Optimization Tips for the Google Local Pack
6 Optimization Tips for the Google Local Pack
The Google Local Map Pack is one way you may be overlooking increased organic clicks to your website, free of charge. While 99% of consumers use the internet to search for local businesses, you can rely on Google Maps to highlight your company as one of the top-rated in the area. Read more on how to maximize your chances of getting your website to appear on the Google Map Pack list.
What Is the Google Map Pack?
When you search for a particular business in your area, Google automatically pulls from Google Maps, where the local businesses pop up on the map with a list of highly-rated companies and their star ratings to the side of the map. For example, your small business could be the first business someone sees listed when searching “hair salon in City, State.”
This piece of internet real estate is highly sought after since the top links are the most clicked-through by users during their search. You cannot guarantee to make it onto the Google Map Pack. But you can optimize your SEO and Google Business Profile to increase your chances.
Your Google Map Pack highlight will include:
- Company Name
- Type of Business
- Star Rating
- Number of Reviews
- Street Address
- Hours of Operation
- Featured Review
- Link to Website
This is the ideal information any business would love to get out there as the first impression to a potential customer. And the best way to highlight your business through the Google Map Pack is to have a consistent and thorough SEO strategy.
Google automatically pulls the highest-rated company with the most reputable website and traffic. As a result, you have the opportunity to design a system to pull ahead of your competitors and ultimately stand out on the Google Map Pack.
6 Tips: Optimizing for the Google Map Pack
Consider your business and all the leads you could get if Google recommended you for the top company in your city every time someone starts a Google search. Then, the consumer has all the information they need when the search engine suggests your business as a top competitor.
How do you get on the radar for the Google Local Map Pack? Take a look at these tips:
- Create a Google Business Profile
If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to create your Google Business Profile. You may even find that your business already exists on Google, and you can claim it and enter the correct information. A Google
Business Profile allows you to provide all the information a customer needs when searching for your services.
Fill in your company’s name, phone number, address, price range, customer reviews, and hours of operation. You can add a menu if you would like or a link for people to visit the website for more information. This business summary is what the consumer will see every time your business shows up on their Google search. A Google Business Profile is vital to prove you are an active, trustworthy business.
- Build a Portfolio of Reviews from Real Customers
It’s time to create a system for asking for customer reviews. If you send a follow-up email after your service, kindly ask for a review. Some companies include a request to leave a review on a card in the shopping bag.
Of course, you can also ask friends and family to leave reviews. But consumers will recognize the pattern of authentic reviews from real customers and learn to trust your company by reading those reviews. It’s important to know that most potential customers read reviews before walking into a business for the first time.
- Respond to Reviews and Resolve Customer Concerns
Businesses rise above the competition because of their attentiveness to customer reviews. Have you ever read a bad review with the business owner’s immediate reply asking to resolve the issue? It speaks to the business’s customer service and readiness to make an issue right.
Read every review you get and find a way to connect with the customer, whether it’s good or bad feedback. You can retain a happy customer and change the mind of a disgruntled consumer.
- Embed Google Maps on Your Website
Tying Google Maps to your website can increase your local SEO. With the map right there on the website, your customers will never have difficulty finding your place. And your address will link directly to Google Maps.
- Add Local City Keywords to Your Website
Do you have industry-specific keywords on your website? These keywords should include things like “overflowing toilet” or “water softener repair.” Most importantly, your keywords should be tied to a local city or area. For example, “overflowing toilet in City” will return much more relevant searches. Therefore, be sure that your website is sprinkled with location-specific keywords.
- Keep Your Website Up to Date and Loading Quickly
Google will be able to recognize a trusted business by the way the website performs. For example, does your website load efficiently? Are the pictures of high quality? Is the information up to date? Things like backlinking to reputable websites and naming your pictures with SEO-friendly tags will increase your website’s credibility according to the search engine’s criteria.
The more modern and user-friendly your website is, the more your business will show up higher in the Google rankings and on the Google Map Pack. You can always use organic clicks to your website by keeping up your SEO strategy.