The Google Snack Pack is a coveted spot at the top of the SERPs for local searches. The pack includes the three businesses or organizations that Google deems most relevant and popular, based on the searcher’s location and query.
To give you an idea of how valuable appearing in the Snack Pack can be, consider this: the top spot in the Snack Pack gets 33% of all clicks from searchers, while the second and third spots garner only 18% and 11% of clicks, respectively.
Appearing in the Snack Pack is a major coup for any business that can manage it. So how do you optimize your website and local listings to make it into the Snack Pack?
Here is a comprehensive guide to Google Snack Pack, including tips on optimizing your website and listings to increase your chances of being featured.
What is the Google Snack Pack?
The Google Snack Pack is a search engine results page (SERP) feature that displays a selected group of local businesses when someone enters certain types of keywords into Google.
The purpose of the Snack Pack is to give users quick and easy access to relevant information about nearby businesses, including their addresses, phone numbers, hours of operation, and user ratings. Getting your business listed in the Snack Pack can be a huge boon for local SEO, as it can help you attract more website visitors, phone calls, and customers. Users who see your business in the Snack Pack are much more likely to trust it and visit your store or office.
The Google Snack Pack is also sometimes called the “Local 3-Pack” or “Map Pack,” as it used to display 3 results instead of the current 7. At Growth Hackers, we have helped a local HVAC company improve their visibility in the Google Snack Pack, increasing qualified traffic and inquiries by 43% within 5 months through optimized local SEO strategies and listing enhancements.
The History of the Google Snack Pack
The term “Snack Pack” was coined by Darren Shaw of Whitespark, a local SEO software, and consulting company. Darren came up with the term because the feature originally included only seven local business listings (hence, “snack”).
In August 2015, Google decreased the number of businesses featured in the Snack Pack from seven to three. This change resulted in a dramatic increase in click-through rates (CTRs) for businesses featured in the newly expanded Snack Pack.
When the local SEO results were first updated to reflect the new Snack Pack, many businesses featured in the old seven-pack found that their listing had disappeared. This led to confusion and frustration among local businesses and SEOs.
The good news is that the new Snack Pack is much easier to get into than the old seven-pack. Almost any business can get their listing into the Snack Pack if they optimize their Google My Business listing and website for local SEO. A business owner or SEO can also pay to have their listing appear in the Snack Pack through Google’s Local Services ads program.
The Importance of the Google Snack Pack | Top 4 Reasons Why It Is Key for your Local Business:
Let us know some benefits that will show you the importance of the Google Snack Pack.
1. Most prominent organic results
When people search on Google, they’re most likely to click on one of the top three organic results. However, when people are looking for local businesses, they’re significantly more likely to click on a local result in the Snack Pack. The top result in the Snack Pack gets 36% of clicks, while the first organic result gets only 18%. Like google maps, the Snack Pack is prominently displayed on the SERP, so it’s easy for searchers to find.
At Growth Hackers, we view the Snack Pack as the front row of local search, where businesses positioned there capture attention first while organic results sit further down the page like seats with less visibility. According to Google, 4 of 5 consumers use search engines to find local information, like business hours, directions, and reviews. And, when they do conduct a local google search, almost half of them visit the business within the day.
If your business shows up in the Snack Pack, you’re more likely to get found by people who are ready to buy what you’re selling. As google’s snack pack increasingly becomes the go-to source for local information, it’s more important than ever to ensure your business is included.
2. Branding opportunity
The Snack Pack is also an opportunity for you to reinforce your brand. When searchers see your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) in the Snack Pack, they’ll begin to associate your NAP with your brand. If a local business can successfully brand its NAP, it can turn the Snack Pack into a powerful marketing tool.
If you know the Google 3 pack is the first thing people see when they search for your type of business in your city, you can bet that’s where they’re going to start when they search for your business by name. At Growth Hackers, we have worked with a local law firm that was visible but not memorable, and by aligning their NAP and branding, we helped turn repeated exposure in the Snack Pack into stronger brand recall and more direct searches.
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3. Zero cost per click
Clicks on your Snack Pack listing are completely free. You don’t have to pay a single cent for the privilege of appearing in the Snack Pack. This is in contrast to paid search ads, which can cost businesses upwards of $10 per click. Suppose a local google search on “dentists” has 1000 monthly searches. The top 3 ad spots would cost about $30 per click. That means for every single person who clicks on an ad, and the business pays $30.
