Google Ads Now Appear in the Local 3-Pack

If you have read our previous blog posts then you know how important it is to rank in Google’s local 3-pack.

The local 3-pack is where the majority of calls and visits to local businesses are generated from. In the second half of 2016, Google revealed that it was testing ads in the local 3-pack, meaning that up to four businesses could appear!

Over the past few months, an increasing number of ads have popped up in local 3-packs across Google.

As you can see in the screenshot, these ads are designed to fit in naturally with the other businesses in the 3-pack.

However, it isn’t necessarily guaranteed that your ad will show up in the map pack. Google considers a variety of factors when deciding which ads to show and which ones they believe are most relevant to the person searching.

Some of the factors Google considers include the context of the query, the searcher’s location, the time of day, what the searcher has browsed in the past, and more.

Additionally, ads may not appear on Google Maps until the “More Places” tab is selected in a search. For example, let’s do a search for dentist Toronto. As you can see, no ads appear in the local map pack.

However, if we click on “More Places”, multiple ads appear at the top of the results:

This is because Google will only show an ad in the 3-pack if they feel it is super relevant to what the searcher is looking for.

Local ads are becoming more popular among marketers and local business owners. It provides them the opportunity to show up directly in the local 3-pack and at the top of Maps results without having to rank organically. Obviously, this can get costly if done long-term, but it can be very beneficial in the short-term.

Appearing in the local snack pack can attract people to your business who are searching near your storefront, get calls directly from a search, and help customers learn more about your business. Your photos, store hours, reviews and more will all appear with your business on Google Maps.

If you’re interested in advertising in the Google local 3-pack, there are a few options you can choose from. Each option will have a different cost associated with it, but you can choose from:

• Location detail clicks (pay each time someone clicks “Get location details” from your business listing)
• Direction clicks (pay each time someone clicks “Get directions” from your business listing)
• Mobile call clicks (pay each time a person calls your directly by clicking on your phone number on your Google Business page)
• Website clicks (pay each time a person clicks to visit your website)

It’s expected that more businesses will be turning to local ads for quick leads. However, if you want to consistently rank in the local pack, a customized SEO strategy is crucial to success.

If you want to have us review your website and give you a free 30-minute consultation where we show you how to generate more local customers from your website, click here.