
Do reviews really change my ranking?
Google lists the number and rating of reviews as part of prominence, and says positive reviews and helpful replies can help a business stand out. Never offer a reward for a review, because Google prohibits it.
See what Google and ChatGPT see
Send us your website. You get a report with your SEO, GEO and AEO scores and the problems to fix first.
Free, with no obligation. The report is yours to keep.