What is the Google “Seven Pack”?

The Seven Pack is the set of businesses that Google serves up to you when you do a Google search for a specific category in a specific geography. Let me show you what I mean.

The Search

If you were to go to Google and type in “Roofers in Pensacola”, or some variation of that search, you will get a very specific result:

You will get a list sites that make up the first page. And this is a typical local business search. You will typically, see the following:

1) At the Top of the Page:

2) In the Middle of the Page:

3) At the Bottom of the Page:

The Seven Pack.

Seven Pack is not the official name, but it helps when explaining the set of businesses that Google presents to you. This grouping is no accident. Google is very strategic about who is in this “seven pack”.

The SEVEN PACK is comprised of seven businesses or organizations (foundations, charities, non-profits, etc) that Google has deemed to be the best SEVEN of that industry in that city, based on the search query. So in this example, Google considers these seven roofing companies to be the best search results in Pensacola.

Now if you are a roofer operating in Pensacola, I want to Thank You for being in my example, and if you are not listed here but are considered the best roofer in Pensacola, then you are getting a bad deal (we should talk)!

If you were to hover over any of these addresses, the pins will highlight on the corresponding map to the right of this “Seven Pack”.

Why is the Seven Pack important?

There have been many independent studies done that use heat maps studies, which show where people’s eyes and their mouse cursor goes on search results. What these studies show us is that our eyes naturally fall on the first three pins (businesses) in the Seven Pack in greater volumes and to a lesser extent to the remaining four.

These top three business slots are even favoured above the results that are listed above the Seven Pack itself; which are normally the major “phone book type” directories, like Yellow Pages and others. Videos however, that are listed just above the Seven Pack, or the line just below the Seven Pack gain almost as much attention as the first three companies in the Seven Pack.

This means that if your company is listed in the Seven Pack, you will receive the MOST organic traffic (leads) from people searching for your industry in your city. On top of that, If you are in the top 3, and specifically, the top spot of the Seven Pack, you can essentially receive most of the traffic. Add to this a stellar reputation with a Zagat score, you could be getting almost ALL of the traffic.

To illustrate this further, if you look at the monthly search traffic for the top three searches for Roofers in Pensacola, you will see that even a 1% increase could bring your roofing company between 3 and 23 new customers:

If your customer value (what revenue they generate you over the course of your relationship) of a roofing contract is say $1500 or  more, this could be $1500 – $34,500 per month.

Key Points

1. Your Placement within the Seven Pack will determine what level of lead generation you will receive from eager searching customers. And for services like roofers, many of the searchers could have a leaky roof and need it repaired quickly.
2. Your business website may not EVER find its way to the first page. With directories (that charge you for placement often times), videos and the Seven pack, there is a slim chance your website will rank high enough. So your SEO efforts should be focussed on getting your videos ranked and getting your company in the Seven Pack
3. When working with your on-staff SEO, or contracted SEO company it is vital that you claim your Google, Bing and Yahoo listings, and that all review site accounts are claimed. This is a massive step toward managing your online reputation.
4. Your SEO staff should ensure your company ranks for as many appropriate keywords as possible. The category of “Roofer” falls under the same umbrella as these keywords, so if you do not do repairs, or you actually specialize in commercial, you don’t need to compete with all “roofers”:

Final Thoughts

Search Engine results can be an overwhelming game to play. Google changes their search algorithms regularly, so it is imperative that changes are made to your process to stay in tune with their criteria. If you are doing local SEO as a solo business person, it might seem like the effort is not worth the reward. But if done correctly, the benefits can be huge.

For example, if you moved from the fifth position of the Seven Pack, to the fourth, it could change your customer leads by 10% in some cases. Most of the search traffic goes to the top three. Those spots are prime spots, and as long as you have managed your reputation and do your homework, the leads should continue to pour in.

Note: If you are presently overwhelmed by Local SEO, or need someone to pick up the slack, let us know. We would love to Jump Start your Local Ranking and have it working hard for you.

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I wish you great success with your Local Search.

+Clay, Owner Local Business Kahuna

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