This page explains exactly how Google ranks Law Firms in the Local Pack, the Local Search Algorithm, describes what is and what is not in your control, and dispels myths.
In general, the Local Pack is very simple to understand, with no secrets or tricks. Of course, simple and easy are two very different things.
What is the Local Pack?
The Local Pack is the block of local search results which almost always displays the top three most relevant local businesses for a user’s query, usually appearing at the top of Google’s search engine results page (SERP).
Google’s Tips: Relevance, Distance, Prominence.
Google offers tips to improve local rankings. Their page is very vague. We’ll paste below what their page says and explain it better below:
- Relevance: Relevance is how well a Business Profile matches what someone is searching for. To help Google better understand your business and match it to relevant searches, provide complete and detailed business info.
- Distance: Distance refers to how far each business is from the customer who’s searching. If a customer doesn’t share where they are, Google uses what it knows about their location.
- Prominence: Prominence means how well-known a business is. Prominent places are more likely to show up in search results. This factor’s also based on info like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have. More reviews and positive ratings can help your business’s local ranking.
Note: Local Pack Rankings Change Based on User Location.
If you search for “Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer” from LAX, you’re going to see a completely different Local Pack than someone who searches for “Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer” from Dodger Stadium.
The Local Pack changes based on a user’s physical location.
There is no one Local Pack for one city. There are tens of thousands of Local Packs.
You can not measure Local Pack rankings by searching “Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer” from your desktop PC.
To see Local Pack rankings, you must use a tool such as LocalFalcon.
Below is a screenshot from LocalFalcon which shows a 4mi radius with a personal injury law firm in the middle. This firm does very well. The more personal injury law firms there are in a city, the quicker “reach” dies off.
We can indeed maximize reach. But you cannot dominate an entire city. For example. You’re driving down the road and your gas tank is on “E”. You search Google for a gas station. You want to see a gas station close to you, not one 40 miles away. In good news, Google treats gas stations and personal injury attorneys a little differently (but not much).
The Biggest Factors for Local Pack Rankings:
If you’re an 80/20 person, this is the section for you.
To rank in the Local Pack you need:
- Good organic rankings
- Recent reviews (the quantity, quality, and recency are all factors)
- A complete, properly optimized GBP Profile
That’s it. Yes, there is a lot more to it. But in general, tips and tricks aside, that’s all you need.
The next biggest factors would be your location, and your law firm’s name. If you have the only personal injury firm in your town, you’ll crush it everywhere, but if there’s a law firm on every block, your Local Pack rankings may be diminished to a radius of 1 – 2 blocks.
As for your firm name, getting “Injury Lawyer” into the title is a trick pioneered by Optimize My Firm in 2017 in practice worldwide today. Keywords are not allowed, but using a DBA skirts GBP policy.
Review recency is the “most hated” ranking factor. We have some law firms who absolutely love getting reviews and have blazed past 1,000 reviews. We have law firms who deny this (indisputable) fact and refuse to obtain reviews. We have firms who get a few reviews each month and insist it’s good enough. However, it’s a proven fact that review recency is a significant factor. In competitive cities, 20 new reviews each month is mandatory. In less competitive cities, 4/mo may be ok. It depends.
A Quick Note on Conversions.
There are 3 things you should know. Even if you rank in the Local Pack, you may not get calls if:
- Branding. If people search for a lawyer and someone in the area has memorable branding, that firm is going to get the call. If you have good branding, Local Pack rankings are fuel to a fire. If a competitor has the branding, they’ll get more calls from name recognition.
- Odd names. If your law firm has an odd name such as “Snickerdoodlemcderpyderp Law Firm” and you’re up against “Big Dawg Accident Law”, people are going to call the more catchy name.
- Reviews. If there’s a 3 pack and two firms have ~500 reviews, and your firm has 37, you’re not going to get a phone call unless those other 2 firms fail to answer the phone.
A Complete List of Local Pack Ranking Factors.
Organic Rankings.
more coming soon