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If you are a local business owner, your priority is to rank high on local search results and ensure a steady flow of foot traffic.
According to the Think with Google’s 2022 Retail Marketing Guide, the local search term “open now near me” saw an astonishing 400% YoY increase, while another survey found that 76% of users visited a local business within 24 hours of searching.
These trends clearly show that ranking in Google Local 3-Pack is worth the investment, but that can seem like an uphill task if you don’t know what it is and how it works.
In this post, we’ll tell you how Google Local 3-Pack works and how you can optimize your listing to rank higher.
Let’s begin:
First things first: what is Google 3-Pack?
The Google 3-Pack is a featured result that shows the top three local business listings relevant to your search query. When you search for a local service or product, it shows three local listings based on relevance, proximity, and prominence with a map.
Unlike regular organic search results, which appear below the local SEO 3-Pack – it shows your business’s name, rating, number of reviews, hours, address, directions, and a link to its website.
dominate local searches now!
The Google Local 3-Pack considers three primary factors:
Your Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business) is at the heart of securing a spot in the 3-Pack. Keeping it optimized and updated can help you rank in these top three listings.
There are many benefits to ranking in the Google Local 3-Pack.
Here are a few important ones:
It’s hard to ignore the local SEO 3-Pack, as it occupies a lot of real estate on the results page. This means your would-be customers can easily find you.
The Local 3-Pack comes with calls to action (CTAs), like a link to your website, booking appointments, placing orders, calling your store, and more. This encourages your potential customers to take the desired action.
From a user’s perspective, getting featured in the Local 3-Pack is a sign of credibility and trust. It clearly shows users that you have high rankings and many positive reviews.
Mobile users can call your business directly from the Local 3-Pack and get directions to your store. And since these users look only for shops they plan to stop by, 3-Pack can knock your sales out of the park.
As a seasoned marketing agency in Reno, we have seen many businesses struggle to rank in Google Local 3-Pack. However, with the right strategy, you can get yours in the Local 3-Pack.
Here’s how:
First, you need to optimize your business profile, which includes verifying your listing and updating details.
Google lets you verify your listing by:
You must sign in to your Google Business Profile, click Get Verified, and select the available option to verify your listing. These options are often predefined and might change depending on your location, business category, and other factors.
Once your listing is verified, update your business name, address, phone number, hours, services, and business category. Add high-quality photos and videos of your business to optimize your listing.
Nearly 81% of consumers use Google reviews to evaluate a business, making it necessary to encourage your customers to leave reviews.
You can:
Respond to all reviews with genuine care and respect. Mention your customer by their name, thank them for their review, and be as specific as possible. Handling each review personally shows people you care and are always willing to solve their problems.
However, responding to feedback can be challenging, so consider using a review management tool like Mention or Reputation.
You can use your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) across all online platforms. But you need to keep it consistent because Google uses this data to verify your business.
Check your website, social media profiles, review sites, and other platforms where you have shared your NAP details. A listing management tool, like the one by SEMrush, can quickly identify and update your NAP details across the web.
As a local business, you should focus on improving your local SEO, which starts with local keyword optimization. These keywords are usually a combination of regular keywords and a location, such as “a hair salon in Reno” or “SEO for manufacturing in Sparks.”
Also, create location-specific pages and blog posts to attract local foot traffic. These can help you highlight local events, news, or services and optimize your website with local keywords.
Likewise, adding schema markup can help strengthen your online visibility. It acts like the eyes and ears of search engines, helping them understand what your website is about. This means search engines can know your business location, hours, and services, showing it up in relevant local search results.
As a local business, you need to get out there, which gets easier when you actively engage with the local community. Local events and collaborations can help you earn relevant backlinks and boost your local SEO ranking.
Sponsorships, charity work, and promotions can lead to more reviews for your business. And since you can share all these updates on social media, it helps connect with your local target audience and earn more reviews.
When more people connect to your business on social media, you can guide them to visit your website or local store, improving your chances of getting a spot on the local Pack.
improve local rankings today!
Ranking in Google Local 3-Pack is an ongoing process, not a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. However, keeping track of your ranking requires a combination of Google My Business Insights and other local SEO tools.
You should track:
Regularly analyzing these metrics allows you to understand what’s working and what needs improvement. For instance, if your CTR is low, adding more you might need to add more photos or videos to your profile.
Ranking in Google Local 3-Pack comes with many challenges.
Here are a few common ones and how to overcome them:
Negative reviews are the Achilles heel of your Local 3-Pack ranking, but they also offer an opportunity to show that your business cares about its customers.
Respond promptly and genuinely to such reviews. Acknowledge what the customer wants to say, apologize if necessary, and offer a solution. A quick and honest response shows that you care about everyone, including those who may not be satisfied with your services or products.
Google Local 3-Packused to have five listings, which were cut down to only three, making it hard to grab the coveted spot.
But you can stay ahead of the curve if you:
Google frequently updates its search algorithms, which can significantly affect your Google map pack rankings. Follow their blog to learn about these changes and keep optimizing your listing to match the latest best practices. You might also need to revise your local SEO strategy to stay at the top of the pyramid.
elevate your local presence now!
Your business needs to rank in the Google Local 3-Pack to attract more local customers. But between managing your business and handling clients, you may not have time to take over your Google Business Profile and keep it optimized.
That’s where Wildish comes in.
We specialize in local SEO, and our experts can help you reap the benefits of increased local exposure and customer engagement.
Contact us today to learn more about our local SEO services!