How To Rank in Google Local 3-Packs

October 20, 2021 How To Rank in Google Local 3-Packs By Gaurav Madan

For those of you who do not already know, the Google 3 Pack is the way Google displays the top 3 results for any local SERP searches or results. To display the top 3 results, Google uses the user’s location to make the search relevant to the exact location wherein the query was submitted. For example, if a user were to search “plumbers near me,” the Google 3 pack would query and display the three nearest plumbers to the user’s location. Therefore, you must optimize your website to feature Google 3 Pack’s results. So, how do you rank on Google 3 pack? You may seek the services of a reputable marketing agencies in NYC, such as Autus Digital, to help with your SEO to rank in Google 3 pack. 

In 2015, the Google pack went from being Google 7 pack to Google 3 pack. At that time, marketers were highly concerned about the increased competition to one of the top 3 highly valued three spots. However, today marketing agencies know how to help businesses make it to the coveted spot!

Google 3 pack is different from the 7 pack in many ways besides just the listings. Google 3 pack, instead of focusing on Google+ pages for ranking business, instead puts its focus on links to the website of businesses. Also, the way information was once displayed has radically changed. Google 3 pack makes it a lot easier for mobile users to navigate the 3 pack by displaying business hours and addresses instead of just the phone number.

How to Make Your Business Rank Locally on Google?

Most businesses do not know about Google 3 pack and how it can benefit their business. Unlike regular SEO, it is impossible to optimize specifically for the Google 3 pack since businesses that appear on the Google 3 Pack are solely location-dependent. This means local SEO results are bound to change depending on where the user is querying for results. That said, you can optimize your web presence to increase the chances of your business appearing in the Google 3 pack when it comes up for a query that applies to your business. 

Your Google Maps listing is undoubtedly an essential marketing tool for your business as it can help give you more visibility and let your business get discovered by new customers, help you stand out above the competition, and of course, generate more business – and all of this for no fee. Yes, you heard that right. You do not have to pay a penny to appear in Google 3 pack! However, these benefits can be attained only if your business’s listing has extreme visibility. This means that your company is listed in a particular neighborhood; it does not mean that you will rank in searches in that area. 

Rank in Google Maps

Proximity is just one of the numerous factors that Google Maps considers while ranking listings. Today, we will walk you through 10 strategies to help you get your business list higher in Google 3 pack and reap all the associated benefits. Today we will cover:

  • How to create your company’s Google Map listing
  • How to provide additional information that can boost your company’s ranking
  • You can take a few other steps to optimize your website to improve its ranking on Google maps. 

Why Rank Higher on Google Maps?

Before we take you through the tips on ranking higher on Google 3 pack, let us first tell you why you must rank higher on Google Maps. According to research, Google Maps is the Numero Uno navigation map used by about 67% of consumers. It is essential to consider that most consumers rarely ever look past the first few results when looking for a restaurant or salon, or grocery shop to go to. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure your company’s Google Maps listing is optimized to show up first for relevant searches. 

Research has shown that most consumers end up on Google Maps business listings from a keyword search rather than a direct search using the business or company’s name. Therefore, it is essential that your company’s listing ranks high on Google Maps for the most relevant keywords your potential customers may be searching. 

Yet another reason to rank higher on Google maps is that the top 3 Google Maps listings also display in a regular Google search if found applicable. With close to 50% of searches on the Google platform having a local intent, featuring in the Google 3 pack is bound to increase your brand’s visibility. Ranking higher on Google Maps will mean you will also rank on the first page of Google Search. 

Google 7 Pack

The last reason to rank high on Google Maps is that the things you need to do to rank higher on Google 3 pack will automatically improve the quality of your listing while also making way for your consumers to engage more with your brand name. 

How to Rank Higher on Google 3 Pack?

So, how do you get your company’s listings to show up higher in Google Maps? The answer is simple, hire a reliable local SEO company in PhoenixRead on to know more about the steps you can take to feature on Google 3 pack.

1. Add your company to Google Maps – You cannot rank high or perform well on Google 3 pack if you do not have a Google Maps listing. So, the first thing to do is to claim your listing by adding your business to Google Maps. To do so, first, go to Google.com/maps and search for your company’s name. If your business does not pop up, you will see an option to add a missing place. Click this in the drop menu, and you will be prompted to provide your company name, location, and category. 

Something to note here is that anyone in the world can add a business to Google Maps. So, even if you haven’t done so, it’s still best to check and make sure your business listing doesn’t already exist. And don’t worry: No matter who it is, the person who adds your business to Google Maps does not have control over that listing. Only the person who can claim the listing by proving ownership of the business is granted that control and how to do that next. 

2. Claim your business listing on Google Maps – The next step is to claim your business listing. It is important to note that anyone can add a business to the Google Maps platform. But, the person who adds the listing does not have control over it. So, you will first have to create a free Google My Business Account to claim your listing. Once you have created an account, pull up your business listing, select ‘Claim this Business’ from the drop-down, and follow the prompts. 

3. Add information to the listing – Now that you have claimed your business on Google Maps, it is time to add more information to your listing. The more information your listing can provide about your business, the higher it will rank in results. Log in to your Google My Business account and select the info tab to add more information to your listing. Fill out your name, address, category, service area, special hours, website, phone number, products, attributes, and description in this tab. Remember to be consistent with the name and address as Google ranks businesses that it can trust. This means information about your company must be consistent across the web.

