The Dramatic Change of Local Search

Have you seen the change in the way Google displays businesses in the local listings (Google Places)?

Well, Google has rolled out a new way to display "local" results in the SERPS (Search Engine Results Pages) which will now be more integrated with its universal search. This updated changes has been named "Place Search". You will see below two images, the first one is the "old" way that Google displayed local search results. The "7-Pack" with the map to the left was displayed and then the organic below it. The new, and refined "Place Search" is visually much different.

The Old Search Results

New Place Search

In the right column now resides the map, which will move with you as you scroll down the screen and the places pages will blend in with the organic search results – in some cases, but not all. In the second image above (the snapshot of the new places search), you will see that it seems to look similar to the "7-Pack" of old. The image below for this query "lapeer mi dentist" shows how the listing will "mix-in" or integrate with the local results.

It seems as if the "7-Pack" is gone altogether, but in some cases I see the seven listings clumped together on the left and the map on the right. To see the many faces of the new "Places Search" check out Andrew Shotland's post – "Meet the new Google Local SERPS".

Another thing to notice is on the left column you will see icons there that can take you to other places within Googles search engine. You will see that "Places" takes a more prominent position and if you were to click on that icon it triggers new results and keeps you within Google, instead of taking you to the Google Maps like previously.

Does This New Search Become A Game Changer For Local Businesses?

Since Google has rolled this out, there has been a lot of hub-bub about the significance it is going to play for local search and for the businesses that are listed there. Is it going to be a major factor? Is it just an incremental change?

Personally, beyond the visual changes of the local search, this is going to have an impact on users and "the local market". Not only is it no more about getting into the "7-Pack" (as it was with Google Maps) but integrating your places within the organic search and blending them with your site information. This poses a threat to directories, such as superpages.com, Yelp and others because, in certain cases, the "Place Search" can take up the whole top of the first page (which is the most important real estate and typically called "above the fold").

So, yes, the change that Google is bringing out here is going to be important for your local business.
 

Local Search Has Grabbed The Attention of Google

Every month local search is growing due to the drop in readership of newspapers and other media that have gone away. Yellow pages advertising has dropped significantly. Here are the facts on why this is happening:

1. Eighty-six percent of adults use the search engines to look up information on local companies.
2. Eighty percent then spend their money within 50 miles of where they live.
3. Eighty-five percent of the people who are referred to a business, will go online to research them.

Googles own statistics state that "more than 20 percent" of search is location specific. Seeing the commitment that Google is making to local and local-mobile is a good sign. They are making places more prominent than ever before which should spark more local searches and more heavily rely on Google for local information.

It seems too, as per Greg Sterling over at search engine watch that this places change is to encourage small businesses to use AdWords – or a smaller version named Google Boost Ads. I will be looking more into this aspect for local businesses in a later article.

The Importance of Having a Web Presence

What "Place Search" does is give visitors more links to click on. Instead of the previous "7-Pack", "3-Pack", etc. and the ten organic listings below it, there are now between thirty and forty different links to click on. This is because the local search now shows other references such as Yelp, CitySearch, InsiderPages along with the website information and reviews.

Let me show you some of the ways why the new Places Search is of importance:
 

• Having a strong website – The old Google places was open to all, including those without a website. You could show up in the "7-Pack" and the map without a website. Although, I do think that you will be able to show up in the new places map by adding and verifying your data it just may be more difficult to obtain that prime spot without a strong, high ranking website. If you are a local business and you don't have a website – I highly recommend that you get one.
   
• Citations and Reviews – It's of utmost importance to get citations from authority sites such as local, vertical and themed directories. It is also crucial that you have your satisfied customers give you reviews on the different review sites out there. This gives you much link love with Google and will play a factor in local search.
   
• Spammers of the Maps – Google is moving in a direction to snuff out as much map spam as possible. No longer will creating fake listings and reviews get you to the prime spots on Place Search. The new results are slanted toward those who have worked hard on their sites, and those sites, like cream, will float to the top. Another reason to have a strong website.

In Conclusion

As is usual with changes that Google makes, there is going to be some "rank shuffling" going on between the old and news search engine results. Some businesses that possibly didn't rank in the previous "7-Pack" will rise to the prominent spots, mainly due to the strength of their organic and local efforts. This is good, as it will reward those who have put in a large investment of time and money into providing a valuable website – instead of just setting up a Place Page in 15-20 minutes.

We have to be careful as website designers and marketers that we don't promote a "Get To The Top Quick" mentality to businesses just by setting up a Places Page for them. It takes a sold web presence strategy for sticking power, and that takes time.

Take some time to check out the new "Place Search" and see how you are positioned in the new results pages. Give us some feedback on your thoughts of this new change and how you think it will affect your business.

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Patrick Whitson has spent more than twenty years in the computer field programming and designing web sites for such companies as J. Walter Thompson, Ford, MSX Intl., White Castle, Delphi and many small to mid-sized businesses. Moving out of corporate America, he decided to work specifically with local businesses to help them market online using their own website. He has worked with many small businesses and is seeing them grow and bring in more customers with Lapeer Website Design.