Bei lokalen Suchanfragen wie “Eisdiele Köln” or “Badminton spielen Frankfurt”, you have the opportunity to rank twice on page 1 through search engine optimization. How this works will be explained in this lesson of my SEO course.
8.1 Local Pack Ranking Factors & Google Business Profile
A listing in the Google Business Profile (formerly Google MyBusiness) is a prerequisite for securing one of the three coveted spots in the so-called “Local Pack” beneath the map for local search terms like “Photographer Munich.”
8.1.1 Local Pack Ranking Factors
(Screenshot google.com)
According to local SEO experts, the following factors can influence a good ranking for your business profile.
Business Profile Signals, such as:
Proximity
Relevant business category
Keyword in the business name
Top Tip: Services listed in the profile and other local extra information (see section 8.1.2)
Review Signals, such as the number of reviews, review diversity, and the text content of the reviews (see image).
It is advantageous if the relevant keywords appear in the reviews.
On-Page Signals (from the website), such as keywords in the meta title, NAP (more information in section 8.1.3), or domain authority and backlinks.
Citation Signals, such as the number of citations, NAP consistency, etc. (more information in section 8.1.3).
Some of these ranking factors, such as the business category, can be directly influenced by you.
Other factors, such as “proximity,” cannot, of course, be directly improved to your advantage.
In the example, I chose “English course Bremen” instead of “English course Munich” as the keyword because the results for “English course Bremen” include an especially high number of potential Local Pack ranking factors.
8.1.2 Local Extra Information
Depending on your industry, you may have the opportunity to add extra information, such as services, to your business profile. This can positively influence the ranking of your business profile for specific services and offerings.
Display: Provides Service and craft businesses can often add their key services to their Google Business Profile. Ideally, the business profile will then appear with the additional information “Offers: Service” in the listing below the map.
Display: Specialty / On the Menu Restaurants and cafés have the option to add their menu to the business profile. If Google users search for “Spaghetti Carbonara Dortmund,” for example, the restaurant can appear below the map with the information “Specialty: Spaghetti Carbonara” or “On the Menu: Spaghetti Carbonara.”
Display In stock Local stores can add products to their Google Business Profile. You should definitely use this option to increase the probability of appearing in the local pack when searching for a product combined with the city name such as “Tennis shoes Chicago”.
8.1.3 NAP and Citations
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone. These details should always be exactly the same whenever you provide your business information anywhere.
Local citations refer to mentions of your business on other websites, such as directories, social media platforms, etc.
8.2 Organic ranking factors for local search terms
Of course, you can also achieve another top-10 ranking in the organic search results with your own website when users search for local keywords such as “English course Munich.”
The ranking factors are generally similar to those for other keywords. The key is to include the combination of service and location/city as a keyword on the page.
(Screenshot Google.de)
The main keyword of your page should of course contain the name of the city or region.
The content must, as always with SEO, match the keyword. You should also include local content elements such as maps, address, location, etc. on the page.
Link signals such as anchor text, the quality of the linking page, etc.
On-Page signals (website) such as keywords in the title, NAP, or domain authority.
Google My Business signals such as proximity, category, or keyword in the business name.
Citation signals such as the number of citations, NAP consistency, etc.
You can also add structured data for local businesses to your website.
8.3 Rank in multiple cities
Many local businesses aim to achieve good rankings in various cities within their region or even nationwide for terms like “WordPress agency Dortmund,” “WordPress agency Bochum,” etc. To achieve this, it’s essential to differentiate between the Local Pack and organic search results.
8.3.1 Rank in the local pack of several cities
For this, you need a separate location for each city with a corresponding Google Business Profile (formerly MyBusiness listing).
A virtual business address can help if you don’t have a physical location to obtain a Google Business Profile in the respective city. However, Google may penalize such listings, as MyBusiness is primarily intended for physical storefronts at a specific location.
8.3.2 Rank in organic search results for multiple cities
You will again need a separate SEO landing page for each city and each keyword.
You should aim to create as much unique content as possible for each landing page.
For example, you can add the specific location + map and directions to the page.
You can integrate individual districts into the text.
You can include links to the city’s official website, the local Chamber of Commerce, or the city’s Wikipedia entry and cite from them.
However, it is always essential to decide individually for each page and service whether a separate landing page is worth it, especially if there is no physical location in the respective city.
8.4 Learning quiz lesson 8
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