Google’s Map Pack: What All Law Firms Should Know

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By Omnizant Team
Law Firm Marketing Agency

We’d like to introduce you to a free, little-known tool from Google that can help you skip to the top of the search engine results and connect with local clients. Say hello to Google Map Pack!

The Internet is a seriously competitive space for law firms and attorneys. You need every advantage if you’re going to stand out from the crowd. Instead of sweating over a costly and time-consuming marketing campaign, let’s learn how to use Google’s Map Pack to your benefit.

This article explains what a Map Pack is, why it’s important for attorneys to appear in the Map Pack, and how your firm can pull off this feat. 

What is a Map Pack?

A Google Map Pack is a list of three local businesses and their mapped locations which appear at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) whenever someone performs a local query on Google

What does a Map Pack look like? You have probably already seen a Map Pack if you’ve ever searched on Google for something like “Mexican restaurant near me” or “grocery store in Poughkeepsie.” 

The image below shows what the Map Pack looks like if you Google “grocery store in Poughkeepsie”. It shows three business profiles alongside a map with their locations.

To the left are three grocery store business listings in Poughkeepsie. Each listings has an image, the business name, and other essential information. At the bottom left is a button that says "More Places." On the right is a clickable Google Map that shows the locations of these three businesses.

The Map Pack displays information from each business’s Google Business Profile, which may include:

  • Business name
  • Google star rating and number of reviews
  • Category of business
  • Physical address
  • Hours of operation
  • Phone number
  • Website

The Map Pack chooses businesses that Google thinks will be most relevant to the user by comparing the user’s query to the business’s profile.

Why do Map Packs matter for attorneys?

About 46% of people using Google have local intent. These people want to find a service provider that is reputable and nearby.

When it comes to attorney selection, most people look locally first.

Remember, the Map Pack is a shortcut! It’s a way for Google to help local businesses and local searchers find each other faster by placing geographically local results at the top of the search engine results page—before all other results.

So, if your firm can earn a placement in the top three Map Pack spots, you will get extremely high visibility that you may not be able to reach through SEO alone. 

Unlike pay-per-click (PPC), it’s free to appear in the Map Pack—but you do have to earn it.

4 steps to perform well in the Map Pack

Ready to earn your place in the Map Pack? Here are four tips to help your firm rise to the top:

#1 Optimize your Google My Business (GMB) Listing. Fill out the listing as completely as possible. Be specific about the services you offer. Publish updates that show Google you are active.

#2 Embrace an ongoing review strategy. Ask for reviews to bolster your firm’s social proof—but remember that review generation is not one-and-done. In fact, it’s a bit of a red flag to see a ton of reviews and then none at all. Instead, generate reviews over time by using tools like text or email campaigns to generate leads more efficiently.

#3 Share the link widely. Build citations or links to your business around the web. Contact local and professional directories to get your firm listed. Share the link on social media. The more times your link appears online, the more likely it is that Google will put you in the Map Pack.

#4 Continue improving your website’s SEO. Make sure to include keywords and information that are useful to local searchers and mobile users. While not tied directly to your listing, SEO can help strengthen your web presence overall—which will improve your business’s credibility with the search engines. 

Review and next steps

To achieve its goal of helping people find what they need faster, Google uses Map Packs to give local businesses a shortcut on the search engine results page. It’s a free and powerful way to connect local people with local businesses. 

Your law firm will get much higher exposure by appearing in the Map Pack. To earn this coveted placement, you can:

  • Optimize your Google My Business Listing
  • Embrace an ongoing review strategy
  • Share the link widely
  • Keep improving your website’s SEO 

Please reach out if you’d like the Omnizant team on your side as you grow your firm’s digital presence.

About the Author
Since 2006, Omnizant's team of digital marketing experts, designers, developers and writers has helped over 2,000 law firms develop powerful websites that drive business growth.