Local Pack Ranking: Relevance & Prominence
Alongside distance (see proximity ranking), Google names two further factors that determine placement in local search results: relevance and prominence. Relevance describes how well a business profile matches what someone is looking for; prominence refers to how well known a business is, which Google bases among other things on the number of websites linking to the business and the number of reviews it has received. Google itself does not use the term "Local Pack"; its documentation speaks of local search results.
In practice
A fully maintained Google Business Profile with the right categories, attributes and current opening hours improves relevance, while reviews and websites that link to the business – local media, associations or partners, for instance – strengthen prominence; directory entries count here only in so far as they actually link. Relying on proximity to the searcher alone leaves potential on the table: a business further away can still come out on top in local search results if it is clearly stronger on relevance and prominence than the competition next door. For agencies that means profile maintenance, review management and link building should run in parallel, rather than trusting to location alone.