Understanding Google’s Local Search and 3-Pack Display
Statistically, 82% of individuals use search engines to find local businesses and 50% of all mobile searches are conducted to find local results. More importantly, 61% of such searches are done with intent to purchase. Smart people know that Google’s local search can unveil amazing local businesses and places.
For instance, if you are searching for furnished or corporate apartments in Baltimore, Google will show three such local businesses accompanied by a map (known as a 3-pack display) with the best company occupying the top spot. The platform is officially known as Google My Business and is a free digital platform offered by the California-based technology giant. It serves two purposes:
To assist business owners grow their online visibility.
To help you and others search, engage with and assess businesses in local neighborhoods.
Search queries with local intent contain not only information about what the user is searching, but also where the information should lead to such as a city name, street address or geographic directions like latitude and longitude. For example, against your long tail keyword corporate housing Baltimore MD Google’s 3-pack display would show three most credible options.
The differentiating factor of such searches is its implicit or explicit local intent. A search that contains a location modifier such as Queens, NY or 5th Ave qualifies as an explicit local search. A search that mentions a product or service such as bars or automobile workshops is an implicit local search.
Remember, the top local result would be occupied by a Google Certified SEO Company. It is an accreditation that is considered the benchmark of SEO professionalism as Google puts strenuous efforts into examining its partnered companies.
Therefore, an entrepreneur can post through Google My Business to publish events, products and services straight to Google Maps and Search. By regularly creating quality posts, you would be placing your content in front of customers when they will see your business listing on Google.
It is essential to know that since August 2015, Google has updated the local search results display by showing three local businesses instead of seven. In an SEO world it means that the 7-pack is now a 3-pack. This has impacted businesses diametrically as the update was not a variation in local search ranking influencers, but a transformation in the way local business info is displayed on the SERP. All of this further elevates the importance of organic growth and cut-throat search engine optimization.
It is not easy to choose an authentic SEO Company when they all claim to drive organic traffic to your website. Therefore, let the most popular search engine fulfill your need for authenticity by showing you a Google Certified SEO Company as its topmost local result.
Google’s local search, when optimized properly gives you the power of visibility through continuous engagement with your audience from your phone, tablet or desktop computer.
