As a small or local business owner, it’s important to understand the impact that Google has on customers’ ability to find your business. With so many people relying on search engines to find solutions to their problems, it’s essential to optimize your online presence effectively. One powerful tool that Google has provided to support local businesses is the Google local pack, which features 3 results and easy-to-use features to help improve your business’s ranking. This pack provides an opportunity for small and local businesses to increase their online visibility and attract more customers.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Google local pack, including how to improve your ranking with Local SEO techniques effectively. With these strategies, you can increase your business’s presence and drive more sales both online and offline.
Google Local Pack: What is it and How Does it Work?
Google Local Pack is a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) feature that appears for any search query with local intent. It displays a map of business locations along with listings for three businesses that are relevant to the search. Originally, it showed seven results, but it has now been reduced to three, with an option for users to view more results on Google Maps.
The Local Pack is a powerful tool for local businesses that want to get found online. If you have a physical store or office location, you need to ensure that your business is listed on Google My Business. This listing will be used by Google to create your Local Pack listing.
How Does Google Determine Which Businesses Appear in the Local Pack?
Google uses a complex algorithm to determine which businesses appear in the Local Pack. There are several factors that can influence your business’s ranking in the Local Pack, including:
- Relevance: Google will look at how relevant your business is to the search query. This means that you need to ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date. For example, if someone searches for “pizza delivery,” Google will look for businesses that offer pizza delivery.
- Distance: Google will look at how close your business is to the user’s location. If someone searches for “pizza delivery near me,” Google will look for businesses that are close to their current location.
- Prominence: Google will look at how well-known your business is online. This includes factors such as the number of reviews you have, the quality of those reviews, and the number of backlinks to your website.
How Can You Improve Your Business’s Ranking in the Local Pack?
If you want to improve your business’s ranking in the Local Pack, there are several things you can do:
- Claim and verify your Google My Business listing: This is the first step in getting your business listed in the Local Pack.
- Optimize your business information: Make sure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date. This includes your business name, address, phone number, website URL, and business hours.
- Encourage customer reviews: Customer reviews are a key factor in determining your business’s prominence. Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business listing.
- Use local keywords: Use local keywords in your website content and in your Google My Business listing. This will help Google understand that your business is relevant to local searches.
- Build backlinks: Backlinks are a signal of your business’s prominence. Try to get backlinks from other local businesses, local directories, and local news sources.
However Google has stopped its app to create and manage Google My Business but a Freemium app is growing very fast and is power-packed with many other features to rank you high in Google local searches. This is a very effective tool to improve local SEO for your business and its name is Business Profile Growth Manager.
You can download it from the Google play store as well. Download Google Business Profile Growth Manager (GBPGM)
The Importance of Google Map Pack for SEO
In local Google search results, the Google Map Pack holds a prominent position, offering businesses an excellent opportunity to boost their online visibility. The #1 spot in the Map Pack receives the highest click-through rate, making it a critical placement for businesses.
To rank high in the Map Pack, businesses must utilize local SEO tactics. Optimizing for the Google Map Pack can bring numerous benefits, including:
- Increased Organic Traffic: A higher placement in the Map Pack can result in a higher click-through rate, driving more traffic to your website.
- More Local Traffic: Ranking high in the Map Pack ensures your business appears among the first listings when users search for a business, making it more likely that they will navigate to your physical location through Google Maps.
- More Phone Calls: Securing the top position in the Map Pack may attract more users and direct them to call your business directly, resulting in more leads for your business.
- Competitive Advantage: Ranking higher than your competitors in the Map Pack can lead to more customers, generating more customer reviews and overall visibility for your business. This advantage can be critical in a competitive market.
- Increased Mobile Traffic: The Map Pack occupies most of the visual space on a mobile phone screen, making it more likely for users to pull up your listing while on the go.
- Enterprise SEO: If you have a large enterprise, geo-specific listings for your physical locations can be a significant driver of traffic.
Difference Between Google Local Pack Results and Organic Results
It is important to understand the difference between Google Local Pack Results and Organic Results.
Google Local Pack Results are the local search results that appear on the top of the search engine results page (SERP) when a user searches for a local business. The results usually display three local businesses with relevant information such as an address, phone number, ratings, reviews, and business hours. This information is usually sourced from Google My Business (GMB) profiles and other relevant directories.
On the other hand, Organic Results are the non-paid search results that appear below the Local Pack Results.
These results are based on the relevance and authority of the website content to the user’s search query. Organic results may display information such as the website’s meta title, meta description, and URL. Unlike Local Pack Results, organic results do not display information such as business hours and contact details of the business.
Google’s local 3-pack results differ from organic search results listing algorithms.
The local pack primarily takes into account the information mentioned on the website that will help users determine the local businesses that will fulfill the needs of their search query. The organic search results, on the other hand, consider various factors such as website authority, quality of content, relevance, backlinks, and user engagement.
If you are looking to improve your business’s visibility, it is important to rank well in both Local Pack Results and Organic Results.
The ranking on both the local pack and organic search results is not mutually exclusive. Thus, it is entirely possible to get a rank in both search sections and boost your business visibility effectively. These features can add value to your business and make your business stand on the top positions of search rankings.
Nevertheless, to rank on both sections, you might have to implement different strategies on your local business websites, as they both operate on different algorithm setups. To rank well in Local Pack Results, it is important to optimize your GMB profile and other relevant directories by providing accurate and consistent information. It is also important to have positive reviews and ratings from customers. To rank well in Organic Results, you need to focus on optimizing your website’s content, improving website authority, building quality backlinks, and ensuring a positive user experience.
Although there are differences between Google Local Pack Results and Organic Results. It is important to focus on both to improve your business’s visibility online. By implementing different strategies on your local business websites, you can rank well in both search sections and attract more customers to your business.
Final Words
In conclusion, the Google Map Pack plays a critical role in local SEO. Optimizing for the Map Pack can drive more organic and local traffic, and phone calls, and increase overall visibility, giving your business a competitive edge.
The Google Local Pack is a powerful tool for local businesses that want to get found online. By optimizing your Google My Business listing and following the tips above, you can improve your business’s ranking in the Local Pack and attract more customers to your business.
Also Read: Google My Business App Has Been Stopped Forever (2022). How to Manage Google Business Profile?