Mastering the Google Map Pack: A Guide to Boosting Your Local Visibility

Understanding Local Search 

46% of Google searches are for local results. 

Your business must be featured in local searches part in the search engine results pages to attract local customers. If not, you risk losing customers and money. 

But what exactly is local search? 

Local search (or local search engine optimization - SEO) improves search visibility for local businesses, particularly brick-and-mortar companies. By following local search best practices, businesses can improve their traffic from searches. 

What is the Google Maps Pack?

So you understand local search, you now need to focus on Google Maps Pack as a part of your local SEO activities. 

You may have a vague idea of what it is or heard people mention it before.

But what even is it? 

Let’s start with an example. 

You own a bakery in Manchester. A potential customer in the area decides they want freshly baked bread and types “bakery Manchester” into Google. 

‍

The first result they will see is a map zoomed in on their area with marked bakeries. Below, will be the top three most relevant local listings for that specific location. This is called the Google Map Pack. 

It’s the most prominent position in Google’s local search results. It is where businesses are marked on a map with an icon.

It’s a serious factor when customers are deciding where to go and who to buy from. 

How does Google Map Packs work?

Let’s go back to the bakery example. The results you see are based on what Google’s algorithm thinks you want to know and what’s relevant to the search. 

It will appear above the organic search results, such as the websites of particular bakeries because Google wants to match your “search intent”. 

It knows you want to find a local bakery nearby so it's showing you which ones it recommends to help you find their physical location and go. 

This helps customers find the business they’re looking for and to browse the options. 

Google will show customers your business’s contact details, address, website link, hours, pricing, photos, reviews, and more. 

Why does it matter?

Google Map Pack is featured at the very top of local search results. 

As mentioned earlier, this is very important.

Why?

Because people are more likely to click on what’s at the top of the page, it’s the basic idea of all SEO. 

So if you’re featured at the top, you are going to get the highest click-through rate.

And what exactly are the benefits of a higher click-through rate? 

• Higher organic traffic.
• Higher local traffic relevant for the customers who are looking for a business like yours, with your location displayed. 
• An increase in phone calls and leads from customers. 
• A competitive edge over your rivals due to increased visibility and more customer reviews. 
• More mobile traffic as Google Maps is optimized for mobile. 

How to optimize Google Map Packs to rank?

There are four key things you can do to optimize Google Map Packs.

1. Have a successful Google Business Profile

First things first, you have to use Google Business Profile. 

Google Business Profile (which used to be called Google My Business) is a completely free platform. It allows you to showcase your information and impact how your business appears on Google Search, Google Shopping, and Google Maps. 

You must claim and optimize a Google Business Profile to appear on Google Map Pack.  

When you do, you’re letting Google know your physical location, business hours, and services, and increasing your chances of appearing in local search results.

There are certain things you can do to optimize your profile to rank better. 

The simplest thing to do is fill out all your business information and ensure that it is accurate. For example, your address, phone number, opening hours, link to website, business description, tags, and photos. 

Tip: Make sure images are high-quality and even think about adding video - just make sure they’re 30 seconds or less and no more than 100 MB. 

2. Online Reviews

We live in the age of reviews and unsurprisingly, your Google reviews feed directly into your Google Business profile. 

You therefore want to try and get as many customers as possible to leave you a review on Google (and hopefully a good one!). Make sure you also respond to each review you get, good and bad, it shows that you care about customers’ experience and can build stronger relationships. 

Equally enough - reviews on other sites also play into this, such as reviews on social media and sites like Yelp. They can help give a boost to your Google Business Profile. 

Tip: Ask customers directly if they can leave you a review on Google. Have a tablet ready that you can hand over where they can simply type it in there and then. 

3. Build Citations

Citations (also called online business profiles or local directories) is where you have an online mention of your business, address, and telephone number (NAP). 

Having a high-quality mention from a reputable source can do wonders for your ranking on your local search results. 

To build this, you’ll want directory listings or mentions in articles and blogs. An online directory will have your key information (NAP) to help Google verify you are who you say you are. Depending on the nature of your business there may be a directory more relevant, such as TripAdvisor for hospitality business locations or Avvo for legal services if you’re in the USA.

Top tip: Ensure you have NAP consistency across all directories, you don’t want them saying different things!

4. Optimize your website for local search 

To get your website to appear in local search engines' results, there are 3 things you can do.

1. Incorporate location-based keywords and phrases. This helps inform Google where your business is based so that you'll appear in the SERPs when customers search for a company like yours. 
2. Include your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). This is vital, as it helps Google verify your business. It also makes it clear to customers where you’re based and how to contact you. 
3. Embed a Google map. This tells Google your exact location and improves your local search rankings. 

Top tip: Include location-based keywords in your meta titles, descriptions, and image alt text.

How do you measure and improve your local visibility?

You need to track your business’s online presence and search engine rankings. This will allow you to measure and improve your local and online traffic and visibility to get the right customers through the door.

There are some great tools out there such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console. 

Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to track metrics such as geographical data, organic traffic, and user behavior. This will allow you to gain insight into how your audience uses your website and allow you to make changes to improve your local visibility. 

For example, by tracking geographical data, you can see where your website visitors are coming from. If they’re outside your area, you know that you need to adjust your approach, such as including more local keywords. 

Google Search Console, also free, shows you how Google sees your website and its performance in the search results. This includes things such as search analytics, crawl coverage, mobile usability, security issues etc. 

For example, if tracking mobile usability, you’ll be able to see how mobile-friendly your site is. Given that most searches are mobile-first these days, this is crucial. If there are any issues, this can impact you negatively and affect your ranking in local search results. 

By using these tools to track and monitor how you are doing, you can see where you need to make changes and improve your local search results overall. 

Building a Strong Online Presence for Local Businesses

It’s not just about featuring on Google Map Pack. You also need to build a strong online presence to attract and retain customers. 

But what does this include? 

• Your website
• Social media 
• Online directories 

And why is this important?

Your website is one of the first places customers will look to learn more about you. It allows you to talk directly to your customers, show your brand, sell your services, and ultimately persuade them why they should choose you. 

Social media is how you can reach your customers and market yourself. It is one of the places customers will look to learn more about you and what your business is about. Being on social media builds trust and credibility. 

Online directories (as mentioned earlier) include the likes of Google My Business and Yelp. This increases your local search results and, as discussed earlier, shows people in your area that you exist and increases the chances of them paying you a visit. 

Conclusion

Local search is paramount to the success of your business if you operate locally. Google Map Pack is the key to accessing local customers and improving your visibility. 

When you rank within the Map Pack, you will receive more traffic, which in turn will increase your leads and help you stay ahead of your competitors. 

To do this, you must optimize your Google Business profile, get customer reviews, and build citations. Finally, improving the SEO of your website is crucial. 

Once this is complete, you can monitor and track your progress with tools such as Google Analytics and Search Console. 

Start now - improve your own local search ranking, attract the right customers and increase your sales!

‍

FAQs 

How does Google Maps Pack work? 

Google Map Pack is based on the Google algorithm and tries to match a potential customer’s search intent with the right result. For example, if someone wants freshly made bread nearby, they will turn to Google. If your business sells bread and is based nearby it will show up in their search results. You can optimise your Google Map Pack to ensure you reach the right customers. 

How do I get to the top of Google Map Pack?

To get to the top of Google Map Pack, you need to claim and optimise a Google Business Profile and fill out all the information, ensuring that it’s accurate.

You want to encourage reviews from customers and respond to each one. Focus on building citations, online mentions that direct to your local business. Finally, ensure your website is optimized for local search, including location-based keywords. 

‍