The Ad up top can be a good idea for some, but isn’t an affordable long-term marketing solution for most. Those next three account for about 90% of the “click-throughs”. They also far outperform the paid ad up top.   

Those three listings are basically “free”. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have to invest smartly to stand out in a competitive market. Google grabs the three they think are the most likely to be useful to the searcher. We help our clients get and stay there.  

We do use AI in our monthly planning and reporting, but the reality is that moving a business listing up is a very human exercise. Google is perfectly able to sniff out and defeat AI’s, and few busy small business owners have the time necessary to maintain and build their Google Business Profile (GPB).  

 Most businesses have “claimed” their listing with Google, but few do the regular work to get and keep them in that top three. That’s where we come in. Our aim is to convince Google that your business is likely to satisfy their client.  

This always involves interacting with the GBP on a consistent basis. Respond to ALL reviews, within hours if possible. Change your business hours for holidays, and make sure those hours match what you have on your website. Make sure your site is considered “mobile friendly”, or Google will remove you from those queries (and those account for 60% of all searches now).  

We really do for small business owners what their owners would do if they had the time. . That’s what Google is looking for. They look for companies that appear to them to be active and consistent in their maintenance of their business profile online. Look alive, look current, and be helpful. 

 Every business is a bit different, mostly because of their particular geography and the competition. Once we take on a client, we make sure the basics are right, and then start looking at the keywords and locations where our clients are and aren’t showing up in the Google Local 3 Pack.