Local SEO (Map Pack)

For many businesses, local SEO is the most important element for ensuring visibility. If you offer services that need to be performed in person, from home improvement services to local shopping, you need to bring in customers who are within your target geographic area. 

Local SEO is the key to ensuring that your business is visible when customers in your area look for nearby services. As a result, it can help you attract more foot traffic, maintain a high level of visibility, and enhance your ability to connect with people near you. 

Google's Map Pack results are determined by several factors. Like most search engine results, it's impossible to fully determine which factors make the biggest difference. However, key factors include:

• Relevance: How closely does your business, including the keywords you choose to focus on and the services you offer, match the searcher's query? 
• Distance: How close are you to the searcher's location?
• Prominence and optimization: How much attention does your brand get online, and what do customers have to say about your brand?

While you cannot control your distance from the searcher, you can make sure that you focus on highlighting relevant keywords and providing key information about your brand. Furthermore, you can optimize your Google Business profile and collect positive reviews from customers to improve your overall ranking. 

Yes, we can provide strategies to help you earn more reviews from satisfied customers. This includes optimizing your Google Business Profile for easy review submission, creating review request templates, and ensuring your team knows how to encourage happy customers to leave feedback. We find that these strategies often significantly increase our clients' reviews, helping to improve their search ranking and Map Pack appearance. 

Bad reviews can be disheartening, especially when you're struggling to improve your search ranking. However, those bad reviews can be just as important as the good ones. They offer you a golden opportunity to demonstrate your customer service skills. Start by responding promptly and professionally, which shows that you care about your customers and their issues. Strive to resolve the issue as effectively as possible--usually by communicating privately with your customers. Then, use that feedback to improve your services in the future.

At Chicago SEO Scholar, we help craft thoughtful responses to bad reviews and implement strategies to mitigate their impact, allowing you to continue see results as your online presence grows.

No, we do not outsource overseas. All our work is handled in-house by experienced professionals to ensure that each customer gets the quality they expect.

Local SEO is a long-term strategy. It can take time to get results--and how long it takes can depend on your specific industry, your starting point, and even your competition. 

Typically, businesses see noticeable improvements within 3-6 months, but big results may take 6-12 months. Consistency and patience are essential to raising your search ranking and getting the local appearances you need. 

No, we do not guarantee results. SEO is influenced by many factors, including search engine algorithm updates and competitor activity. However, we do commit to using proven strategies and best practices to maximize your chances of success.

Absolutely. A Google Business Profile (GBP) is essential for local SEO. It helps your business appear in local searches, provides key information (like your address, hours, and reviews), and enhances your credibility.