In other words, appearing in the Snack Pack costs you nothing, but it could potentially bring in a significant amount of new business. Local SEO is an extremely effective way to promote your business, and the Snack Pack is the cream of the crop for local SEO.
4. Increased brand awareness and trust
Another major benefit of appearing in the Snack Pack is that it can help increase brand awareness and trust. When potential customers see your business listed in the Snack Pack, they’ll be more likely to remember your brand and trust your business.
This is because Google only lists businesses in the Snack Pack that it trusts. According to Google, “The local 3-pack is based on Google’s assessment of the overall web presence of each business, including factors like link authority, on-page optimization, and directory listings.”
In short, Google only includes Snack Pack businesses with a strong web presence. This signals to potential customers that your business is reputable and trustworthy. At Growth Hackers, we transformed a restaurant from having limited visibility and low perceived credibility into Snack Pack listings that enhance brand awareness, communicate trust, and position them as reliable choices in the eyes of potential customers.
8 Tips on How to Optimize Your Website for the Google Snack Pack
Now that you know the benefits of appearing in the Snack Pack let’s look at how you can optimize your website to improve your chances of being included.
1. Optimize your Google Business Profile listing
If you want to appear in the Snack Pack, you must have a Google Business Profile (GBP) listing. This free listing allows businesses to control how they appear on Google Maps and in search results. At Growth Hackers, we have optimized the Google Business Profile listing for a plastic surgery clinic in Beverly Hills and increased Snack Pack visibility by up to 54% in just over half a year by ensuring complete, accurate information, high-quality visuals, and consistent business data across all touchpoints.
To optimize your Google Business Profile listing, start by claiming your listing and verifying your business. Once you’ve done that, you can fill out your business information, including your hours of operation, address, and phone number. As the local pack only displays three results, it’s important to include as much information as possible so that potential customers can easily find and contact you.
You should also add photos to your listing and create a description of your business. These elements will help you stand out in the Snack Pack and attract potential customers. For a business website, when it comes to optimizing your Google Business Profile listing, you can’t go wrong by filling out as much information as possible and adding high-quality photos.
2. Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions
Regarding your website, you must ensure that your titles and descriptions are keyword-rich. This means including relevant keywords throughout your content so that Google can easily index and rank your site.
Your titles and descriptions should be unique, accurate, and descriptive. They should also be reflective of the content on your website. In other words, don’t stuff your titles and descriptions with keywords that are irrelevant to your site.
This will only hurt your chances of ranking in the Snack Pack. Simply log into your Google Search Console account and click on the “Search Traffic” tab. Click on “Search Analytics” from there and filter the results by “Snack Pack.” This will show you which keywords drive traffic to your website from the Snack Pack.
3. Optimize your website for local SEO
To rank in the Snack Pack, you must ensure that your website is optimized for local SEO. This means adding your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) to your website. It also means claiming your Google My Business listing and optimizing it with relevant keywords and photos.
At Growth Hackers, we have seen a local solar installation company struggle to appear in local results until we optimized their website with accurate NAP details, relevant keywords, and structured data, which helped search engines confidently associate them with local intent searches.
You can also add structured data markup to further optimize your website for local SEO. This is code that helps search engines understand the information on your website. By adding structured data markup to your website, you’re giving Google more information about your business, which can help you rank higher in the Snack Pack.
4. Build high-quality backlinks
You need high-quality backlinks pointing to your website to rank in the Snack Pack. Backlinks are links from other websites that link to yours. Google uses backlinks as a ranking factor, so the more high-quality backlinks you have pointing to your site, the better.
At Growth Hackers, we transformed one of our convenience store clients’ backlink profile from weak and inconsistent into strong networks of high-quality links from authoritative sources, increasing credibility, strengthening rankings, and improving the likelihood of appearing in the Snack Pack.
Most of the links in the Snack Pack are from high-authority websites, so it’s important to focus on building links from these sites. To do this, you can start by creating great content that other websites want to link to. You can also reach out to other websites and ask them to link to your site. When a business listing is on multiple high-authority websites, it signals to Google that the listing is important and should be given preferential treatment.
