Do you want to put your small business on the local map?

Getting your local business on top of a search engine’s page is a great achievement for any business. However, you’re not the only one trying to get a higher search engine ranking. Many other businesses try their hardest to make sure their firm comes out on top as well.

So, how do you stay ahead of the pack? Getting your business on the Google 3 pack is a great way to stay ahead.

Read what we have below to better understand what the 3 pack is and how it can help you increase your local SEO score.

What is the Google 3 Pack Update?

It is, in essence, another Google pack. Google’s packs are an assorted collection of software and tools that often cater to increasing local SEO. You can get these packs from Google’s archive in a single download.

The 3 pack is an update released by Google with the thought of their searches becoming more mobile compatible. The way it works is, with the update, Google will focus on the top three searches presented by their engine. These searches come with information including their addresses, website, directions going to the location, business hours, and often, their prices.

Google implemented the update because they thought seven results were too many for a mobile user. They wanted to condense the results to fit the standard screens of mobile devices. This made some businesses change their attitude toward local SEO.

It also changed the appearance of the results once they’re posted. Before, the search algorithm only placed the phone number of the business, and it was often not up-to-date. This led to some businesses missing out on many potential customers.

What Benefits Can I Get from the 3 Pack Update?

The great thing about steering your website to stand a better chance in appearing in the top three list is that you stand to lose nothing. You can reap the rewards later on if your initial endeavor comes to a bad end.

If you’re still starting up your business, there’s no need to worry about the other websites who already have a head start. They may appear first on the top three searches, but they can become the reason why you’ll have more visitors coming to you.

The 3 pack works by prioritizing businesses instead of websites, as a result, the update removed the “My Business” links that directed visitors to the business’ websites. As a replacement, Google placed links directing people to other related businesses of the same field.

Google made this feature to help other businesses with lower SEO scores. This gave them a greater chance to showcase what they had to potential customers. This was also a compensation for shortening the results to only showing the top three searches.

Another common problem Google tackled with this update was the contact system. A business’s phone number was the primary means of contact in the previous system. The trouble there was it was difficult to update the search page to match their current phone number.

Now, any Google local pack offers businesses special options for the results page. Customers can now choose to schedule and book their services from the results page. This means less missed customer opportunities.

How Much Can the 3 Pack Impact my Business?

Those included in the previous search algorithm will say it has a large impact on your business. Having the 4-7 search results removed gave them a lot of concern about their business’ SEO. While it’s true this can impact your business, it’s not all negative.

You may still hear about people not getting as many calls or visitors as they used to. This is due to their own negligence of SEO, not because of the update. Other businesses with lower SEO scores before got improved customer engagement ever since.

It impacts your business in several ways. One is because the top three list is a rotating one. This means that the list is ready to change at a moment’s notice.

This depends on the customer’s location. Google’s update adjusts the top three results based on which one the customer is closest to. The closer the customer is, the better chance you have of getting them.

Making it possible to shuffle the top three list removed the chance of monopolizing it. Before, well-known establishments had it all to themselves. Now, even with a low SEO score, anyone can be a contender for the top three search results.

What Can I Do to Rank in Google’s 3 Pack Update?

Unlike in organic SEO, local SEO has three primary factors that contribute to increasing it: relevance, distance, and prominence. Whether you work on all three or only one of them, it can increase your local visibility by a lot.

Below, we’ll further discuss how you can use them to increase your local SEO score.

Relevance

This pertains to how well your business matches to what someone types in the search bar. This is also determined by how Google recognizes your business. So, there is a lot of fine-tuning needed to become relevant in Google’s and your customer’s eyes.

First, you need to make your information complete. This information is what your customer and Google use as their basis for their decisions. Make sure you fill out the necessary information such as your business hours and location.

Also, you can still add your phone number. If your customers know what they’re looking for, they can still find the number in your listing.

Make sure all these are correct to avoid missing a potential customer. Also, make sure to follow what you write here like the business hours. Many customers become dissuaded from availing a certain service in the future if they see that what’s written doesn’t fit the service the received.

You should also consider performing some keyword research to increase your relevance. Think of what people may type on the search bar when thinking about your business. On the other hand, you can use some online tools like Google Analytics to research your keywords.

Also, consider making your on-page content SEO worthy. Research shows that 57% of SEO experts say it’s the most effective SEO tactic there is. Doing this should drive your score higher for Google to rank.

Distance

Google packs rely on distance to update their search results. This made looking for a good location a big factor in getting a high SEO score.

Picking a location where there is a lot of human activity is a great start for your SEO score. The update will also help you because, as mentioned above, the closer people looking for the type of service you can provide are to you, the better the chances of you getting them as customers.

To further increase your SEO score, you can try implementing geofence advertising. This has the potential of improving the flow of traffic on your site and your business.

Also, be sure to include high priority keywords on that relate to your location. Using a keyword like which city you’re in helps the update recognize and rank you faster. This works better if you have Google map packs installed as well.

Prominence

This is how well-known your business is. It can be a struggle to gain some fame at first, but here are some ways you can leave a good impression.

When a potential customer sees you among the top 3, there is little to know you by. This may lead them to check out your website. So, sprucing up your website to make it look professional is a good idea.

Add some photos to your website. Doing this lets people get a clear picture of what you do, and it catches their attention. Also, it helps increase your local SEO score if you take location-based photos for the site.

Customer engagement also helps you become prominent. Keeping a satisfied customer list is sure to give you many positive reviews. And speaking of reviews, they also help with your ranking in the update.

Reviews from Google users have a direct impact on your business. It helps the algorithm recognize you as one getting attention from your customers. Positive reviews also help others be more inclined to choose your business.

After you’ve established a reputation, it’s time to maintain it. Updating your info and website prevents Google from declaring your website inactive. Keeping a regular schedule of blogs and updates is a good way to do this.

These are only some tips to increase your SEO. You can also increase your visibility on the update by turning to other resources, such as those found at https://www.thehoth.com/local-seo/.

Stay on Top with Google’s 3 Pack Update

Have a better understanding of the Google 3 pack update with the help of this guide. Keep business on top now!

Did you find this guide helpful? Come and check out our website for more helpful guides! Increase your SEO score even further with the help of these five SEO tips and tricks.