Why is My Business Not Ranking in the Google Map Pack
Hey everyone, Jared here with BlinkJar. We recently had a client who was testing out her rankings in the Google 3-pack or local search results. I'm dating myself with this comparison, but the Google 3-pack is like the Yellow Pages of today. People viewing these results are at the bottom of the consumer funnel or the conversion stage. They are ready to speak to you, so they are looking for contact information like address, phone number, website, or driving directions.
Like many, our client searched popular terms centered around her business to test if her business would appear in the map pack results. She did this on her mobile phone from both her house and her office location. To her surprise, she got much different results when she searched from her home compared to her office. To gain a better perspective on why this happens, let's dive into the details of local search rankings and the Google 3-Pack results.
What are Google's Ranking Factors for the Map Pack?
To appear in Google's Map Pack, you need to understand the key factors affecting your ranking.
Google's algorithm focuses on:
- Relevance: How is the search query aligned with your business? Factors such as the keywords used in the search, business category, business description, and the consistency of how your company's name, address, and phone number (NAP) appear across the web are a few of the items that impact the relevance.
- Distance: What is the geographic proximity of your business to the searcher? Businesses geographically closer to the searcher are more likely to show in the 3-map pack.
- Prominence: What is your business's reputation and online visibility? Factors like online reviews, link signals, and Google Business Profile optimization are just a few of the signals that impact prominence.
What are the controllable and uncontrollable factors in Local Search Rankings?
The business can control some of Google's ranking factors, while others are entirely out of your control.
Controllable Factors:
These are elements within your power to adjust and improve:
- NAP Consistency: Ensure your business information is uniform across all online platforms. There are subscription-based companies that can help with this effort.
- Online Presence: Develop a robust presence through your website, social media, and other listings. A solid online presence is achieved by following the inbound marketing methodology.
- Customer Reviews: Motivate customers to post positive reviews on your Google Business Profile. Be careful with this one, as you want to make it as organic as possible.
- SEO: Optimize your website and Google Business Profile for local search terms. Content creation helps tremendously here.
- Content: Consistently produce and share high-quality content related to your business.
Uncontrollable Factors:
These factors are outside your direct control but still impact your rankings:
- User Distance: The physical closeness of a user to your business.
- Proximity of Search: The particular location or area from which a user searches.
Although you cannot influence uncontrollable factors, actively focusing on the controllable ones can significantly enhance your ranking potential in local search results.
Enhancement Tips:
- Regularly Update Google My Business: Keep your profile up-to-date and respond promptly to reviews. We also recommend posting consistently on your profile.
- Monitor Local SEO Performance: Utilize tools to track your rankings and pinpoint areas for improvement. Tools like SEMRush and Moz are great.
- Maintain Consistency: Ensure your business information is consistent across all channels. This area is often ignored but is critical to ranking in Google's 3-Map Pack.
- Network Locally: Connect with other local businesses to increase your visibility. Local networking takes time, but it pays off exponentially in local search rankings.
By implementing these local search marketing best practices, you position your business for optimal visibility in Google's Map Pack, thereby enhancing your local search presence. Improved visibility means more potential customers finding you, which leads to increased leads and opportunities. Ultimately, this translates into business growth—the primary goal for any business owner.
