Why do Local Businesses fail to make it to Google’s 3-pack?

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Local Businesses fail to make it to Google’s 3-pack blogging-for-small-businesses

Have you ever planned a night out with friends and had to use Google for help? 

You didn’t know what the best restaurants were in the area and you decided to look it up? 

Let me guess; you probably picked one of the first three places that Google showed you when you ran the search, didn’t you?

What is the Google 3-Pack and why does it matter

If you said yes, you are not alone. The first 3 restaurants that pop up on the large-displayed map (picked according to your current location) are a part of something called the Google 3-Pack.

It seems like an unconscious decision, but most people end up picking any business from those top 3 choices. Most won’t bother scrolling further, knowing the recommended options are more likely to be to their liking. This has a significant impact on business revenue, more than any non-business owner would expect. Via Google 3-Pack, customers find not only their preferred business but also their ratings and contact information. 

This means local traffic o these businesses is higher than it would be without being featured in the top three. Studies have indicated that the click-through rate for these businesses is much higher than for any others further down the list. 

All of this pretty simple, so why do so many local business fail to make it to the Google 3-Pack? 

There are many reasons for that. Initially, the 3-Pack was a list of seven. However, the display of seven listings was awkward at best, and for better appeal on mobile phones it was shortened to three on the Google Pigeon Update.

Doing so might have succeeded at affording a better look, but it was costly to the local businesses who had, had more spaces to compete for. Local search improved as businesses with strong visibility and organic presence found spots on the 3-pack.

In the following paragraphs, we will see what mistakes the local businesses are making that is costing them the highly desired space at the top of the search results page, and what they could do to ensure they have that valued spot.

 

  • Investing in proper Search Engine Optimization

 

What a lot of local businesses lack when it comes to being more visible online to the local public is little to no SEO. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is an online marketing technique that helps businesses to make themselves appear on top in search engines and helps to increase the rank of any website. 

 

  • Paying due attention to My Business Profiles 

 

One of the first steps to making your business better known in search engines is creating a Google My Business Profile. This is so you can add your business name, address, contact information, open hours, and a short description of what your business does. It’s the first step to creating an online presence for your business. 

 

  • Getting the help of Link Building Agencies when you need it

 

It is not a big deal if a business doesn’t know how to optimize their websites. There are agencies built for the exact purpose of building your rank on search engines and increasing the traffic your site is getting. It is their job to make sure you get to the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Agencies like SEtalks, Nobs, and Diane Media are all devoted to link building. 

  1. Not shunning Google+ 

Cultivating a confident presence is essential. It is crucial for local businesses to keep their Google+Local page completely updated; that the names, addresses, and contact information is all accurate and up to date. It is also essential to make sure there are reviews on their Google+ account. The ratings are a prominent feature in the Google 3-Pack and to be a part of it, it is necessary to make sure that you garner positive reviews from customers. 

 

  • Having a healthy and witty Social Media Presence 

 

In the age of technology, it is vital for businesses nowadays to keep up with social media. A social media presence can drastically affect business. It is a free method of advertising, your customers can leave you instant responses, and that can spur on more customers being interested. Especially with restaurants, there are multiple food delivery apps and being a part of their catalog can significantly increase business. 

 

  • Being professional when it comes to Data Management 

 

One of the most important parts of owning a business is data management. With data, you can help the sales team, and support services provide prospects and customers with accurate information of where your business is heading; its success rate, etc. It’s easier for people to trust numbers than just complimentary reviews. 

Small to mid-sized enterprises are expected to see their data grow by 167% in the next few years. Hence, a data management program is one of the following steps needed for the growth of your company. Make sure to implement new technology as soon as possible because as algorithms grow more advanced, their advantages increase, and it is best to take advantage of whatever possible options. 

The Bottom Line

With the ever-increasing popularization of mega-chain businesses like Target and Starbucks, it is often easy to sideline an essential part of any community: the local businesses. 

Local businesses are an integral part of every town, city, and country. They need to be supported, and to do that they need to be easier to reach by the local public. One of the most efficient ways to do that in this day and age of the Internet, social media and dependence on online maps and location services is to make their spot in the Google 3-Pack. 

In general, there is a lack of understanding of how optimization of your business works. Fortunately, we now have dedicated SEO agencies that can help you with everything you do not understand about that. 

If you believe there’s anything to be added to the article comment down below. If this article helped you out, please feel free to tell us about it. We’ll be delighted to hear back from anyone reading this and hope this was concise and easy enough to understand. 

About the Author:

Alma Causey is a Freelance writer by day and sports fan by night. She writes about Fashion and Tech. Live simply, give generously, watch football and a technology lover.

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