Google My Business
It helps bring in leads from potential customers who live close by. If you want to get leads all the time, you should be in Local Pack 3. (aka Map Pack). Because of this, businesses need to make sure their listing ranks.
This blog will tell seven ranking factors to help you get to the top of pack 3.
1. Completeness Of Your Google Business Profile
Ranking will be easier the more information you give. But you should wait to update whatever comes to mind. Make sure that what you’re updating is true, as far as you know. It will improve your listing and help people discover everything they need about your business.
After getting your listing verified, here are the things you need to change in the right way:
- Business Name
- Contact Number
- Business Description
- Products/Service
- Product photos (if any)
- Opening hours
When you update all the information, your chances of being in the local pack go up, and you can get a spot in “Related Search.”
2. Choosing the right type of business
Choosing the right business category is important if you want to be at the top of the local pack. It is because your primary category tells Google what your business is about, which helps you get the right people to your business listing.
Since your business could fit into many different groups, you should pick only some.
“Competitor Analysis” is the best way to determine where your business fits best.
Here’s what you need to do:
Open Google.com
Type in words that have to do with your business and click the search button.
Now, figure out how the top three results got there.
Check to see what their main and secondary business is.
Update your business listing with these changes
3. Ratings and Reviews on Google
Google has started to look at the Google Seller Ratings (GSR) to decide how a business listing should be ranked. GSR is an algorithm that puts businesses in order based on how good their reviews and ratings are. The algorithm considers a business’s average rating and its number of reviews.
Also, other things, like reviews and ratings of competitors, are used to figure out how good the business listings sent to the search engine are. By getting better customer reviews and ratings, businesses have a rare chance to move up in the rankings.
It is why most businesses ask you to leave a review after you buy something from them. You should also ask your customers to leave a review as they do.
4. Replies to reviews from customers
We bet you have yet to hear of or think about how your response to a review can affect how it ranks.
Here are some things you should know before you answer a review.
Don’t say anything bad.
Always answer quickly to a review.
If the customer brings up a problem in the review, come up with a solution.
When you respond to a review, keeping the above in mind will help improve your online reputation, which will help you get more customers. When a customer complains, responding with a solution will make a difference.
5. Optimization of the landing page
From a search engine optimization point of view, keeping useful, keyword-rich information on landing pages up to date is very important. Google sends bots to the page you link to GBP to see if it is useful to customers.
6. How often do you post on your Google Business Profile
Your GBP/GMB profile has a feature called “post” that is like Facebook and Instagram. It’s best to post at least once a week so that people interested in your business can interact with it.
In the post, you can talk about your products or services, specials, the latest news about your business, or anything else that potential customers might be interested in.
7. NAP Consistency
Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) are some of the most important factors that Google uses to decide where a website ranks. If these are different everywhere on the Internet, your site/GBP listing will be challenging to rank.
Your NAP should be the same on GBP/website as on local directories, third-party websites, business directories, social media, and the websites of local business associations.
If you take care of this right away, you’ll be at the top of the local pack in no time.
On Your Own
So, those are the things that affect your GMB/GBP rank. If you do a good job with these things, no one can stop you from getting to the top of local pack 3. You can always reach out to us if you want help from experts.
Mahira Digital is an Indian SEO company based in Delhi. We help local companies with their SEO and digital marketing needs. Visit our website to find out more.