Local market share: the one number a grid scan can honestly give you.
Share of local search is the portion of your service area where you rank in the top three. It is measured, not guessed. And it is the figure that tracks with call volume.
Local market share, or share of local search, is the percentage of points across a service area where a business lands in the Google Map Pack's top three. You get it from a grid scan. Count the green points, divide by the total. An average rank does not do this. Share maps onto how many local searches actually surface the business. It is a measure of coverage. It is not a promise of leads, and not a claim that one tactic caused a change. Two scans on the same grid show the trend.
By the numbers
- Top 3 is the visible set. The Map Pack shows three results, so top-three coverage is the honest denominator for "am I found here." GOOGLE DOCUMENTED
- ~55% of Local Pack weight is distance, per Whitespark's 2026 survey, which is why share varies across a service area instead of being one flat number. INDEPENDENT RESEARCH
- 49 points across a 5 km radius is the default grid, adjusted for the shape of a market. DHM INTERPRETATION
- 0 ways to buy a higher share, so the figure is a scoreboard, not a lever. GOOGLE DOCUMENTED
Why share of search beats average rank
| Metric | What it says | Where it misleads |
|---|---|---|
| Average rank position | A single midpoint number, like 6.2 | The same average fits broad even coverage and one strong point surrounded by weakness |
| Best rank achieved | The most favourable point on the grid | Usually the office, the least representative spot in the whole area |
| Share of local search | The percentage of the area where you are in the top three | Least misleading of the three, but still needs the map beside it to show which parts |
Share moves with call volume, because it counts the searches that can actually see you. It still goes next to the heat map, not on its own. That way you know whether the green points are your core neighbourhoods or the empty edges.
How the figure is built
Define the market
Service area, the neighbourhoods that matter, the commercially real queries. A share figure only means something against a fixed boundary.
Run the baseline grid
Record the Map Pack rank at every point, before substantial work. This is the control the later figure is compared against.
Count the top-three points
Green points divided by total points is the starting share. Segment it by neighbourhood so the number is not just an aggregate.
Re-scan and compare
The same grid, run again after a cycle of work. The change in share, and the change in which points are green, is the report.
Frequently asked questions
What is share of local search?
The percentage of points across a defined service area where a business ranks in the Google Map Pack's top three. It is calculated from a grid scan by dividing top-three points by total points.
How is it different from average rank position?
Average rank collapses the whole grid into one midpoint, which the same value can describe in opposite ways. Share of search counts only whether you are visible at each point, which tracks more closely with how many searches surface you.
Why does my share change across my service area?
Distance is one of Google's three main local ranking factors, so your position, and therefore your share, is higher near your address and lower further out. That is why the figure is reported with the map, not alone.
Can I increase my local market share by paying Google?
No. Google states there is no way to pay for a local position. Share changes only through the optimization work behind it, and the grid measures whether that work moved the map.
How many grid points do you use to calculate it?
49 points across a 5 km radius by default, adjusted for the shape of a specific market. The denominator is fixed per market so the figure is comparable between scans.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help, Improve your local ranking on Google: ranking is relevance, distance, and prominence, and there is no way to pay for a better local position.
- Whitespark, Local Search Ranking Factors (2026): proximity is roughly 55% of Local Pack ranking weight.
- Google Search Central, A guide to Google Search ranking systems: local results are computed per query and per location.
Figures are quoted from the sources above and are directional, not exact numbers for any one business or market.
Where to go from here
Get your share-of-search figure, measured.
The free scan counts the points where you rank top-three across your service area, and shows exactly which parts they are.
Or call 778-200-8644 · One client per industry, per area · No guaranteed rankings