Google MAP Pack and Organic Local Search Results
When Google users make a local search, typically a keyword followed by a location, like “plumbers London”, Google returns three different types of results:
• Sponsored Ads
• MAP Pack Results
• Organic Search Results
In this blog, we’ll be explaining how the last two types - MAP Pack, and Organic Search - impact your rankings, and laying out the factors you need to optimise to improve your local search score.
What is the Google MAP Pack?
Google uses the MAP Pack to return results back to you based on your nearness to their location. It displays the location of these results in the form of a map and pulls the top three nearest your location. The MAP Pack is a superb chance to generate tons of calls or website visits, as Google displays a call icon with results if users are on a mobile, or a website icon to desktop or laptop searchers.
How to rank well with the Google Map Pack
There are several key factors you need to optimise if you want to rank well in the MAP Pack.
Google My Business – Google pulls info from your Google My Business profile to analyse your proximity, categories, and keywords, like the keywords used in your business title. It’s important to put the most important keywords in your title as well as your description. You should also try and keep the photos on your Google My Business profile fresh and updated.
Links – Google assesses your inbound anchor text, as well as your linking domain authority, and quantity.
Reviews – Google will look at the quantity and quality of reviews you have, as well as their diversity, and the speed with which you acquire new reviews. Reviews have never been so important to rank well on Google. To put you in 1st position, Google needs to see that your customers are happy, and that you are the right match for local searchers. Google also considers reviews on Trip Advisor, Yelp, and Facebook, as well as Google My Business reviews.
On-Page – Google reviews your NAP data (Name, Address, Phone Number), looks at the keywords you have in your titles, and assesses your domain authority.
Citations – Google will analyse your IYP (Internet Yellow Pages) listing, as well as the amount of accurate Name, Address, Phone number citations your business has on other websites.
In this video, you’ll learn what each of the MAP pack ranking factors are, and why they are important to your Local SEO strategy. You’ll also discover how to boost them, so you can appear higher in search results.
Google has confirmed that to rank well in the MAP pack, you also need to do well in organic search results. This means you need to score highly on Google’s traditional ranking factors too, so as well as improving your local search markers, you must follow normal good SEO practise as well.
Analyse your MAP Pack performance
To track how you are performing in the Google Map Pack you can use the free tools Local Viking or Local Falcon, which let you get granular with your search results, so you can see where you really rank. This is important, as your MAP Pack ranking can change depending on the information entered, even sometimes from street to street.
What are Organic Local Search Results?
How to rank well in Organic Local Search Results
If you want to appear higher in local organic search results within Google, there are some important factors you need to optimise.
Links – Google checks your inbound anchor text, your linking Domain authority, and your linking domain quantity.
On-Page– Google looks for the presence of Name, Address, Phone number data, checks the keywords in your titles, and reviews your domain authority. To score you highly, Google needs to be able to easily find clear contact information on all your website and business social media profiles. If you have a local business, pay special attention to your contact and how to find us pages, and always make sure you include both on your website.
Behavioural – Google assesses your clickthrough rate, looks at your mobile to call rate, and analyses your check ins.
Google My Business – Google reviews your business’s proximity, your stated categories, and your keywords, including the keyword in your business title.
Citations – Google weighs up your Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) listing and looks at the amount of Name Address Phone Number (NAP) citation mentions your business has.
More on ranking well in Organic Local Search
If you have a local business, the most important thing to remember is that although you want to rank high in the Map Pack, Organic search is still important. To optimise your organic local search rankings, you need to optimise your normal search ranking too, just as you do if you want to boost your MAP pack ranking. That means you must do all the things you usually would if you were looking to boost to your search results, only with the addition of your location information. Make sure your website speed and image compression are optimal, your title and metadata are accurate and relevant, and your keywords are carefully chosen. Optimise your website layout so people can easily find the information they need and create high value content with high authority backlinks. In this course, you’ll learn how to optimise your website for both local and traditional search, so you can rise higher in local search results and get discovered by more people searching for brands in your sector and area.