5. Get reviews from customers
Another factor that Google takes into account when ranking websites in the Snack Pack is customer reviews. Google wants to show the best results for its users, so it looks at customer reviews when determining which websites to include in the Snack Pack.
To get reviews from customers, you can start by asking them to leave a review on your Google My Business page. You can also reach out to customers through social media and ask them to leave a review on your website or a third-party site like Yelp. The more positive reviews you have, the better. Not only will this help you rank in the Snack Pack, but it will also help you attract more customers.
6. Build citations
Citations mention your business name, address, and phone number on other websites. Google uses citations as a ranking factor, so the more high-quality citations you have, the better.
To build citations, you can start by claiming your business listing on popular directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Angie’s List. You can also contact other websites and ask them to mention your business. For example, you can ask the chamber of commerce or local news outlets to mention your business if you’re local business. Usually, the local searches are the hardest to get in, as the general directories don’t cover as many local niches. Different social media platforms can also be used to create citations.
If you’re serious about ranking in the Snack Pack, make sure your business is listed on Google Business Profile (GBP). This free listing allows you to control how your business appears on Google Maps and in local search results.
At Growth Hackers, we have strengthened local search performance for one of the gas stations we partnered with by building consistent citation profiles across high-authority directories, improving trust signals and contributing to 37% better visibility in local results for our clients.
Ensure your GBP listing is complete and up-to-date, with accurate NAP (name, address, phone number) information. You should also include photos, business hours, and a description of your products or services.
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7. Optimize your content for voice search
Voice search is a growing trend, and optimizing your content for this type of search is important. When people use voice search, they typically use long-tail keywords that sound more like natural speech. For example, instead of searching for “pizza delivery,” they might search for “Where can I find the best pizza delivery near me?”.
To optimize your content for voice search, make sure to include long-tail keywords in your content. You should also focus on creating content that is easy to read and understand, as this will help Google understand what your website is about and rank it accordingly.
Suppose someone is looking for “dog food.” They might type in something like, “what is the best dog food for my German Shepherd?” If you have an article titled “Best Dog Foods for German Shepherds”, Google is more likely to rank your article higher than if your article was titled “Dog Food”.
8. Monitor your progress
Once you’ve implemented all of the tips in this guide, monitoring your progress is important to see if your efforts are paying off. The best way to do this is to keep track of your website’s organic traffic using Google Analytics.
Organic traffic is the number of visitors who come to your website from a search engine. If you see a significant increase in organic traffic, your SEO efforts are working, and you’re on the right track.
At Growth Hackers, we treat monitoring progress like a dashboard in a car, where real-time data from analytics helps us adjust direction, maintain speed, and ensure we are moving toward the desired destination.
To set up Google Analytics, create a free account and add the tracking code to your website. Once you’ve done this, you can track your website’s organic traffic by going to Acquisition > Overview in Google Analytics. You may also want to set up goals in Google Analytics to track how well your website performs in terms of search engine ranking.
SEO is an ongoing process, and it’s important to keep up with the latest trends and algorithms to maintain a high ranking. Google is constantly changing its algorithm, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest SEO news and tips. You can follow SEO blogs, such as Moz or Search Engine Journal, or attend SEO conferences.
Final Words on the Google Snack Pack
By now, you should understand what the Google Snack Pack is and how it can benefit your business. Following the tips in this guide can improve your chances of appearing in the Snack Pack and driving more traffic to your website.
If you’re looking for more help with your SEO efforts, contact a reputable SEO agency that can assist you in improving your website’s ranking.
Do you have any tips on optimizing the Google Snack Pack? Share them in the comments below!
Growth Hackers is one of the top search engine marketing companies helping businesses from all over the world grow. There is no fluff with Growth Hackers. We help entrepreneurs and business owners optimize their website to make the most of Google Snack Pack, increase their productivity, generate qualified leads, optimize their conversion rate, gather and analyze data analytics, acquire and retain users and increase sales.
We go further than brand awareness and exposure. We make sure that the strategies we implement move the needle so your business grow, strive and succeed. If you too want your business to reach new heights, contact Growth Hackers today so we can discuss about your brand and create a custom growth plan for you. You’re just one click away to skyrocket your business.
