What is google local pack

Google Local Pack (Google Map Pack): What Is it and How to Optimize

Eugene |

Publicity and active online presence are essential to any business. Therefore, nowadays, even more companies open up Google Local Pack and learn how to optimize it. If you feel like your business needs it as well but have difficulties while setting everything up, the SpySERP team is here to help. With our support, you’ll manage and maintain Google Map Pack with its high-performance features!

Entering data about the brand is a responsible step for every biz:

This article will tell you all the most essential tips to figure out how to rank higher on the Google Maps Pack.

Table of Contents

What is Google Local Pack and How to Optimize It: a Basic Description

Why is It Important for Your Business?

How to Get Ranked with the Google Map Pack: a Step-by-Step Guide

How to Optimize the Google Map Pack: Rules You Need to Follow

Conclusion

What is Google Local Pack and How to Optimize It: a Basic Description

I guess the question lingering in your mind now is, “What’s actually Google Local Pack?” If you are an online person, then you’ve done a local online search for some goods or services in your area at least once in your life. The first thing you saw was a listing of three local businesses in the required niche that appeared at the top of the searches. After the ads, of course. And here is why: when searching for any local services online, Google shows a local map in the SERP without requiring you to perform another action, mostly because you don’t need to. You get all the necessary information in the Google Map Pack directly.

So, you’ve probably seen something similar to the above screenshot earlier. But let’s define what the Local 3-Pack really is and how it works. When googling any local company or business operating in a certain area, you see a listing of three companies. They are the three local companies that match your search inquiry. Additionally, if these companies have reviews from Google users, you will see those reviews as well.

But about a few years ago, there was a 7-pack instead of 3. This feature was updated in August 2015, and a new option of smaller business listings was created to fit the mobile users better.

Here is how Google Local Pack looked like about six years ago:

Years later, the Google Map Pack is full of new company listing features.

1. Company name

To conduct successful marketing on Google Maps, you should add your brand name. Accordingly, the local three-pack function will display your company in the catalog of places if the query involves searching for definite categories (e.g., associated with an industry or territory).

Note: any Google user has the right to add a company to Google Maps. Therefore, before adding details, make sure your company is in the database. Otherwise, don’t worry: only the product owner has the right to control the listing.

2. Reviews (if applicable)

3. Description

A prerequisite for declaring the company’s existence is the availability of a profile in Google My Business. Follow the prompts and enter a detailed explanation of the activity. The more information the ad contains, the higher rating Google will award your website.

Often, users look at the list of Google Maps businesses to check the opening hours. It would seem that during a pandemic, this is no longer so important because all trade is concentrated on the Internet, but this is a delusion: schedule signalizes crawlers that your enterprise is alive and reliable, which, in turn, will raise Google’s 3 Pack local ranking. This tactic will also exclude the possibility of visiting your office or store and discovering that it doesn’t work and receiving angry feedback that you are not responsible enough and your office doesn’t work according to the stated schedule.

A photo is additional information about an object and is a kind of SEO rule of thumb: Google believes the same as consumers; respectively, they need visual components.

4. Business information (business address, website, phone number)

Please, pay attention that search engine doesn’t like toll-free numbers (those that start with 800 and 877). And all because they are often used to send spam. Therefore, the best option is to utilize a local phone number in the Google local map pack, the code of which will report the location. You can also enable the main number tracking to examine the performance of your ad.

5. Directions and location

Logically, the maps indicate the location of the enterprise and the routes that will help the person get there. But you can trace clicks and analyze the popularity of your brand in a specific area. Please, analyze who expanded ads from the SERP list.

Why is It Important for Your Business?

The Google Maps Pack, aka the Local 3-Pack, appears on almost 93% of all first pages for organic search results. Thus, this feature is one of the most frequently displayed by Google, just like Featured Snippet or Instant Answers block.

Given the presence of the Google Local Pack on the first SERP (above all organic results), you’re probably skipping the organic results since this block gives you extensive information. So do other users, and all this makes Google Local Pack one of the best traffic-driven solutions for all types of local businesses.

