What is Local Pack in SEO and how do you rank in it?

Every time you search for local services online, Google shows a map on the page with organic search results (SERP) without you needing to click any further. This block is called the Google Map Pack (pakiet map Google) and is one of the most attention-grabbing SERP features in local search. More and more people are searching locally, so improving your position in the Map Pack is becoming increasingly important. This makes it easier for customers to find the physical location of a shop.

Businesses providing services in a defined area, including plumbers, mechanics and delivery services, are included in the Google Local Pack. This also applies to local businesses, such as hair salons and restaurants. Local search placed at the top of the SERP allows organic results to be skipped, because the user gets the information they need straight away.

What is Google Local Pack?

Local 3-Pack is a feature on the search results page (SERP) that appears as a map and shows places related to your query. It also presents a 3-point list of businesses along with their details (name, address, phone number, etc.). This feature usually appears on SERP pages when the user includes local intent or a service in the query.

It also appears when the user specifies a location by typing something like, for example, “hairdresser near me” or “best sushi bar near [city]”. Results from such and similar queries usually display businesses that match the query and are close to the given location.

In addition to filters and the map itself, Google Map Pack presents a list of businesses with their basic details. Users can therefore call the business, check its website and get directions.

Google Local Listings are constantly evolving and gaining new features to improve the user experience. As technology develops, we can expect a host of new features to be added to Google Map Pack. Merchants therefore need to look for effective methods of properly optimising these elements.

For hotels and motels, you will see a block that differs slightly from the Google Local Map Pack. It includes prices, user ratings and short descriptions, but does not include links to websites or directions. Instead, users can check business availability on specific dates and choose the number of guests.

Browsing hotels on mobile devices is now easier thanks to Google’s recent updates. Each location can be viewed in a format that allows you to see photos, save locations, explore the area and read customer reviews. If you are looking for attractions during your trip, Google Local Pack will also suggest other attractions worth checking out in the same place.

Despite the fact that Local 3-Pack is the most popular, it is not the only feature visible when searching for local businesses.

Google Local 3-Pack uses an internal ranking system. Simply placing your business on the map is not enough to achieve high results. If your business lacks clicks and comments, it may also disappear from this block.

Google Map Pack is a highly visible, attention-grabbing element, which makes it important to know which keywords trigger its display.

1. 01Local querye.g. "hairdresser near me"
2. 02Result in SERPmap and 3 businesses
3. 03Business listingname, address, phone
4. 04User interactionquick selection, filters

Google Local Pack is a map and a list of 3 local businesses in search results, presented for queries with local intent.

Why is Google Map Pack important for SEO?

If your business serves local customers, making use of all the benefits associated with Google Map Pack is important for your local SEO. It can help you appear at the top of the results, even if your website is not among the top 10 organic results.

Here are a few reasons why Local 3-Pack is important for SEO:

• increased visibility and traffic. Google Map Pack appears at the top of the search results page (SERP), so businesses that appear there gain huge visibility. When people search for local products or services, the Map Pack is usually the first thing they see. This means that businesses that appear there can get more clicks and traffic,
• increased trust and credibility. Entries in the Local 3-Pack include ratings and reviews from other customers, and this allows a business to build trust and credibility among potential customers. It is very important to encourage people to choose your business instead of others,
• better local matching. Google Map Pack is designed to provide users with local, relevant results. If you serve a specific area, there is a greater likelihood that your business will appear in the Map Pack for people searching for products or services in that area. This can be a major advantage for businesses that rely mainly on local customers,
• increased mobile optimisation. Google Map Pack is optimised for mobile devices, so businesses that appear there have a better chance of getting clicks and traffic from people searching for information on their phones.

Ranking factors in local SEO

Google uses a combination of relevance, distance and prominence to find the best match in response to a user’s local query.

• relevance refers to how well your business profile matches the user’s query,
• distance refers to how far the potential search results are from the location entered in the search engine, which can be defined as your business address or service area,
• prominence refers to how well known the business is and this can be assessed by analysing customer reviews and recommendations.

Based on information from various experts in the local search industry, the most important factors affecting Google Map Pack are as follows:

• primary category of the Google Business Profile (GBP). Google pays attention to your chosen category in order to understand how well your business matches the query. It is important to choose a category that accurately reflects your products or services,
• keywords used in the title of your Google Business Profile (GBP). Relevant keywords in your business name or title can increase your visibility in local search results and demonstrate relevance. Avoid keyword stuffing, however,
• proximity to the searcher. Google wants to deliver geographically relevant results, so businesses that are physically close to the searcher are more likely to appear in the local pack,
• physical address in the searched city. As with proximity, the physical address also affects geographic relevance,
• removing spammy listings through fighting spam. If your competitors are engaging in spammy activities or creating fake reviews, this may have an adverse effect on local rankings. Such spam should be removed in order to improve visibility.

