What to consider when optimizing for Googles three pack and local finder

The local three-pack is the three listings that show underneath the map on the left side when you search for something in a local area. The more you can appear in these listings, the more Google will trust your business.

It is not uncommon for a small business that is listed on a few local listings without much traffic to beat out big chains which have a location in that area: this is how strong this presence on a listing’s site can be. This is because Google wants to give searchers a good experience by emphasizing the results that are truly local, and it uses it’s choice of these sites as a good way to determine that.

Google’s Local 3-Pack has an internal ranking system. So in order to see your service amongst the first places in the pack, it’s not enough to just add your business onto the map. Furthermore, if your business lacks clicks or comments — it may disappear from the block altogether.

When optimizing your businesses local listings, one of the best goals is to optimize your site’s content for Google’s Three Pack.

• Post Highlights can use content that is older than seven days. And differing types of posts can be highlighted.
• Highlights are updated in real time so you can achieve quick results.
• Posting a single item can look cleaner than making a long list of your businesses services.

Optimizing your businesses Google My Business Listing can help quite a bit to get your business into the local three pack.

• Provide your businesses critical information, such as business name and category, location, and/or service area, hours of operation (with special hours or holidays), phone number, website URL, business description, and more.
• Upload photos, which appear in both the listing and Google Images
• Give more advanced information. For instance, store code, labels, or Google Ads location extension phone number, business hours.
• Encourage customers to leave reviews, and respond to them within the GMB dashboard.

Unfortunately, you can’t optimize your website using the set-it-and-forget-it approach. Instead, it’s a perpetual process of trying out new techniques and fixing bugs. The same goes for your Google My Business page—it also needs regular monitoring and updating. Here is a good explanation on how to edit your GMB Listing.

Now, there are some cases where a business might not want to rank locally but would rather prefer to rank nationally or globally. In this case you could choose to leave out the address portion of the listing.