Be it Yelp, Google, Facebook, or Instagram, be sure to list the name and address the same. Do not adapt abbreviations on one platform and use full names on others. Also, use a local phone number, as Google is not keen on toll-free numbers as they are often used for spam. Using a local phone number with an area code of your business’s location will help you rank higher and also verify for users that your business is indeed located in their neighborhood.

While updating your listing, it is essential to tell your users exactly when your business is open, closed, or temporarily closed. Keeping these hours updated in real-time shows Google that you are active and trustworthy. It will also prevent users from making a trip to your business only to find that you are about to close, which can spark a negative review that will, in turn, hurt your rankings. Also, be sure to update holiday hours, lest you get hours that might differ label on your company’s listing.

Writing a business description is very important as it gives a big picture of your services to orient visitors. The tone in which the description is written must align with your brand. Be sure to include relevant keywords, as this can help your business listing rank for any searches containing your business names and your products and services. 

Last but not least, it is prudent to categorize your business correctly. The category of your business that appears on Google Maps is essential. This is because it represents the core offerings of your company. Be sure to include secondary categories if they apply to your business. Choosing primary and additional categories via your Google My Business dashboard is very important to rank higher in Google 3 pack.  

4. Add photos to the business listing on Google Maps – Who does not love photos? Google loves it when you upload pictures to your business listing. First, this signals that your listing is active and will rank higher in results. Secondly, Google’s photo recognition technology is improving by leaps and bounds, and Google is starting to show photos in local search results. Thirdly, Google loves what users love, and users certainly love photos. So be sure to upload high-quality and compelling photos to your listing. These photos must capture what it would be like to be at your business. To add photos to your listing, go to your Photos Tab in your Business Dashboard and click on the blue circle with a white plus sign. You can now drag and drop photos and videos. If possible, try to add at least one photo each day. 

5. Get Google reviews – Google Maps favors business listings with positive reviews. As we said earlier, Google loves what users love, and if your business listing has raving reviews, your listing will likely feature on Google 3 pack. So, how do you get positive reviews? When you create a listing on Google Maps, your business listing is ready to accept reviews. However, you will need to be proactive in asking your customers for reviews. And, once you receive a review, you must also respond to them. Be sure to respond to all reviews as it encourages users to post reviews while also mitigating the damage of any negative responses. In addition, your responses will show other prospective customers that you are attentive to concerns and how well you can and will resolve issues. Yes, reviews can be scary, but there is no reason to worry if your service is not atrocious. Be sure to provide excellent service, so bad reviews are few and far between. As long as you respond in a timely fashion, you can even reverse negative reviews. 

6. Consolidate your company’s Google Maps listings – Remember, Google discredits businesses with multiple locations and phone numbers for one business. It is, therefore, essential to weed out all duplicate listings and any extra information that you may find to ensure that your listing ranks in Google 3 pack. 

7. Post regularly to your business listing – Much like Facebook, you can publish posts that will appear on your Google Maps listing. Like responding to reviews, regularly posting sends Google a signal that you are proactively managing your listing. Also, consumers view Google Posts and are likely to engage more with your brand if you are active in posting offers, discounts, and updates on your Google Maps business listing. 

8. Ensure your company website is responsive – It is also essential that your company’s website is responsive, loads quickly, and is optimized for all devices. This is because Google Maps listings also hold a link that takes consumers to your website. Most users use the search feature on their mobile devices; if your listing takes the consumer to a website where they have to pinch and zoom or a website that is slow to load or has broken links, your Google Maps listing will surely suffer. 

9. Add local keywords to your company’s website – Another way to use your website to boost your Google Maps ranking is to target and optimize it for local searches. This will also help your website to rank higher in a Google Search. Therefore, be sure to incorporate location-based keywords on the home page, contact us page, services page, and products page. In addition, the keywords must feature in the title of the pages and headings, image tags, captions, and body text.

10. Embed a Google map on your company website – Last but not least, be sure to embed a Google Map on your company’s website. You can do this on the contact us page. Embedding a Google map on your contact us page tells Google that your business is located precisely where the listing says it is located. Remember to use the same address that you have used on your Google Maps listing. To embed a Google Map on your business’s website, first search for your business in Google Maps, click on Share, and select the Embed a Map tab. Then, please copy and paste this link on your company’s website on the contact us page. 

These ten tips or strategies is all you need to give your company’s listing the boost it deserves to feature in Google 3 pack. However, suppose you do not know much about SEO and need help giving your company’s website a facelift or to help optimize your company’s website to feature on Google 3 Pack. In that case, you will do good in hiring the expertise of a reputable local SEO company. Autus Digital is one of the best SEO company Los Angeles, CA that can help you give your business the impetus it deserves. Our SEO experts have years of experience in helping businesses improve their ranking on Google.

Our company has worked with businesses across various niches and sectors and can help you too! So waste no time; call us today, and our experts will be more than glad to work with you on your company’s SEO strategy and help you feature in Google 3 pack!

author

Gaurav Madan

About Author

Gaurav is working on various verticals like IT & Software Solutions | Digital Marketing | E-Commerce | BPO | Outsourcing | Offshoring | Global Deliveries | Exports | Education. Gaurav believes in CHANGE, which is constant throughout the LIFE so be with the CHANGE Gaurav is having, In-depth experience in IT Solutions, Offshoring, Internet Branding, Sales & Marketing, Managing New Projects & Processes, Solution Designing and Transitioning of New International and Domestic business engagements. Proficient at managing & leading teams to run successful operations & experienced in developing procedures, service standards, client satisfaction using standard frameworks for business excellence.

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