On April 1st, we noticed that most every desktop search we did with “Bed and Breakfast” in the search phrase HAD DROPPED the 7 Pack Local Results (with the little RED bubbles A-G) on a Desktop Web Search, and now these City + Bed and Breakfast searches were all showing the 3 Pack Local Stack.
The 3 Pack Local Stack has been around since November 2014, when Google permanently retired the 16 month old Local Carousel results and replaced them with the 3 Pack Local Stack. At that time, very few “Bed and Breakfast” city searches were displaying the new 3 Pack Local Stack, most still had the 7 Pack (with the little RED bubbles A-G).
We hesitated to announce this change, because we have seen these Local Desktop Web results change at least 3 times in the past 5 months, and quite frankly, as that it happened on April 1st, I seriously wondered if it was simply a Google April Fools prank. Alas, now that it’s been firmly in place for the past 2 weeks, I’m thinking it’s here for the duration, or at least until Google comes up with another type of display for Local Results.
The 3 Pack Local Desktop Stack now looks a lot like the Mobile Local Results 3 Pack. And to beat a dead horse here, I will take this opportunity to again remind everyone that your Mobile site needs to be ready as of April 21, 2014.
Back to the topic at hand. This 3 Pack Local Desktop Stack used to be primarily seen on hotels and large property searches, and it now looks as if it's in our Bed and Breakfast industry for most all city + Bed and Breakfast searches.
So what does this mean to your business?
If you were number 4-7 in the old 7 pack (with the RED Bubbles), you are now GONE from the 3 Pack Local Desktop Stack results box. Only the Top 3 Local businesses remain.
Think of it as the top 3 medalists in the Google Local Olympics. If you are first, you take Gold, if you are second, Silver and if you are third, Bronze. If you don’t place in the top 3, you don’t medal, and the only way a guest is going to see your local listing is to click yet another key stroke where it says - More bed and breakfast at the bottom of the stack box. This link takes you to Google Map Listings.
Try your city and see for yourself! Google Search: City + Bed and Breakfast
If you are not in the 3 Pack Local Stack, you are going to have to hope your guests click on the - More bed and breakfast link at the bottom of the 3 Pack Local Stack box.
That or hope they are diligent enough to search through the Organic listings (assuming you are in the Organic listings at a decent location) as that Organic Placement and Local Placement have very different criteria you have to meet to be seen.
If you don’t understand the difference between Local and Organic Listings, and the rules that you and your Webmaster must follow to be seen as high in the search results as possible, we welcome you to join Acorn University to begin learning the basics about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for Organic placement today, and why so much of your traditional SEO has nothing to do with your Local placement.
Bottom Line:
- There’s one set of rules for being seen in the 3 Pack Local Stack.
- There’s another set of rules for high Organic placement.
- They are NOT THE SAME rules.
- You have to attack placement for each differently.
Need help? Call us at 877-226-7699 to learn more or have us help you with either your Local Placement, Organic Placement or both.
Hint: If you didn’t medal for your city + bed and breakfast phrase, check your Google Analytics to see how much traffic you are losing. If it’s substantial, you will need to work on improving your Local Placement, assuming you are in a position to actually achieve higher Local placement, or fall back to improving your Organic Placement or possibility consider investing in a PPC program. Obviously not everyone can be a medalist and end up in the top 3. If you are one of those inns who simply cannot medal, you will need to look at alternatives to replace the traffic that the old 7 pack had been providing.
