What is the Google My Business Local 3 pack and how do you get into the Google My Business 3 Pack? Is it possible?

Firstly lets take a look at what the Google My Business Local 3 pack is.

When you do a search for a local business, you will find that 3 businesses show up at the top of the page, above the normal listings. And then there is a ‘More places’ link. These 3 businesses is what is called the 3 pack.

See our search below for a plumber in Ballarat.

So how do you get into the Google My Business Local 3 Pack?

It can be a bit tricky as Google is constantly changing things, but here is what we have found that helps.

Google My Business

1. First make sure you have claimed and verified your Google My Business (GMB) Listing. Not sure about this? Go here for help. Sadly, just doing this won’t automatically get you into the 3 pack.
2. Your NAP is important, this is your Name, Address and Phone number. Take note of this and join some local and national directories e.g. Yelp, True Local etc. Be sure to keep your NAP exactly the same as what you have in your GMB listing.
3. Add photos to your listing. Start with a few and then add some every week. This shows Google that your business is active, which will help your ranking.
4. Add your profile image (logo) and your cover photo.
   
   Guidelines for Photos
   Make sure they are high quality images.
   
   Profile image – 250 x 250 pixel
   Cover photo – 1080 x 608 pixels
   Shared images – 720 X 720 pixels
   JPG or PNG Size: 10KB to 5MB
   
5. Get more reviews on your Google My Business listing. Proactively ask for reviews!
6. Answer questions on your GMB page
7. Do regular posts on your GMB page. (Note only some business types have this feature.)
8. Be sure to monitor your page as anyone can make edits. It is important to keep it up to date and review any changes made.

Your Website

Your website can also have some impact on getting into the 3 pack.

1. Make sure your site runs well, loads quickly and is mobile friendly. It has an ssl certificate (this is essential now otherwise you will get penalized).
2. We also find it is good to have a minimum of 300 words on each page.
3. Be sure that you have your SEO title, meta description and keyword listed for each page.
4. Make sure your site uses local keywords – e.g. words that people would be searching for in your area. For example, a plumbing site might have ‘Area + emergency plumber.’ (Hint – don’t do the same thing on every page, or repeat the word too many times as Google will penalize you for it.)
5. Build up quality inbound links and citations that come back to your site – e.g directories, local sites (e.g. chamber of commerce).
6. Also have links coming from other authority sites.
7. Have a regular blog on your site – that uses local keywords. You can post this blog on social media sites also.
8. Add videos to your site as well.

These are just a few things you can do to help you get to the 3 pack. Remember there is no guarantee, as Google is constantly changing things. However, we have seen that doing the above certainly helps and can often get you in the 3 pack.

Getting into the Google My Business Local 3 pack means more calls and more customers, so it is important that you take the time to get this happening.

If you would like some help, let us know via our contact page.