For instance, the result massif looks like the Google Maps Pack and is called Local Teaser in the hotel business. It differs from other industries and contains info on prices, availability, Google Maps local guide ranking and placemark, the ability to select suitable dates and quantity of people, and other features.

How to Get Your Business on the Google 3-Pack (+Why It Matters)

Google’s goal is to provide the most relevant and accurate results for searchers, and they’re constantly tweaking the way they show these results to simplify searching for users. And while that’s great news for searchers, it can pose a host of problems for local business owners trying to keep up with the latest and greatest updates and algorithm changes.

One such update that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon is the Google 3-pack (also known as the local pack). You’ve probably noticed this feature over the last five years – the three Maps results that pop up when you conduct a local Google search on your smartphone or on desktop.

This valuable real estate on the Google results page can give your business a real boost – and, best of all: there are free ways to show up!

So, what exactly is this Google local pack and how can your business increase its chances of showing up there? We’ll walk through the details and give you four tips to help your business get on the Google 3-pack.

What Exactly Is the Google 3-Pack, Anyway?

The Google 3-pack is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a pack of three local search results. These results are sourced based on a user’s query and their location. For instance, if you were to type in “electrician in Boston,” you’d likely get three suggestions at the very top which would be determined by the amount of info Google can collect on them, what their reviews are like, and their proximity to where you are.

Why Should I Care If My Business Is on the Google Local 3-Pack?

For local businesses prior to the local pack, there were two main ways to show up on the first page of Google: local PPC and local SEO.

With the addition of the Google local pack, you now have three potential ways you could show up on the first page of Google for relevant local searches, and that’s something that can’t be ignored.

(Plus, as a bonus: a local SEO strategy can contribute to getting your business listed in the 3-pack. We’ll go over that in more detail in a bit.)

Additionally, the Google 3-pack shows up in the first position on Google 93% of the time.

For small businesses, getting one of those three spots is absolutely critical. It can be the difference between barely generating any leads from Google and having more than you can handle.

So, How Can I Get My Business on the Google Local 3-Pack?

While there’s no surefire organic (i.e. unpaid) way to get your business listed on the Google 3-pack, there are some steps you can take to increase your chances of showing up here.

We’re sharing three tips to help your business show up organically in the Google local pack and one tip that requires a little budget.

Manage Your Google My Business Profile

The Google 3-pack shows Maps results from Google My Business. So, one of the most reliable ways to increase your chances of snagging one of these coveted spaces is by claiming and optimizing your Google My Business profile.

Google allows you to add a wealth of information that is useful to users, and in turn, that could help you get seen in the local pack.

If you haven’t already set up or claimed your Google My Business listing, that’s going to be your first step. To claim or set up your Google My Business listing, simply go to google.com/business, click Manage Now, and follow the prompts.

Once your Google Business profile is set up or claimed, you’ll want to optimize your listing.

Quick tips to optimize your Google My Business listing:

Get Those 5-Star Reviews!

Not only do many people search for businesses “near me,” but they also search for the “best” businesses.

When a user searches something like “best spa Worcester,” Google will display Maps results for businesses with a star rating of four or above on their Google My Business listing.

So, even if your spa is closer to the searcher, your business wouldn’t make it into the 3-pack if you have a 3.9-star rating on your Google My Business listing.

It’s important to get reviews on your Google My Business profile to help you increase your chances of showing in the local pack, and because a good reputation is important for your business.

Also, there are times when the content from your reviews shows up on Google along with your Google My Business profile. Take a closer look at the example from local pack above – each featured review mentions “best.”

Once you get reviews, make sure you’re responding to them so your customers know you care and so prospective customers who read your reviews when you show up in the Google local pack can see that you’re focused on excellent customer service.

Feeling stuck when it comes to getting Google reviews? Use these quick tips.

Quick tips for getting Google reviews:

Keep an Eye on Your Local SEO

Because the Google local pack is part of Google’s overarching search results, it does follow some of the same principles and requirements as any other SEO campaign. That’s why it’s important to keep up with all aspects of your local and organic SEO (yes, they’re different) to increase your chances of ranking anywhere on Google’s results pages.