Another interesting issue in Local Pack SEO is the impact of GBP on local rankings. Business profile listings can in fact positively influence rankings for service-related keywords, which was not the case as late as 2019.

The search engine is constantly updating and improving its algorithms, so Google local search ranking factors will also continue to evolve. Google does not reveal its secrets, so experimenting and observing can help identify the best practices in local SEO.

1. 01Google criteriaRelevance, Distance, Prominence
2. 02GBP impactBusiness Profile, Keywords
3. 03Algorithm evolutionConstant updates, Observation

Experimenting and observing are key to success in constantly changing local SEO.

How to rank in Google Map Pack?

To optimise for the Local Pack, you need to focus on two things – preparing your Google Business Profile page and optimising your website for local SEO, which includes acquiring local links.

Acquire the right local links and backlinks to increase visibility

Link building is an important element of SEO optimisation. You need to acquire links to improve your site’s position in the rankings. As a local business, make sure you acquire relevant local links.

These are links from other local businesses that generate traffic to your company website. They make it easier for more people to find your business. You can acquire local links by sponsoring non-profit organisations and various events. You can also consider buying links from providers. Potential customers will see your company name, use the link leading to your website and learn more about your business. This will also improve brand recognition.

You should want more and more people to visit your business. This can lead to additional reviews that influence local listings. In addition to relevant links, you should also care about backlinks.

All of this will help create a solid Google listing that will allow you to get into the SEO 3-pack. Even if people skip it, you will still have a page that ranks well organically, so potential customers will find it anyway.

1. 01Local visibilitySERP & Google Maps
2. 02OptimisationWebsite & GBP profile
3. 03Business successMore customers

Organic actions increase visibility and attract customers.

Take care of your presence on social media

Social media is an excellent tool for local businesses. It provides an opportunity to connect with local customers. By using social media, you will build strong relationships with your customers.

Your presence on social media helps improve your Google listing. If people connect with your business on social media, you can direct them to your website. This will increase traffic and positively affect your Google ranking.

In addition, social media helps you gain extra reviews. People can describe your business on platforms such as Facebook, and this will improve your reputation. The more positive experiences your business’s customers have, the more clicks you will get in Google.

Create a Google Business Profile (GBP) for your business

Check whether your business has already been added to the GBP listing. Enter your business name in the “business name” field. If there is no matching business, you can continue.

Don’t worry if you discover that your business already has a GBP. It may have been generated through data sharing from other listings. Simply verify that you are the owner.

If there are no matching businesses, you can register your business to create a new page.

Verify your business address

The next step is verifying your GBP. Google offers several methods:

• by post,
• phone or SMS,
• email,
• video call,
• video recording.

Sometimes instant GBP verification is possible. To get it, use the same Gmail account that you use in Google Analytics and Google Search Console when registering your business. This will automatically connect your Google accounts and verify your business location.

If you have more than 10 locations of your business, you can verify them all at once.

Bear in mind that Google will choose the best verification method for your business and you cannot change it. If Google requires GBP verification by post, you will have to use that method.

Optimise your website for local search

Google takes three factors into account in local rankings – relevance, distance and prominence. This means that your website must be relevant to the query in order to achieve a high position in local search results. Your business must also be close to the user searching. In addition, your business must be well known to customers and must have high online and offline authority.

Website optimisation focuses on relevance, which is the first factor considered by Google. For your website to be relevant to the query, you need to optimise not only its content, but also its technical health and link authority. Here’s how you can do it:

• content optimisation – adding location modifiers to the semantic core is only the beginning. Your website should also include the name of the city, region, state, voivodeship (if applicable), so that it is associated with a specific location,
• the website’s technical SEO health – the technical health of the website is important in terms of crawlability, speed, mobile-friendliness, security, etc. Technical issues, especially those that put users off, can negatively affect your site’s ranking, so regular site audits are recommended,
• the website’s link authority – acquiring high-quality incoming links to your domain is important for building link authority. When it comes to off-page local optimisation, it is important to acquire links and citations from authoritative local sources.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to optimise a website once and forget about it. Website optimisation is an endless process of testing new techniques and fixing errors. The same applies to your GBP page, which also requires regular monitoring.

Summary

If you are the owner of a local business, you should do everything in your power to rank highly in local SERPs and in Google Map Pack. This is one of the most visible SERP features, thanks to which your business appears in a special block if you play everything right.

You can achieve this organically by optimising your website and Google Business Profile (GBP). We hope the above local SEO tips prove useful and that you will follow them.