How to Dominate Local SEO, and Why You Should Plan for it Before You Start Your Website. 

In Google language, “local pack” refers to the top three results in a search for a local business. These three results are displayed above the organic search results, next to a map. It’s also called the “map pack” or the “3 pack” and displays the business name, contact details, ratings, reviews, photos and directions. 

See my example for “Ice Cream Cape Town” below, with Google showing the local pack.

Imagine what it means for a business to be at the very top of this pile, without spending a cent on Google Ads. And you probably wonder what it takes to own a piece of this valuable Google Real Estate. Is it about reviews? Website visits? Web content? Are local SEO strategies different to ordinary SEO strategies? 

The answer is complex, and because it involves many variables including web page content, it’s important to understand how local SEO works before you embark on your website creation journey, because the content of your web pages will ultimately influence your local SEO status, alongside other ranking factors in your Google My Business Profile. 

Your Google My Business (GMB) profile and website content must align closely with what users search for. This will involve careful web page content SEO, and creating content with “geo-targeted relevance”. This would mean mentioning the city or town you’re serving in your web pages and having a google-verified business address in the same place. 

Google considers the proximity of businesses to the specified search location. Having a central address in the target location is crucial. For instance, to rank for “Ice Cream Cape Town” your ice cream business address should be in Cape Town.

This reflects your business’s credibility and visibility. Building prominence entails earning positive reviews, getting backlinks from reputable sources, ensuring accurate citations online, and doing well in organic search results. r. 

Now that we know what Google looks for,  what are some practical steps to take to raise to the top?

Make sure it’s complete and accurate. Engage meaningfully with all reviews. Include at least 10 stunning and unique images. Your listing should scream authenticity and vibrancy. 

You can re-purpose your social media content for this. While GMB posts may not directly impact rankings, it will drive engagement, indirectly benefiting your listing. Create diverse content catering to various stages of the customer journey, from informative to promotional.

What are citations? These are other directories where you can list your business. Ensure your NAPW details on these other sites match your GMB listing 100%. These details are called NAPW for Name, Address, Phone and Website.

You can use an SEO tool to help you with a list of directories where you can list your business. It’s also important to check where your competitors list their business, and do the same. 

Make sure your web pages mention your address and that your page content is written around the keywords you’re targeting. There are tools available to audit your web pages for relevance.

Set a target for reviews and reward your customers for leaving a review. Respond to all reviews and engage with them in a meaningful way. Be consistent in responding to reviews, this will encourage more reviews. 

Address your local customers by including content and blog posts that will resonate with them.

Aim to get backlinks from local sources like community organisations or local bloggers. Explore sponsorship or collaboration opportunities with local influencers to enhance your backlink profile.

Remember, SEO magic takes time. You won’t see results overnight, but consistency is key.

Set a schedule for creating content and stick to it. You may even enjoy the process and who knows, before you know it, you’ve slowly risen through the Google rankings and made it to the “local pack”.

If you need help with SEO or content, talk to me.