The first line of defense in a successful SEO strategy is your website. You want to make sure all your onsite SEO factors, like the way your website is built, your web content, and your metadata are adhering to best practices.

You’ll also want to ensure offsite SEO factors, like local listings, are sending the right signals to Google – remember when we talked about consistency in your name, address, and phone number earlier? That applies to all your listings.

Quick local SEO tips:

Run Local Search Ads

While optimizing your SEO and your Google My Business listing to show in the Google local 3-pack is important, you might also consider a paid option to get your business listed here.

Through local search ads on Google, there’s an opportunity for your business to serve a local PPC ad in the 3-pack.

In order to show up in the Google 3-pack with your PPC ads, there are a few steps you’ll need to take.

Quick tips to show in the local pack with local search ads:

Get Found on the Google 3-Pack

It’s important for your business to invest in a strong SEO and local PPC strategy no matter what, but by using these tips, you can increase your chances of appearing in the Google 3-pack and boost your visibility for local searches. You might consider finding a marketing partner to help you execute these strategies and keep up with the ever-changing Google algorithm.

To recap, here are the four ways you can show up in Google’s local pack:

Stephanie Heitman

Stephanie is the Senior Managing Editor for LOCALiQ, where you can find her sharing tips, insights, and stories about how marketing helps local businesses grow. When she’s not researching the latest and greatest marketing news and updates, she’s probably watching reality TV with her husband or playing with her two pups.

Unpacking SEO for the Google Local Pack

Whenever we search for a local service online, Google shows a map among the organic search results without requiring us to perform another click.

Among the businesses affected by the Local Pack are those servicing a particular territory (e.g. plumbing, repairing, delivery services) and local businesses (restaurants, dentistries, hair salons, etc.).

Given the presence of the Local Finder on the first SERP, we tend to skip the organic results since the block gives us all the info we need right away.

This post explains what the Local 3-Pack is and how to get ranked in it.

The Google Local Pack and its features

The Local 3-Pack refers to the SERP feature that’s shaped like a map and displays places related to your query, as well as a 3-point list of businesses with their NAP data (name, address, phone, etc.).

It replaced the 7 Pack — a list of 7 places for a relevant location.

Example: This is what the Local Pack looked like prior to 2014 and what it looks like now for the query [barbershop near me] in Minneapolis, MN:

As you can see, Google has reduced the number of businesses displayed in the list but added a map. This improved the visibility of the Local Pack on mobile devices since users can now estimate the proximity of local businesses on the same screen.

Apart from filters and the map itself, we can see a list of businesses together with their NAP data, review rate, office hours, and call button. For marketers, it means that all of these elements need to be properly optimized.

There’s also a block that is very similar to the Local Pack called the Local Teaser that doesn’t contain any call buttons or website links.

By clicking on the name of a place, we’ll get a full list of all relevant objects and info on each one of them. We mostly see the teaser while looking for cultural or sporting locations (theaters, museums, sports venues, etc.).

For hotels and motels, you’ll see a block that also differs from the Local Map Pack. It includes data on prices, gives users the opportunity to check availability for certain dates, plus offers several other features.

So the Local 3-Pack is not the only feature you can see while searching for a localized business, yet it’s the most popular one.

Google’s Local 3-Pack has an internal ranking system. So in order to see your service among the first places in the pack, it’s not enough to just literally put your business on the map. Furthermore, if your business lacks clicks and comments — it can disappear from the block altogether.

As you can see, the Local Pack is an extremely visible, attention-grabbing element, and it is very important to know for which one of your keywords it is displayed.

How to track the Local Pack for your keywords

To view the search results of Google’s Local Pack for your main keywords and see whether your website is featured in, you can use special SERP feature tracking tools.

We’ll show you how you can do it in SE Ranking’s Rank Tracker.

In the table with keyword rankings, you’ll see a column with SERP features displayed for each of the keywords you are tracking. The map marker icon refers to the Local Pack. And if your website is present in the block, the icon will turn blue.

