Google Local Pack

Searchability = Profitability

By Erica Rascón on May 13, 2016 in Marketing

Do you want your listings to appear at the top of Google search results? Of course you do. Capitalizing upon your Google Business Listing is the first step towards a higher ranking.

During our recent Open Café session, we polled 100 users from across the U.S. to learn if they maximize the potential of their Google Business Listings. This is what we learned:

• 55 percent of people surveyed have claimed their Google Business Listing

• 27 percent of users were not sure if they had claimed their Google Business Listing

• 18 percent of people surveyed have not claimed their Google Business Listing

Your Google Business Listing is a quick, inexpensive way to enhance your digital presence and connect with prospects. It is the bridge between your property and prospects in your area who are searching for what you have to offer.

By investing a little time in your Google Business Listing, you are making it easier for prospects to find your property through organic search as well as a listing in Google’s Local Pack.

You’re likely familiar with Local Pack, even if you didn’t know the name of it. The Local Pack is composed of three business listings and a map that shows their location. Businesses that make it onto this top three list are more likely to get clicks since they are prominent in search results.

Interested in joining that Local Pack? Here is how to get started:

The Foundation

Be sure to input all requested data on your Google Maps My Business Page, including hours of operation and details about your location. These key points will help Google match your property with the location terms used in searches.

Proximity matters. “Near me” searches have increased by 130 percent in the last year. About 88 percent of such searches occur on mobile devices. If you aren’t making the most of your business listing, you aren’t positioning yourself for success with these users.

Next, create a detailed description of your property and its amenities. The latter will help Google match your business with relevant search inquiries.

Be sure to add recent, professional photos of your property. The details listed above can to improve your searchability but images appeal directly to consumers.

Finally, follow the steps to verify your business by mail or by phone. By verifying your listing, you gain full control over its content. Google can also push your information to other platforms and directories, improving the scale of your influence.

If you have not already, establish your Yelp business listing. Yelp can improve your prominence ranking with Google—but more on that later.

Moving Up the Local Pack

Prominence is where many businesses struggle to get the upper hand. Google defines prominence as “how well-known a business is.” For most apartment communities, Google will use your digital presence (like links, articles, and directories) to determine your prominence. Prominence is also influenced by search engine optimization (SEO).

Reviews can increase your prominence. Reviews are a leading factor in today’s decision making: 88 percent of users trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

This is where your Yelp listing comes into play.  Most apartment communities focus on rental-specific review sites. While those are powerful tools, Yelp reviews are what help businesses achieve higher rank in the Local Pack and organic searches.

To get the best reviews, begin with a stellar product and excellent customer service. Promptly and professionally respond to reviews—especially negative feedback–and show that you are a community that cares about resident satisfaction.

It may also help to explore Google AdWords. In the past, ads were swept to the margins of search results. Now, you can enable your location extension in AdWords to activate an ad within the Local Pack. This may greatly improve the likelihood of clicks and conversions.

Your Website Still Matters!

If your business is among the top three businesses that appear in the Local Pack, you are appearing alongside two of your competitors. When prospects click on your listing, make it easy for them to find the information that they need on your website rather than returning to your competitors in the Local Pack.

To facilitate smooth conversions through your website, make the user experience as seamless as possible:

• Make sure your site is mobile-friendly and responsive
• Optimize images for web for faster page load
• Make sure forms are easy to fill out with a mobile device

If your property isn’t ranking high in Google search results, that won’t change over night. Yet by following the steps above, you’re heading in the right direction. Learn more about enhancing your digital presence at the next Open Café webinar on May 18th!