Category Archives: Google 3 pack

We Share Our Tips for Getting on the Google 3 Pack – especially for PC computer Repair Businesses, but Applicable to all Locally Based Businesses

Earl Netwal, Minneapolis Internet Marketing Consultant, also known as the Micro Business Specialist has recently published an article on Medium, in which he describes the three main strategic points businesses need to implement to significantly improve their ability to rank well on the Google 3 Pack and in the all important Google Maps algorithm.

His article, “How To Get PC Computer Repair Customers Now That Google Adwords Pay Per Click Ads Are No Longer Available By Optimizing Your Google My Business Page in Less Than 30 Days.” focuses on the need to claim and optimize your Google My Business Page and then to build authority and trust with Google via systematic use of Google Posts backed up by an ongoing press release strategy.

His article was directed specifically to people in the Computer repair business. That is because Google recently banned all Adwords ads for businesses in the industry. The niche must have been seeing a lot of issues, as Google’s action in effect costs them millions of dollars in lost ad revenue. To take such a drastic step, is encouraging on one hand, It suggests Google is actively working to police the marketplace and rid it of fly by night and bogus operators. That said, it was a real hit for local small businesses who do not have the marketing power of the Big Box boys. (See other related posts:

“There is no way a one or two person shop is going to be able to out advertise the Geek Squad and other major retailers who offer similar services. By and large the small guys, offer better service, lower prices and in most cases better skill sets, than the employees of the Big Box boys,” Netwal says. But the small guy is at a disadvantage in making themselves visible to the general public they need service.

It used to be, that the small guy, could advertise in their immediate market with Adwords and have a real shot at getting prospective customers attention. Now with the Ads no longer at the top of the page, they are faced with the fact that the Google 3 pack shows up on top of the page on desktop searches for virtually all relevant computer repair keyword searches.

Some of these local repair firms are mistaken lulled into inaction as they will do a search from their place of business and see that they do rank for at lease some terms. Unfortunately, they may not realize that they are just seeing themselves because they have searched for themselves in the past. More pernicious is the fact that what a potential customers down the block sees in their search results for “Computer Repair” may be completely different from another potential customer a half mile away.

Once a Google My Business Page is optimized, the essential first step, it is the Google Posting and the Press Releases that help prove to Google, not only the services you offer, but also the Geography you serve. Some businesses will claim market area well beyond their immediate service area. What you post in Google My Business Posts gives Google hints as to your actual market area. This is particularly true of the images you use.

Netwal encourages businesses to use photos from throughout a firms actual market area. He believes such posts are read by Google and can over time inform Google of which firms are “Near me” whether searchers use that term or not.

The Computer Repair Business is highly competitive with many ma and pa shops in heavy competition with Big Box operators.

Netwal uses several third party vendors to assist his clients in cost effectively promoting their business services and geography. Anyone can do this themselves, if they choose to do so. Most however, will fail to take action, while others will start and then after a while let the process drop. What Netwal offers is a third party service that keeps on making posts and releasing press notices, with a well thought out strategy.

We do a number of things to both our press releases and Google posts. These include geo-tagging images to make locations clear, and what we call “Silo-ing.”

These practices amplify the effect of each new post, by linking back to prior posts. This causes Google’s bots to not only follow the links in new posts, but trace them back through old posts as well. This is like releasing the old post all over again. Over a protracted period of time, this builds and builds.

Such a strategy, is a powerful tool to not just get listed in the Google 3 pack, but to maintain that status. Sooner or later, more and more businesses will discover the power of Google Posts and Press Releases. But it will be too late to overtake those businesses with the foresight to not only publish regularly, but to do so in a manner that builds upon the past posts as well.

See related articles here:

See our media page: https://www.pressadvantage.com/organization/minneapolis-internet-marketing-consultant ‘

Google 3 Pack Now Lists Gas Prices

Google Fuels Gas Price Wars!

Every drive across town to save a dime a gallon on gas? Sometime it would cost as much in gas as you saved but what the heck, a good low price often also gave you bragging rights.

These days with lower gas prices this is not as big a deal, but just wait. Higher prices will eventually return. When they do, people will be saving gas searching for lower prices, but just checking Google.

Just this week, Google added price per gallon to the Google 3 pack and Google Maps.

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Just where Google is getting its information to fill in the price is a mater of conjecture. So far no one I know has been able to identify the source.

I note in the Twin Cities area, it appears Holiday Stations are not showing prices except for one station I found in West St Paul, that did.  I do see most of the majors and it seems some independents as well.

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On the Google MAP to the left, you can see that prices are marked on the map. That will certainly make the price wars a lot hotter for those who seek the best price nearby.

Google offers even more information that may be useful when shopping for gas. I like the fact that you can even pick the best time of day to get gas without waiting in line. By the way this is the listing from the one Holiday Station store to show prices during my search today.

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Now most individual gas stations don’t spend the time to get on the Google 3 pack, and that may prove eventually to be a big mistake. _Unless they have high prices.

It would seem that the low price independents who specialize in low price would very much benefit from taking the time to work their way into the Google 3 pack. And if they could also work a way to generate positive business reviews they would stand to gain a ton of new business from travellers in addition to the regulars who already know they are the local low price resource.