Note: The 14-day free trial gives you access to all of SE Ranking’s available tools and features, including Rank Tracker.

The Rank Tracker enables you to check the SERP features for both organic and paid results. So you can keep tabs on the Local Pack to see if your website made the grade and whether it’s featured in Google’s regular search results or Ads.

If you see that the Local Pack is displayed for your targeted keywords, be ready to fight for a spot in it.

So now, let’s explore what it takes to get your business featured in the Local Pack and stay there for good.

The checklist for getting into the Google Local Pack

There are two main aspects of optimizing for the Local Pack: preparing your Google My Business page and optimizing your website for a local SEO run (including local link-building).

#1. Create a Google My Business page for your company

Check to see whether your business has already been added to the GMB listing: start typing your company name into the “Business name” field and, if there is a matching business, claim it as yours. Don’t freak out if you see that your company already has a page in GMB — it could have been created as a result of a parsed data from other listings. Just claim and verify your ownership.

If there are no matches, register your company.

#2. Verify the address of your company

You can fill out the application in GMB and get the verification code delivered to your physical address by post in 3 to 5 days. Enter this code into the respective field in your Google My Business account.

OR just use the same Gmail account you have in Google Analytics and Google Search Console for registering in Google My Business. Thus, your Google accounts will be connected and your business location will be verified automatically.

#3. Optimize your business listings

Once the business is registered and/or verified, you’ll need to fill in the information about your company. Each piece of this info can influence the visibility of your business in search. So, first carefully read Google’s instructions on how to present your business in GMB.

In your account, you’ll need to fill in the following fields:

Citations are a source of backlinks and are a local search ranking factor. So there are two important things to keep in mind: (1) don’t strive to publish citations in trashy aggregators, aim at authoritative catalogs and business directories; (2) keep your information up-to-date and consistent throughout all your sources (use the same NAP data on your website, GMB page, external listings).

You can discover new listing opportunities and keep track of your citations using SE Ranking’s Business listings. You can find it within the Online Marketing Plan tool for your project. The feature suggests a list of authoritative directories for a selected region, so you can see where you should post your citations and mark directories that already include your info.

#4. Optimize your website for local search

Website optimization is about the first factor: relevance. To make your site relevant to a search query, you must not only optimize its content but also mind its technical health and link authority.

Unfortunately, you can’t optimize your website using the set-it-and-forget-it approach. Instead, it’s a never-ending process of trying out new techniques and fixing bugs. The same goes for your Google My Business page—it also needs regular monitoring and revision.

Monitor your information in Google’s Local Pack

Once you get into the Local 3-Pack, monitor the info about your business that’s displayed in it. The tricky thing is that not only you, but any user can edit your listing data. The edits are made as suggestions, but they can go live without giving you any notification. Name, category, NAP data, photos, location—everything can be changed by a random person which may dramatically affect your local rankings.

Apart from the organic methods, you can also get into the Local Pack as a paid search result.

Google Ads in the Local Pack

Google started showing ads in the Local Pack in 2016 and now it’s a commonplace thing. It can be a way out if the local search competition is too high or if you want to see the results faster.

They look like this:

The perks of Map ads lay in targeting users from a particular region, which boosts the conversion potential of users clicking the ad.

Basic steps to launching an ad campaign in Maps:

To see what your ads look like for locations different from yours, use the Google Location Changer tool. This service enables you to check the SERP with all its features for any other location.

Summing up

If you are a local business owner, you should do your best to rank high on Google’s local SERP, and, on top of that, in the Local Pack. It is one of the most visible SERP features, and you can make your business appear in the block if you play your cards right.

You can achieve this organically through optimizing your website and Google My Business listings or via Google Ads.

Launching an ad campaign doesn’t mean you don’t need to optimize your website for local search or work on your GMB page. Quite the opposite. The Local Pack encourages businesses to work on their overall SEO and PPC strategies congruently to meet the needs of local customers in the best possible way.

Bonus recap of everything about local SEO

There’s no way to get into the Local Pack without implementing local SEO. But this topic is impossible to cover in a couple of paragraphs ― we need a whole new article. However, I want this post to give you everything you need to kick off your campaign of conquering Google’s Local Pack.

