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I’ve never known a box owner to shy away from competition. You’re wired to win. But you can’t win if you don’t know what game you’re playing.
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In the game of ranking higher on Google, the stakes were just raised.
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What Changed?
When you search for a local business on Google the results look a little different. For years, Google has returned what’s called the “local pack”. The local pack is combination of a map and related business names with their contact information.
It’s designed to help people do business with you.
As a box owner, showing up first in the local pack is a huge win. It gives new visitors a clear path to your site and on a mobile device lets them call you with one tap of the finger!
There used to be 7 coveted slots in the local pack.
But now, Google has trimmed that down to 3 available slots.
What Does it Mean For You?
It’s simple. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
With fewer slots available, the boxes that are ranking in the “3 pack” can expect to see more traffic to their sites and more leads.
The boxes that used to rank in positions 4-7 will likely see a marked decrease in their traffic and leads, since they no longer appear in local pack.
Searchers can still click “More” to see lower ranking boxes. But that’s similar to clicking through to the second page of search results.
When was the last time you went to page 2 of Google results?
Yeah, I can’t remember either.
What can you do about it?
If you are missing out on the new local pack, you’re giving away new potential members to your competitors. It’s time to fight back and take advantage of this new opportunity that Google has given you.
That’s right, it’s an opportunity to get more traffic and leads than you’ve ever had before.
It’s going to take some work, but we have a framework in place that has proven to get results for other box owners like you. It starts with cleaning up your citations (directory listings for your business), and getting more reviews for your business.
If you still have a ranking in the new local pack, congrats! You can expect to see an uptick in traffic if you haven’t already.
But if you’re just ranking for “CrossFit + Your City”, you’re leaving a lot of opportunity on the table. More than 90% of the searches that could bring in new members don’t even include the term “CrossFit”.
See what most box owners miss when it comes to SEO.
In either case, be sure to look yourself up and see where you fall in the new local pack!
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Josh Sturgeon | Search Engine Marketing Expert
Josh Sturgeon brings nearly a decade of experience in digital marketing and entrepreneurship. He has consulted for billion dollar corporations like Staples right alongside small, local businesses. His work has been cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, TheNextWeb and Wired Magazine.
In 2011, he co-founded a profitable translation business, which exploded through Local SEO and was acquired only two years later. Josh lives and surfs in the Boston area with his wife Erica, and two kids.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]