Test how well you know the real levers behind the Map Pack in 2025. Separate myths from factors that actually move visibility and conversions.
Google’s local algorithm weights three primary concepts for Map Pack visibility: proximity, relevance, and ______.
prominence
domain authority
freshness
crawl depth
Which action most directly strengthens “prominence” signals for a Google Business Profile in competitive areas?
Earning a steady stream of new public reviews
Embedding a map on every page
Switching to a one‑word brand name
Adding more meta keywords to the website
Why can’t most businesses “rank everywhere” in a city for Map Pack queries even with strong on‑page SEO?
INP replaces proximity as a ranking signal
Google bans location‑wide rankings by policy
Proximity heavily limits visibility as searcher distance increases
XML sitemaps override local results
For relevance, which change usually has the strongest effect on Map Pack targeting?
Using a shorter tracking phone number
Adding 100 city names in the site footer
Selecting the most accurate primary category in GBP
Increasing word count on the homepage
Which practice risks a manual edit or penalty and can reduce Map Pack rankings if corrected by Google or users?
Listing holiday hours
Adding appointment links
Keyword stuffing the business name in GBP
Uploading product photos
All else equal, what review pattern most likely correlates with better Pack visibility over time?
A single viral review spike years ago
Only private first‑party surveys
Reviews with no text content, ever
Consistent recent reviews from real customers
Which site‑side change best supports local organic + Pack performance without violating guidelines?
Creating unique, helpful service pages mapped to real locations
Blocking Googlebot‑Image for speed
Auto‑generating doorway pages for each zip code
Hiding the address for a storefront location
For service‑area businesses, which configuration aligns with guidelines and reduces ranking volatility?
Show a fake office address to expand proximity
Duplicate listings per technician
Use a coworking address without signage
Hide the precise street address and set service areas
Which metric is most useful to evaluate Map Pack progress after major updates in 2025?
Grid‑based local visibility across the target area
Total site crawl requests per day
Sitewide average time on page
Homepage word count
If a listing’s rankings fell after removing name spam, what’s the most sustainable recovery path?
Publish spun city pages
Re‑add keywords to the name quietly
Strengthen real‑world signals: reviews, photos, citations, and accurate categories
Buy third‑party clicks to the listing
Starter
You’re grasping the basics of proximity, relevance, and prominence—time to firm up your GBP and review playbook.
Solid
Good shape. Now refine primary categories, build steady review cadence, and audit service‑area settings.
Expert!
Dominant! Your mix of category relevance, authentic reviews, and clean citations is Map Pack‑ready.