Fortunately, Shane Barker has fit all the basic information on local SEO into a comprehensive infographic. You can check it out below (press the button to view the full document).

Now the only thing you need is patience! 🙂

What Is the Google Local Pack?

The Google Local Pack is a curated list of local businesses. It displays top businesses related to the searched topic, with links to profiles that contain photos, reviews, and other information.

When the Local Pack was initially introduced, the top seven results for a local search were grouped into their own panel at the top of the page. This early version was also called the Local 7-Pack. Businesses and search engine optimization (SEO) experts adopted best practices to get into the 7-Pack, since inclusion led to better search outcomes and more traffic. In August 2015, Google cut the 7-Pack down to just three results called the Local 3-Pack and adjusted the format of the panel. This major change in search engine results pages (SERPs) caused a stir within the SEO industry.

What has really changed in the local SERPs?

The navigation of these panels has been altered, as has their look and feel, with ongoing Google Local Pack updates. Here are details on the current version of this critical local SEO feature:

Just three businesses displayed, instead of up to seven.
Local Packs contained three, five, or seven listings before the update. With more available slots, more local businesses appeared on page one of the SERPs. In contrast, competition has now become incredibly fierce for first-page listings in the era of the 3-Pack.

No street addresses or phone numbers
Contact information, such as full physical addresses and phone numbers, is no longer included in the results. Instead, the listings present only the city and state locations of businesses. Searchers who want to get contact details now have to click on a business’s name, revealing the Google My Business (GMB) profile.

No flyout business cards or isolated Google My Business links
Google has disabled some forms of one-click access (ones that did not present competitor information). Clicking on a result reveals GMB details, a map, and a list of 19 competitors.

Why did Google change the 3-Pack?
Experts say that this significant change in the Google Local Pack was intended to better suit mobile users. When the 7-Pack appeared on smartphones, it was too large to fit on a single page. The 3-Pack fits, perfect for user-friendliness when searching via mobile.

Can I optimize to make sure I appear in the Google 3-Pack?
Unfortunately, businesses appearing in the Local Pack are location-dependent, with the results changing based on user location. That changeability makes it difficult to optimize for this Google feature. However, see below for some basic optimization guidelines.

Tips to appear in the Google 3-Pack

While optimization is not entirely straightforward, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of making these short lists:

What is Google’s Local 3-Pack and How Can You Use It to Rank?

While digital marketing has been the cornerstone of running a successful local business for at least a decade, its importance has grown manifold in 2020.

According to research, the COVID-19 lockdown has pushed internet use by a whopping 70%!

And that’s not all.

While the lockdown has begun to ease across many states, people are still spending an astounding amount of time browsing the web for local content/products/services.

If you’ve been overlooking the importance of digitalizing your business, you may want to jump on the bandwagon. And while adopting digitalization is a great way to get started, it’s not enough.

According to Forbes, 75% of internet users never scroll past the first SERP (search engine result page).

What do you do to stand out from the crowd and make a stellar first impression?

It’s simple. You optimize your content for the Google 3-Pack.

Sounds odd, doesn’t it?

We’ll help break things down so you can leverage the 3-Pack to rank higher on Google Maps.

What is the Local SEO 3-Pack?

Simply put, the Google 3-Pack is a listing of the top three search results for a local search.

While a regular search doesn’t include geographic keywords, a local search commonly includes the phrases “near me,” “close to me,” or “in [location].”

For instance, if you search for “Italian restaurants in Manhattan,” you’ll receive the following Google 3-Pack:

Similarly, if you search for “barbershop in Downtown Los Angeles,” you’ll see the following Google 3-Pack:

Notice how the 3-Pack covers every base to give internet users comprehensive—albeit concise—information about the most relevant, popular, and reputable local search results.

With a simple search, people can instantly access the following information about the top three businesses:

If they choose to engage with the listing, they can view even more details, including:

In short, the Google 3-Pack is an efficient, accurate, and time-saving gold mine for local searchers.

