How do you improve your chances of ranking in the Local SEO 3-Pack?
To appear in the Local SEO 3-Pack, a business needs to optimise for multiple ranking signals. These include on-site relevance, entity authority, proximity, and trust. Rather than focusing on any single factor, successful local search visibility depends on a balanced, well maintained presence across your business website, local citations, and your Google Business Profile.
Here's What We Have Covered In This Article
Improve and update your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is your anchor in local search results. Keep every section up to date and complete. Use the correct primary business category and relevant secondary categories. Add all services you offer, and write a clear, keyword-relevant business description. For example, if you are a property maintenance contractor in Leeds, mention specific services like electrical repairs, emergency callouts, and landlord safety inspections.
Include original, high resolution images and avoid using stock photography. Google prefers unique media. Add geotagged photos of your location, your team, and your work. Consistently updated profiles tend to rank higher in the local pack and show higher engagement rates.
Generate consistent local reviews and respond quickly
Reviews act as a trust signal and influence both ranking and clickthrough rates. A consistent stream of new reviews, especially those mentioning services and location, helps signal business activity and quality.
For example, a review that says, “Quick response from this plumbing company in Birmingham. Fixed our boiler same day,” gives Google clear location and service context. Encourage reviewers to mention the service they received and where they are based.
Respond to all reviews in a friendly, helpful tone. Even short responses show that your business is active and values customer feedback. This also encourages others to leave reviews.
Build strong local citations with consistent business information
Citations refer to listings of your business on trusted third party platforms like Yell, Checkatrade, Scoot, and Yelp. Every citation must include your business name, address, and phone number exactly as it appears on your website and Google Business Profile. This consistency is called NAP accuracy and is essential to your local trust score.
Include your opening hours, services, website link, and, where allowed, business categories. Avoid duplicates and check your listings regularly. If your business moves or changes contact details, update them everywhere promptly.
Need help checking your citations? Use this free local SEO audit tool to scan your online listings.
Pro Tip :Make sure your Google Business Profile matches your website’s address and phone number exactly. Inconsistencies can hurt your local rankings.
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Does your website content influence 3-Pack rankings?
Yes, your website plays a direct role in your local visibility. While your Google Business Profile is the main source of information for the 3-Pack, your site supports your presence through relevance, authority, and structured data.
Use location specific landing pages
If your business serves multiple towns or regions, create dedicated landing pages for each service area. Include locally relevant content, nearby landmarks, and internal links to related services.
These pages should be well written, easy to navigate, and mobile responsive. Include customer testimonials, FAQs, embedded maps, and clear calls to action.
Add local schema markup to your website
Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines interpret the information on your site more effectively. Adding LocalBusiness schema allows Google to connect your business name, address, phone number, opening hours, and coordinates with your listing. This strengthens location relevance and supports visibility in both map and organic results.
Using schema also improves your chances of rich results, such as star ratings or review snippets in the search listings.
What content signals show authority in your service area?
Google evaluates authority based on a combination of link signals, sentiment, citation consistency, and brand mention frequency. Businesses that are mentioned positively in local blogs, online news, and relevant directories appear more trustworthy to search engines.
Build location based backlinks
Secure links from trusted local sites such as chambers of commerce, local charity events, regional business groups, or community sponsorships. These links should include your business name in anchor text and point to either your homepage or the most relevant service page.
For example, if your company sponsored a local event in Cambridge, the link might look like: “Thanks to Greenline Heating Cambridge for supporting our community fundraiser.”
These links carry both authority and location relevance.
Publish content with sentiment driven value
Google increasingly values content that shows strong positive sentiment, especially on local landing pages. Instead of simply listing your services, describe outcomes and benefits. For example, instead of “We offer CCTV installation,” write: “Our CCTV systems offer peace of mind and protect your home while you are away.”
Use real examples, customer quotes, and photos where possible. These elements build both human trust and search relevance.
How long does it take to appear in the 3-pack?
There is no fixed timeline. Some businesses see results within a few weeks, while others may take several months. It depends on the competition in your area, the quality of your online presence, and how consistently you apply local SEO best practices.
You can improve visibility faster by working on multiple ranking factors at once. This includes:
Regular review collection
Building location pages with useful content
Securing high authority local backlinks
Keeping your Google Business Profile active
Cleaning up inconsistent listings
Adding LocalBusiness schema
Tracking progress with tools like BrightLocal, Google Search Console and your Business Profile dashboard will help you see improvements in clicks, calls, and impressions.
If you want help with this, visit our page on Local SEO Services for UK Businesses.
Pro Tip:Ask happy customers to include service and location in their Google reviews. This boosts both trust and relevance in search.
