Understanding Google local pack ranking

What is the Google local pack?

The local pack is the set of three business listings that display at the top of Google’s search engine results page. These are location-based results that are marked in the Google map above the listings below.

What does Google use to determine local pack rankings?

Google determines local rankings on three primary factors: relevance, distance, and prominence.

• Relevance
  • Local citations (Is your category relevant?)
  • Do you have relevant content on your site?
  • Is your content written for potential search visitors, not just for SEO?
  • Is your content “sticky,” engaging, and interesting to readers?
• Distance
  • How far is the search visitor from the business?)
• Prominence
  • How well known is the business both on and offline?
  • Reputation (rating and number of reviews)
  • Backlinks
  • Local citations
  • Organic rankings

Can my healthcare practice rank in the local pack for other cities?

For most local searches, the proximity of the searcher to the physical location of the practice seems to have more weight than citations, reviews, links, and website content. This means it’s difficult to rank in the local pack for towns and cities where you do not have a physical address.

However, it’s possible for your website to rank in organic search results for areas outside of your location under the pack of listings. You might target local organic results for areas that you serve outside of your current location by strategically creating city landing pages, which you can learn more about in this article.

You can also increase your chances of organically ranking in other areas outside of your location with these tips:

• Create new quality content
  • Add new content about the services you provide around the geo-location you want to rank for
  • Enhance existing keyword-related content
  • Add a blog to your website
  • Reevaluate services selected: Are we using service names that users would search for? Is there a demand (search volume) for the service?
  • Optimize for around “near me”
  • Ensure geo specialty and brand association in content (about section, service hero content)
• Build links on reputable websites
  • Awards (nominations, etc.)
  • Brand mentions
  • Partner businesses: Can you exchange testimonials and backlinks with other businesses you work with in your area?
  • Local: interviews, events, sponsorships, scholarships, guides
  • Alumni links

If you have more questions regarding the Google local pack, contact your Customer Success Manager.