Earlier this year, Google made a series of significant changes to their local search listings. Most significantly, they reduced the number of links in the local pack from seven down to three. This means that local search engine optimization experts were left with less than half as many listings to deal with and it was now more difficult than 
ever before to stay competitive. This wasn’t the only important change made—In some cases, Google also removed phone numbers from these listings, replacing them with store hours. These changes might be better for searchers, but they’re definitely not better for businesses. It was such a drastic change, some marketers have called it the most significant change in local search since Google’s Pigeon Update back in July 2014.
Here’s what you need to know in order to stay competitive in the search results.
What Matters Now
Now that you know what changes have been made to the pack, here are the features that are most important to know about: first, there are fewer local search results being shown. Google maps is very important, but they are pulling back on the importance of Google+ for local results. The websites themselves have become easier to see, and while the phone numbers are not as easy to see, they are still easy to find. Reviews and star ratings have remained unchanged.
Cutting down the number of local results is a major blow to local businesses, making it much more difficult to get the visibility you might have once had. Your link is also going to be more closely associated with your competitors, making it easier for viewers to be distracted by the links of those competitors. Some adjustments to your strategy probably need to be made if you want to stay competitive:
Change Your Objective for Local Search
Trying to get at the top of the local three-pack sounds great, but it’s probably going to be very difficult and probably isn’t really going to bring you the results that you want. Each three-pack changes depending on where the searcher is, meaning that the results are ranked not just by relevancy but by how close they are to the person searching.
Where you probably want to be is not just in those top three results, but in the expanded view. By providing as much information as possible when you appear in this section, you have the ability to significantly affect whether or not someone chooses your business when they find you in this expanded local search panel. This should make your main objective to provide Google with as much information about your business as it can handle.
A Responsive Website
Google is looking to provide the best, most relevant results for browsers. Part of that consideration is realizing that more than half of the traffic on the web takes place on a mobile device, Google is pushing websites that are mobile responsive to front of the list. This means that websites that do not respond to mobile browsers are being penalized, and the fight back to the first page of the search rankings could be treacherous.
Feed the Google Beast
Your best shot of being chosen is having the most relevant information in your listing as possible. This means that you need to feed Google all of that information. There are more than a few ways that you can give Google the information that it wants to know about you: through webpage content, through social signals, through Google Maps, reviews, other marketing efforts, and local backlinks. Let’s take a look at each.
Website Content
How can you show Google what areas you service? By create a separate page on your website for each location or city that you sell to or service. In order to avoid being flagged for duplicate content, the content on every single one of these pages should be unique, even if the information provided on each is essentially the same. Each page should also have a Google Map that has your address, the name of your company, and your telephone number, along with content that is specific to that local area.
Off-Site Signals
How can you control your off-site signals? By creating a very strong presence on local search directories. They are great for providing you with a separate place to list services and they are also great for proving to Google that you do operate in a certain location. It is important to make sure that the information across your listings on different directories is correct. They shouldn’t find one directory that says you are open until nine and another that says you are only open until six. Stay on top of these listings and respond to reviews and ratings.
Google Maps
Did you know that you can add not just your address, but also your phone number and your reviews and store hours to your Google Maps listing? Because the snack pack uses Google Maps to show the location of your business, also including this information is paramount to your success.
Backlinks
Building positive local backlinks is vital for organic search engine optimization and for staying at the top of the snack pack. You can do this by partnering with local schools, writing editorials for local papers, supporting local charities, joining your Chamber of Commerce, and working with local bloggers who might be interested in writing about you.
Earlier this year, Google made a series of significant changes to their local search listings. Most significantly, they reduced the number of links in the local pack from seven down to three. This means that local search engine optimization experts were left with less than half as many listings to deal with and it was now more difficult than ever before to stay competitive. This wasn’t the only important change made—In some cases, Google also removed phone numbers from these listings, replacing them with store hours. These changes might be better for searchers, but they’re definitely not better for businesses. It was such a drastic change, some marketers have called it the most significant change in local search since Google’s Pigeon Update back in July 2014.
Here’s what you need to know in order to stay competitive in the search results.
What Matters Now
Now that you know what changes have been made to the pack, here are the features that are most important to know about: first, there are fewer local search results being shown. Google maps is very important, but they are pulling back on the importance of Google+ for local results. The websites themselves have become easier to see, and while the phone numbers are not as easy to see, they are still easy to find. Reviews and star ratings have remained unchanged.
Cutting down the number of local results is a major blow to local businesses, making it much more difficult to get the visibility you might have once had. Your link is also going to be more closely associated with your competitors, making it easier for viewers to be distracted by the links of those competitors. Some adjustments to your strategy probably need to be made if you want to stay competitive:
Change Your Objective for Local Search
Trying to get at the top of the local three-pack sounds great, but it’s probably going to be very difficult and probably isn’t really going to bring you the results that you want. Each three-pack changes depending on where the searcher is, meaning that the results are ranked not just by relevancy but by how close they are to the person searching.
Where you probably want to be is not just in those top three results, but in the expanded view. By providing as much information as possible when you appear in this section, you have the ability to significantly affect whether or not someone chooses your business when they find you in this expanded local search panel. This should make your main objective to provide Google with as much information about your business as it can handle.
A Responsive Website
Google is looking to provide the best, most relevant results for browsers. Part of that consideration is realizing that more than half of the traffic on the web takes place on a mobile device, Google is pushing websites that are mobile responsive to front of the list. This means that websites that do not respond to mobile browsers are being penalized, and the fight back to the first page of the search rankings could be treacherous.
Feed the Google Beast
Your best shot of being chosen is having the most relevant information in your listing as possible. This means that you need to feed Google all of that information. There are more than a few ways that you can give Google the information that it wants to know about you: through webpage content, through social signals, through Google Maps, reviews, other marketing efforts, and local backlinks. Let’s take a look at each.
Website Content
How can you show Google what areas you service? By create a separate page on your website for each location or city that you sell to or service. In order to avoid being flagged for duplicate content, the content on every single one of these pages should be unique, even if the information provided on each is essentially the same. Each page should also have a Google Map that has your address, the name of your company, and your telephone number, along with content that is specific to that local area.
Off-Site Signals
How can you control your off-site signals? By creating a very strong presence on local search directories. They are great for providing you with a separate place to list services and they are also great for proving to Google that you do operate in a certain location. It is important to make sure that the information across your listings on different directories is correct. They shouldn’t find one directory that says you are open until nine and another that says you are only open until six. Stay on top of these listings and respond to reviews and ratings.
Google Maps
Did you know that you can add not just your address, but also your phone number and your reviews and store hours to your Google Maps listing? Because the snack pack uses Google Maps to show the location of your business, also including this information is paramount to your success.
Backlinks
Building positive local backlinks is vital for organic search engine optimization and for staying at the top of the snack pack. You can do this by partnering with local schools, writing editorials for local papers, supporting local charities, joining your Chamber of Commerce, and working with local bloggers who might be interested in writing about you.
Published on November 18, 2015
About the Author: Chris Williams
