The switch from the 7-pack of ads to a 3-pack has had a serious impact on digital marketing for local businesses. If it was difficult to be featured with 7 spots available, it’s going to be harder now. While it may seem like those 3 spots are out of reach, the good news is that your business can be featured there.
With time, skill, and knowledge you can get one of those top spots. That’s important because being seen by local consumers when they’re looking for the kind of product you sell is the lifeblood of marketing. Unless you know what you’re doing, it can be a difficult task.
Here are some tricks to getting your ad in a top spot:
Citations
Google pays attention to the number of times your business name is mentioned. It looks for citations, your business name along with related information, on the web whether a link is included or not. These citations validate your business and show that it is a real company. The more you have from quality sources, the higher your ranking will be.
Tip: The related information in a citation could include your phone number, URL, or real-world address. In order to count as a citation, it has to match your Goggle My Business listing exactly. Make sure your My Business profile is complete and has accurate information.
Photos
Everyone knows that consumers are drawn to photos. High-quality images on your Google listing profile will go a long way to grab the attention of potential customers. It isn’t all about Google, either. Yelp also advises business owners on optimizing business listings, saying that photos make all the difference.
Tip: According to ReviewTrackers, consumers spend 2 ½ times more of their time on listings with photos so make sure you have photos with your listing.
Reviews
Reviews can help your business gain some traction. Not only do people love writing them, they love reading them as well. Google wants to promote great local businesses and one way they determine the quality of the business is by the reviews.
Tip: If you want to increase your ranking, ask your best customers to write reviews.
Obviously, getting your business into Google’s 3-pack will be more challenging than it was to get into the 7-pack. The tips above will help, but you need to remain diligent and keep up with best practices for search engine optimization (SEO). There can be changes to local search so it’s imperative that you stay on top of all the latest tricks and keep your business profile up to date. Remember to also make effective use of strategic keyword placement and categories in your profile to give it added strength.
References
“Get Your Review Page and Business Noticed by Adding Photos.” ReviewTrackers. Review Trackers, 22 Dec. 2016. Web. 06 June 2017.
