How Google Decides Which Businesses Show in the Map Pack

When someone in Bangor searches "plumber near me" or "electrician Llandudno," Google doesn't just grab the nearest businesses and call it a day. There's a ranking system at work. and if you understand how it operates, you can start working with it rather than against it.

Google has publicly confirmed that local results are based on three things: Relevance, Distance, and Prominence. Here's what each one actually means for tradespeople in North Wales.

Relevance

Relevance is about how well your Google Business Profile matches what the searcher is looking for.

If someone types "boiler repair Rhyl" and your profile is set up as a general plumber with no mention of boiler work, Google may not consider you a strong match. But if your profile clearly covers boiler repair, in your business description, your services list, your posts, and your customer reviews, Google starts to connect the dots.

What this means for you: be specific. Don't just list "plumber." Add every service you offer. Use natural language in your description that mirrors how customers search. A roofer who only says "roofing services" is less relevant than one who says "roof repairs, guttering, flat roofs, and fascias across Conwy and Denbighshire."

Distance

Distance is straightforward. Google tries to show businesses that are physically close to the searcher, or close to the location mentioned in the search.

This is partly why showing up for searches across all of North Wales can be harder for a sole trader based in one town. It's not impossible, but distance is always a factor.

You can't move your business address, but you can make sure your service area is properly set in your profile. If you cover Conwy, Denbighshire and Anglesey, say so. Google uses service area information when deciding whether to show you for searches in those places.

Prominence

Prominence is where most of the work happens. and where most businesses fall short.

This factor measures how well-known and trusted Google believes your business to be. It pulls from several sources:

• Review quantity and quality. more five-star reviews signal credibility
• Review recency. a business that got 30 reviews three years ago may rank below one with 15 reviews in the past six months
• How you respond to reviews. Google pays attention to this
• Citations. mentions of your business name and phone number on directories like Yell and local business listings
• Your website. whether it's indexed, how it links back to your profile, and whether it mentions the same services and locations

Reviews are the single biggest lever most tradespeople can pull. Asking every satisfied customer to leave a Google review, consistently, not just in a one-month push, builds the kind of prominence that moves you up the map pack over time.

Why all three matter together

Google balances these three signals, and a weakness in one can sometimes be offset by strength in another.

A business ten miles away with 80 five-star reviews and a fully built-out profile will often outrank a business five minutes away with 12 reviews and a bare-bones listing. Distance matters, but it doesn't override everything.

This is good news. It means the map pack isn't just about where you're located. it's about how seriously you take your online presence.

The short version

If your business isn't appearing for searches you should be winning, this framework tells you where to start looking. usually an incomplete profile, too few recent reviews, or both. Our audit of 50 North Wales trade profiles shows exactly where most local trade businesses fall short across all three factors.