In the world of sport, the ultimate victory is about making it to the top 3. It is to earn a spot amidst the top 3 and not beyond it, that competitive athletes and sports people try every training technique in the book, every strategy on the board and every improvisation possible without breaking the rules. Now, substitute the winning podium with Google listings and competing sporting pros with businesses, and you’ll get the logic behind the Google Local Pack. A group of three local business listings that appear on top of the search engine result pages. The results would typically show customers the Google My Business profiles and maps of the businesses making it to the pack.
Why is it so important to make it to the Google local pack? Because, while being on the winning podium tells the world you’re the best in the game, being in the top 3 listings assures customers that your business is considered by Google to be the most relevant, reliable and locationally close solution for a specific need or set of needs. Which brings us to the next obvious question. How does your business crack into the Top 3? Here are a few proven strategies to adopt, if your goal is to make it to the local 3-pack.
1) Do more with your Google My Business Account:
We’re sure you’ve already created a free Business Profile to gain visibility on Google. But apart from letting people know the name of your business, location and contact there’s not much you can do with a business profile; that’s until you add a layer onto it. A layer called Google My Business – a tool which will now open up interesting possibilities for you to actively engage with customers you’re targeting instead of just being an onlooker.
Use your Business profile to respond to reviews, send direct messages, answer questions and do more.
Share more than just basic information about your business – like a link to your website, products and prices, your specialty and factors that set your business apart.
Gain insights relating to customer searches and search performance. For example, see the keywords that customers are using to find your business, know whether they found you on Google Search or Maps, learn how your photos are performing relative to the competition and so much more.
Use your Google My Business dashboard to leverage the right keywords in your Business Profile and optimize your ranking in local seo searches.
2) Manage your reviews, move up your local ranking:
A background check is always preferable to getting your fingers burnt. It’s why up to 92% of customers look up reviews before initiating an experience with a local business. This is where managing your business reviews come in. We’re not just talking about separating the good from bad but doing stuff at your end that gets you more of the good and less of the bad.
- Put in place a sound reputation management strategy that takes care of the following:
- Tracking of reviews left by customers about your products or service experience
- Response to positive reviews that speak well about your expertise or business
- Management of negative reviews by understanding and resolving customer issues
- Encouragement of more positive reviews from delighted customers
- Avoidance of fake reviews which will compromise your business’s credibility
3) Ensure the presence of the right ‘On-Page Signals’:
Having a web page or pages dedicated to your company and its services doesn’t guarantee you a top ranking on the world’s favorite search engine. It’s all about how SEO-worthy your web pages are. Think of Google as an aircraft flying in the dark and SEO-based content as runway signals that are brightly lit and can’t be missed. Once Google spots the SEO signals on your content, it can then move on to the next step. Pop up your business in its search results when a customer with needs matching your services clicks onto the search bar.
Here are a few strategies to ensure your web pages and content have all the right ‘On-Page Signals’ or ‘On-Page Ranking Factors’ to not just exist but get picked up and noticed in the digital universe.
Use keywords that connect with the needs of your local customers. As simple as ‘Window Treatments Near Me’ or ‘Professional Window Treatment Company’. With the right keywords, your chances of showing up in local searches get optimized.
Create content that adds value to your community. Share tips on cleaning and maintenance of window treatments, or even publish a blog. Inform customers about events where they can know more about the latest types of window treatments. The key is to continue enriching your community with content that helps make a difference in their homes and lives. Relatable content equals shareable content, which will help increase the exposure of your business.
Keep your loading speed under 3 seconds. Because, it’s a world where you can gain or lose customers in a matter of seconds. Like you, your customers have a hundred things on their mind and will appreciate you if your site gives them what they’re looking for, without the wait.
Make it easy for interested customers to locate you, via contact information, directions or a map.
4) Get local businesses to ‘link’ with you:
Take the power of word-of-mouth and apply it between businesses rather than customers with a touch of digital and you get what’s popularly referred to as ‘local link building’. Here’s an example of how it works. Let’s say a customer is seeking the services of an architect or contractor who operates in your region. While browsing the site of this architect / contractor, the customer will notice a link that connects back to your site. This ‘backlink’ gives the customer an opportunity to look up your business for products or services that may be needed in the process of redesigning a home.
More links imply you have the support of other local businesses which gives the impression you’re a good business to work with. That’s something that makes sense to both Google and your customers. Here are a few ways to get your links going in the local community.
Create blogs around businesses that are relevant to your customers and link to their sites. For example, you could talk about how great furniture can enhance the appeal of a home in addition to great looking windows, and provide links of furniture showrooms in your area. It’s an effort that will most likely be reciprocated with the furniture business backlinking to your website in some way.
Engage with local influencers and have them feature your business link in content that’s relevant to your area of service. For instance, if a popular influencer is talking about an exceptionally designed home, he / she can drop a link to your business site in the video or article.
Like people, customers too love businesses who see the good in other local businesses. Apart from creating posts about your areas of competence, create a few about other businesses that follow ideals similar to yours. In classic marketing terms, it’s called a referral which works both ways. The business you ‘refer’ to, is bound to express its gratitude by ‘linking’ back to your page.
5) Be present in places other than Google:
Sometimes, a recommendation from a single source may not be enough to win someone’s trust. But when recommendations start coming in from multiple sources, building trust gets easier. Consistent visibility and performance across multiple directories is one of the criteria used by Google to determine a business’s ranking-worthiness. Having your business listed on multiple directories like Yahoo and Bing and not just Google My Business is a strategy that will surely pay off.
6) Be detailed when sharing your location:
Imagine a customer who’s driving back home from work, getting a call from home about a broken window. There’s a good chance the customer will look up a window treatment company enroute to home. In a world where customers look for solutions and services while on the go, Google makes it a priority to ease their search by showing up businesses that are closest at the time of search. For your business to show up in rankings, it’s necessary to make sure your local listings are complete, accurate and include details like your neighborhood, areas of expertise, qualities that set you apart and so on. Your address in the city and your proximity to the customer are decisive factors in getting you a firm place in the local pack.
7) Get more specific with your keywords:
Using the keywords ‘High Quality Window Treatments’ will definitely create awareness about your business. But modifying your keywords with variations like ‘Wood Blinds Near Me’ or ‘Affordable Cellular Shades’ will help you target customers with specific needs at the precise time when they’re seeking a specific solution or expertise. It’s the difference between talking to a crowd versus communicating to a specific individual or segment of a crowd.
Getting your window treatment business to rank in the Google local pack is a big step in the direction of optimizing your window treatment SEO. We trust this article – with its listed strategies, will help you in achieving your goal. However, if you’re scouting for a digital marketing agency that can handle local SEO for window treatment companies, speak to us at SocioSquares. We’re a proven and experienced digital agency that’s on the mission to empower local businesses – like yours, with the right set of strategies and tools to land high quality leads without losing time and wasting your precious profits. Call us and we’ll be happy to help your business make it to the top of the pack.