Over the years, Google reduced the number of topmost local searches from seven to five. In 2015, the pack was further condensed by reducing five listings to three for enhanced convenience, ease, and relevance.

It’s no surprise that the search results on the first page of Google generate a whopping 92% of organic traffic. In fact, the first result in the Google 3-Pack enjoys an enviable 34.36% CTR (click-through rate).

Customers are less likely to engage with results that show up underneath the Google 3-Pack. While search results on the first page that fall outside the 3-Pack still generate a lot of traffic, the second, third, and subsequent pages suffer from diminishing traffic generation.

That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the most effective and whip-smart SEO strategies to help your business rank higher on Google Maps, so it can rank in Google Local 3-Packs.

How to Optimize for the Google 3-Pack?

1. Check Where You Currently Stand

It should come as no surprise that the Google 3-Pack appears 93% of the time when people run a local search.

If you run a local business, optimizing your content to rank locally on Google is essential. And checking where your business currently stands is a great way to kick things off.

While you may feel compelled to dive into the deep end of 3-Pack optimization, forgoing prior research could end up doing more harm than good.

Instead, we suggest consulting with SEO experts to determine whether your business appears in the top 20 local search results. This will help streamline and refine the optimization strategy for your business.

2. Claim, Fill, and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Leveraging Google My Business is one of the most effective ways to rank in Google Local 3-Packs.

As Google’s own in-house platform, Google My Business makes it much easier for customers to find, access, and engage with your business.

If you haven’t claimed your free listing yet, we suggest tackling that task first by clicking here. Simply enter your company’s name or add your business to Google if it isn’t already in the directory.

Once you’ve claimed your listing, take your time to fill out the required information. Take special care to ensure accuracy and relevance, as this information will potentially appear in the Google 3-Pack.

You’ll be requested to share your company’s:

The more information you provide, the greater your chances of showing up on the Google 3-Pack.

Ensure NAP (name, address, phone number) consistency to lend legitimacy and credibility to your business. Any deviations could reduce the authority of your business and prevent customers from accessing information or finding your listing altogether.

Once you’ve filled in the relevant information, the real work begins.

Optimizing and updating your listing are two of the most impactful ways to help your business climb SERPs.

Share high-resolution images and upload photos on a weekly basis to ensure relevance and keep your audience engaged. According to Google, businesses with photos enjoy 42% more requests for directions to their location and 35% more clicks to their website.

Cover different areas of your business, including the storefront and variegated interior angles.

Make sure important details like the hours of operation are up to date. Maximizing relevance will go a long way in improving the visitor-to-lead conversion rate.

We suggest browsing through our earlier blog titled “How to Optimize Google My Business Listing and Leverage It for More Sales” for more insights.

3. Master the Art of On-Page SEO to Rank Locally on Google

Neglecting on-page SEO is one of the most common mistakes that land small-scale local businesses in hot water.

Google uses over 200 unique factors in their algorithm to rank websites. Creating a strong on-page SEO strategy can easily help you check most of these off your list!

For example, most small business owners don’t know that they can increase their chances of appearing in Google 3-Pack by improving their website’s loading time.

According to a recent study, pages that load quickly rank significantly higher on SERPs. In fact, 79% of customers who have trouble with a website’s loading time admit that they won’t return to the site in the future.

Here are some easy strategies to help speed up your website:

In addition, optimize your content by using relevant keywords, title tags, meta description, headlines, header tags, short descriptive URLs, and alt text.

These strategies will go a long way in helping your business rank in Google Local 3-Pack.

4. Attract a Plethora of High-Quality, Positive Reviews for Your Business

If you’re just starting off, figuring out how to optimize for the Google 3-Pack can be tricky. Reviews make things easier.

While leveraging reviews may sound like one of the least actionable strategies to help your business show up on the Google 3-Pack, it’s surreptitiously one of the most effective.

In fact, a whopping 84% of customers trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations!

Click on any listing in the Google 3-Pack, and you’ll come across a plethora of critic and customer reviews.

