Local Pack Ads v. Organic Business Listings
-
Hey everyone,
So I'm noticing lately that Google is showing ads via AdWords for my locations in the local pack. I am fine with that, but unfortunately it is now driving me a little bit insane wondering how much Google really cares about NAP, distance from centroid and or user, links to domain, completed business profile and so on.
They will pull an ad into the top of the local pack for my location, yet, my actual organic business listing in some cases will not even show up until I hit the second page of business results.
I get that it's Adwords, it's pay-to-play, but from most accounts, the differences in ranking for traditional listings results compared to business results on both desktop and mobile are pretty different. For example, by doing my traditional SEO best practices, I can rank high in traditional listing results even when my business does not show in the local listings. I have done this time and time again.
I am able to accept that since we have 100 locations in the US and our lists were an absolute mess before I got here, that some of our NAP across multiple directories and listing sites are not exactly up to snuff which I have been working on.
So I guess the thing is, if my location in Google's eyes is not good enough to be shown organically for the user even at the bottom of page of one of business results, why is it good enough to show an ad for my business location for that query as the absolute first result? Again, I know its Ad Words which basically allows you to cut in line like that special pass you can buy at a roller coaster park, but still. Isn't their goal to provide the best possible experience for their user? If they feel something is worth holding back my organic listing from the user, why is it fine with them to show the user that same location with the top possible local pack spot in an ad?
I guess this is more of a rant than anything but I wanted to know if anyone else is dealing with this or anyone has any info they have found that could help shed light on this? It kind of just kicked everything I thought about trust, authority, links in order to rank in the local pack organically out the window.
Thanks!
-Ben
-
That would be a good outcome! Thanks for starting an interesting discussion.
-
Hi again Miriam,
I love the answer. I am hoping as the evolve that and like you said, would have to guarantee work, that this would weed out more of the scammers along with rewarding the companies doing it the right way as well.
-
Hey Ben,
I happen to love philosophical Local SEO discussions - they are too few and far between, IMO.
You've pretty much answered your good question by understanding that paying for placement allows you to "cut in line" (I like that analogy). Traditional Adwords have never had anything to do with organic authority, which is why Adwords can be used by scammers to fool consumers (want a great but scary read: https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/14/16309752/google-rehabs-near-me-search-adwords-crackdown). So, it's not just that businesses with low organic rankings can dominate PPC, but that totally unethical business models can use it to scam the consumer public. This is in no way confined to Google's program, but they do get the lion's share of visibility.
Now, here's what I'm finding interesting. Google's growing Local Service Ads (formerly Home Service Ads) is a bit different, in that it has a quite serious vetting process AND that Google is obliging itself to guarantee work being done up to $2,000. This means that if Google allows a scammer to slip past them into the program, Google will end up paying for it.
While this doesn't directly relate to organic rankings, there is an indirect tie. I would theorize that a local business which has the credentials to pass Google's vetting process for LSA inclusion will also be working hard at building the real-world reputation that can lead to organic authority and high organic rankings. They will be earning good press, good links. So, in a way, LSA could reduce the disconnect between ads and business quality. Interesting to think about, right?
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Creating multiple GMB listings same address?
Hi Guys, We have a medical centre which has different services like medical, dental, pathology, mental health and 3-4 other services. They are all at the same address within the medical centre. Currently, we have a GMB listing just for the medical centre. But we're looking to create separate GMB listings for each service. I was wondering if anyone has done this before and can speak from experience of the pros and cons of doing this? It seems we will have a lot more GMB listings to manage, but we should benefit more from relevant GMB searchers and this will improve our visibility. Cheers, Mark
Local Listings | | brandonegroup1 -
I want to remove my business from Google Local Listing Completely
I deleted my business from Google my business (GMB) but it's still showing on Google Local Listing. Kindly, tell me how can I removed completely. I need help?
Local Listings | | Sabar-din1 -
How best to delete a duplicate Google My Business listing
Hi Mozzers, I am in need of help please. What is the best way to remove a duplicate GMB listing? Is best practice to a) Mark as permanently closed and wait for Google to update b) Call GMB in India and ask them to delete the redundant listing (do they even do this for you?) c) Delete the page from within my dashboard settings I am worried my NAP data is being diluted by inaccurate historical listings (most of which I have been able to claim ownership of) Any help appreciated. Ben
Local Listings | | Bendall0 -
Google My Business
I have a quick question about Google my Business listing. If moving a business to a new location, would all you need to do is edit the listing with the new NAP? The business is verified. Would I need to do anything else? Thanks for your help.
Local Listings | | Kdruckenbrod0 -
How to create a 2nd Google listing for the same brand
Hi All, We have an office in Berkeley CA which has a Google listing. Now we have launched a new office in Hayward CA and we're thinking of how exactly we should create the new Google listing for the office: Create a new google account and submit the page URL in it? Create a new Google account under our Berkeley google account. i.e. to have both under the same account in Google Thanks, Tomer
Local Listings | | OrendaLtd0 -
Best Local Citation Building Services
Hi, have any of you ever used a local citation building service? Are some better than others, any recommendations? Any bad experiences or companies to avoid? I'm fairly new to the process and it looks like there's a lot of snake oil salesmen in this vertical, so any and all insight you could give me would be great! Thank you in advance, I look forward to hearing feedback from all of you!
Local Listings | | maxcarnage0 -
New google maps listing was showing & now is not
Here is a brief description of what I am doing and what happened. I recently acquired a new client who had an unclaimed google business listing. We claimed the listing and within 2 days it was showing up for its main search term on Google. Almost immediately my client was receiving new calls from the listing. Within a week the listing no longer shows up with the other listings on the home page but does show up when searching on google maps. Does anyone have a lot of experience with Google+ & business listings? If yes, what are some of the most common reasons listings might be removed, shuffled around, increased or decreased in ranking, etc. Sincerely, Garret
Local Listings | | eWebify0 -
Nitpicky NAPS Local Question
I'm about to setup all our NAPS for our Tampa office with Moz Local, and I'm curious about one small thing: suite vs ste? I have read that what matters most is consistency, but since I haven't set it up yet, if anyone had any experience with full names being written out doing better/worse than abbreviations? Thanks, Ruben
Local Listings | | KempRugeLawGroup0