Hey guys, Josh with Relentless Digital.
Got a big update that I’ve been kind of noticing for the last week or two, but I wanted to make sure it was sticking, as sometimes Google tests stuff, and then it goes away.
So take out your smartphone, google whatever your primary service is and near me. If it does have local service ads attached to it, I would keep a close eye on this.
Google Guarantee Ads show up on top of Local Map Pack
As you can see, the ads at the top, you got your pay-per-click ads. Now you have your maps section. And what is changing is when you go to more businesses, this is going to start incorporating the local service ads.
Look at the top two spots here. You got the top two local service ads companies right here at the top, and then it goes into the top three for maps.
So this is something to be very careful of, to understand where your market is going. Your ranking on local service ads is about to become a whole lot more important.
What does this mean for your LSA and Google Maps Rankings?
This will only have an impact for those that select “More Businesses” on page 1 of Google for the time being.
So, for now, this should not have a HUGE impact.
I would make sure of a few things:
1. Continue making your brand’s reputation stand out.
2. Keep your GMB listing active to stand out from Competitors.
3. Vary up the GMB posts you create, so you can try to increase conversion on page 1.
4. Add videos to your GMB listing to separate yourself from others.
5. Keep an eye on your Google Local Services Ads ranking.
6. It sounds dumb, but make sure you answer the phone when an LSA lead comes in (#1 ranking factor outside of Proximity).
7. Mark leads as booked.
8. Get reviews. A lot of them. Daily.
9. Answer your reviews within 48-72 hours to show exemplary customer service to those prospects searching for you.
10. Keep an eye on lead volume from your LSA dashboard and your Google my Business Insights section to determine if something changes drastically.
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