Here’s an extended view of a high-end restaurant (The Modern) that showed up in the Google 3-Pack:

In a nutshell, Google loves reviews.

Because customers trust them and heavily rely on them!

If your business has a high number of positive reviews, you’ll rank in the top 3 Maps results. This ranking, in turn, will help you climb up SERPs and earn a spot in the Google 3-Pack.

Remember, Google is constantly vetting relevant businesses to find the most reputable options that help customers have a great experience.

If your business has a poor ranking of 2.6/5, for example, the chances are that you’ll get stuck in the back end of SERPs.

Turn that around by boosting your ranking and you’ll instantly maximize your chances of showing up in the Google 3-Pack.

But how do you go about this?

By requesting reviews.

According to a recent survey, over 97% of customers engage with online reviews for local businesses. While customers prioritize reading reviews, they also understand the importance of offering reviews.

Here are some ways you can earn quality reviews for your business:

5. Create Engaging, Unique, and Value-Added Local Content

Creating local content and tweaking product/service pages by incorporating local keywords is a powerful way to rank in the top 3 Maps results.

We suggest using Google Keyword Planner or getting in touch with SEO experts to identify and effectively use local keywords.

In addition, create content around local events, holidays, news, and trending topics to ensure you reach a wide local audience. Optimizing your content for local search will ultimately help your business rank higher on Google Maps and tap into diverse local demographics.

Of course, don’t lose sight of ensuring that the content is engaging, informative, and compelling. No matter how well your local SEO strategy may be, producing subpar content that doesn’t strike a chord with your target audience will take you back to square one.

Instead, fuse quality with local SEO to create and execute a winning content marketing strategy.

We suggest focusing on creating high-quality and optimized:

6. Claim External Review Sites

Popular external review sites like Yelp, Foursquare, Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, and Yellowpages are vital sources of traffic for your business. Each review on an external review site signals to Google to boost SERP rankings for your business.

We recommend browsing through each platform’s specific review guidelines to ensure compliance.

Once the reviews start pouring in, you’ll notice an increase in audience engagement and retention. Consistent positive reviews will help your business climb SERPs and earn a spot on the Google 3-Pack.

7. Earn Local Backlinks From Websites With High Domain Authority

Link building is undeniably one of the most effective ways to get your business on the map.

Simply put, link building is the process of acquiring backlinks from third-party websites.

For instance, if a non-competitor in your industry links to your content or product/service pages, you earn a backlink.

Why is this important?

Earning a valuable backlink from a website with a high domain authority is a surefire way to attract quality traffic. As their readers are redirected to your content, you’ll successfully manage to tap into a wide audience base.

While this means more revenue, it also means higher chances of breaking into the Google 3-Pack in the long run!

Here are some advanced link building tips and tricks to help you get started!

8. Create a Mobile-Friendly Website

78% of all local mobile searches result in a purchase. As smartphones become the epicenter of the modern world, creating a mobile-friendly website is imperative.

If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’ll fail to target the large majority of Gen Z, millennials, and Gen X customers.

We suggest opting for clean yet appealing graphics, user-friendliness, and eye-catching CTAs (call-to-actions).

In fact, mobile-friendliness also helps Google determine the quality and legitimacy of your business. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, there’s no reason for Google to include it in the 3-Pack. The last thing Google wants is to receive negative feedback from customers who interacted with a business in the 3-Pack that didn’t have a mobile-friendly website.

10. Local SEO Services and Google Map Optimization Services for the Win!

Consulting the pros is a tried-and-tested way of optimizing for the Google 3-Pack.

If you’ve been dissatisfied with your SERP rankings, we can help turn things around.

As the leading digital marketing experts in Los Angeles, we offer expert local SEO services and Google Maps optimization services across the globe.

Whether you run a small business, recently launched a start-up, or can’t seem to effectively market a large company, we can help you get started.

Our SEO experts have extensive experience in helping clients climb SERPs and earn a spot on the Google 3-Pack. We’ll help your business rank higher on Google Maps so you can reap the benefits of high-quality traffic, high conversions, low customer attrition, and great sales.