The Google Map Pack – And How to Get On It
When you do searches in Google, you often get very different search results. Sometimes you see websites. Sometimes you see company listings. This group of listings, the Google Local Listing Map Pack, is very important because it tells consumers where to shop and where to do business. Learn how this works and why this is important to your marketing strategy for your local company.
The Many Names and Uses of the Google Map Pack
When you search for a keyword that Google thinks might be related to a local business they will very often give you results in the form of a list of local listings that show up prominently in the top or middle of the search page. This list of companies is referred to in the Internet Marketing world by many different phrases. You’ll hear it referred to as the Map Pack, the 7 Pack (since it used to show 7 listings), or the 3 Pack, or Address Pack.
Whatever we decide to call the Map Pack, it’s obviously important because it tells consumers looking for businesses where to go.
It’s important to know that Google knows where you are doing your search and will give you results depending on what they think you want to see. So doing a search looks different in Los Angeles vs. Miami.
Finding a Plumber in Los Angeles
Let me give you some examples of how this works. If we search for the term “plumber” in Los Angeles, California this is the first page in Google that comes up:
Notice the three major sections of the search. You’ve got the Paid Search section at the top, the Organic Search section under that, and below. And in the middle, you’ve got the Map Pack.
Finding a Plumber in Miami
If we do the same search, but across the country in Miami, Florida, this is the result we will get. notice that there are the same parts, but very different companies result are shown:
Local Listings Look Different Than Regular Search Results, and Oh What a Difference That Makes
Now, you’ll notice from these search results that not all search results look the same. Some of the results in the middle of the page seem to stand out. Some have stars prior to them. After the name of the company, they have their address and phone number with a link to Google Maps, so you can quickly find where they’re located. This is the Map Pack.
You’ll notice that they stand out from the other normal search results. These are prominently placed on the page. Let’s look at the Map Pack more closely.
Easy to Find Address, Phone, and Reviews
The major reason why the address pack is a big deal to Internet marketers is that they have easy to notice contact information for users. If you’re on a smartphone all you have to do is click on the phone number and you’re doing business. Or you can click on the address and you’ve got driving directions to their location of operation.
And you can’t help but notice that online reviews are shown prominently in the search results, making it quick and easy to choose which company to patronize.
The New Google Carousel
In addition to the Map Pack, there is also a new development by Google which is being referred to as the Google Carousel. See it below:
This black bar scrolls across the top of the page in the most conspicuous manner to date of all local listings. Online reviews are that much more obvious. This listing process is being tested by Google in some markets for some types of businesses. Be on the lookout for this development in your industry and your business.
New Google 3-Pack
In an effort to always change things, Google has made things even more complicated, adding a third variation to the potential map pack that you can see. In recent months they’ve added a 3-Pack that can expand into a full page of local results. This is a very similar format to how things now look on mobile devices as well.
I think this new feature is very user-friendly, giving you the top 3 options, while also easily expanding to all of the local options, with the option for sorting, and a map to the right, making this a format to be watching in the coming months. With more and more searches going mobile, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this as the dominant map pack setting into the future.
Noticing how easy it is to eliminate paid and organic search results from your screen, only seeing local listing results. This underscores the importance of using Google My Business, combined with a smart Local Listing campaign.
Note: We’ve seen a variation on the type of map pack that shows up, depending on the type of search, the browser that you’re using, and the type of computer–mac or PC, as well as your location. So don’t expect anything consistent moving forward.
How Do You Make Your Business Show Up In the Map Pack or Carousel?
Getting into the Google Map Pack or Carousel is not a simple process? It involves a local listing strategy. And it involves a content marketing campaign for your website.
As everyone in the Internet Marketing Industry is noticing, there’s been a real shake-up in the Map Pack in recent months, with many companies changing positions. Some companies are now showing up that didn’t before, and some companies have been deleted.
The overall conclusion that we’ve come to is that the better the content on the websites of your businesses, the better your company is likely to be placed in the Google local listings.
If you don’t have a local marketing strategy that involves both a local listing and content marketing strategy, you may want to discuss this with us and begin implementing both as soon as your budget allows.
Getting on the map pack is achievable with a modest budget, but it does take time and it does take some effort. And it does take some expertise. This is where Holistic comes in. Discuss these important strategies with us today to see how we can help you get on the map.
Wade Mann, the author of this article, is an Internet Marketer at Holistic Web Presence.
