Google Local SERP Changes

[Fwiffo]

Anyone else notice this?

http://www.localseoguide.com/meet-the-new-google-local-serps/

http://www.localseoguide.com/the-new-google-local-serps-local-directories/

have been playing with it most of the morning - gotta say - as a user - barf

when the search with what they call the "7 pack sandwich" comes up, I'm almost going blind. Really confusing.

I think they're getting so nervous about being SEO'd that they're now throwing the baby out with the bath water - makes me want to look elsewhere for info.

For local searches, Bing is looking better than what big G's throwing up lately purely out of aesthetics & not being jammed with really bad looking listings.

Think this will last, or that they'll stick with the smaller 7 pack they've had up so far?

 

[Jacquita]

I searched my local city keywords and I'm getting the Places listings in the first six spots and 4 organic ones to complete the page.

I checked the listings in several major cities and I get several types of results. Some had the "7 pack sandwich" the OP mentioned and some were only a 3 pack. I guess this is just a testing phase for Google. It's hard to manage your listings if Google keeps making major changes like this, but the one thing everyone should take away from this is that local search is the way of the future.

 

[ukescuba]

are you guys using firefox? or are you seeing this in both internet explorer and firefox...

i was seeing this happen back in july but not any more....

 

[Jacquita]

It shows up using FF. In IE everything shows normal.

Why the difference?

 

[supertramp]

Yeah I think they are headed to a mix with Organic.

Places will most likely be headed more this way.

 

[powforlife]

This will help to prevent local search spamming, this is only a bad thing if you really solely on google places and do nothing for the organics.

 

[gregryan]

Thought I was going crazy, checking sites of companies I'm helping and everything was changed. Most of my postions stayed the same but there were some changes.

 

[Barcelona]

well I paniced last night because I thought I finally ****ed up my eyes/mind due to too many computer hours

this is not final - they are testing and collecting data - also they plan to introduce some sort of local ppc interface for local businesses without the hassle of adwords...

 

[oinky222]

ughh this is quite inconvient. looks like it will require a major modification to any strategies for ranking for local terms, as the Google Places Listing appears to now take precedence over the organic results

 

[Barcelona]

ughh this is quite inconvient. looks like it will require a major modification to any strategies for ranking for local terms, as the Google Places Listing appears to now take precedence over the organic results

not true - I rank above the local results but its also the number 1 organic..

the whole idea is to squeeze extra money out of local businesses /search results.. this will be a whole new system/interace marketed independly from Adwords

Imagine how much money they could make out of this...

 

[AdisLCS]

I refuse to use FeEbay since they jerked the fees up and turned into jerks, I use only VCC on GayPal, I am using Hulu since I got fed up with annoying ads on YouTube, and many webmasters might just get fed up with all the changes (beta versions really) in Google's search algorithm and move on to Bing/Yahoo and others. I actually like Bing, and I am not afraid to say

and yes Barcelona, you are right.

The other day I dropped off my daughter at tae kwon do. I saw a Google dude taking pictures and profiling the owner. Creating a local listing what is soon to become "leg for first rank, arm for second".

Google understands that there are many local mom and pop shops that are not savvy with adwords, internet marketing etc and see this as great opportunity to make more money. Sad part is that many webmasters will be kicked in the ass by G who have worked very hard and honest, drinking coffee all night long, scraping elbows and following Matt Cuts (Why the Fuxk would you follow him?).
We will have to wait and see what this develops into but I am starting to get fed up.

 

[darkface]

not true - I rank above the local results but its also the number 1 organic..

the whole idea is to squeeze extra money out of local businesses /search results.. this will be a whole new system/interace marketed independly from Adwords

Imagine how much money they could make out of this...

You actually rank ABOVE the google maps result? Can you show a screen shot (obviously with blanked urls and keywords) ? I have never heard of that actually happening

 

[suerte8]

A new look will give us new opportunities but I think it'll be short-lived based on:

1.) with more local places listings on 1st page = less Adwords income, more people will click on these places sites instead of Adwords ads on right and top, your eye is now drawn towards the places listings.

2.) The organic mega sites or even MFA's getting less local clicks from adsense...
less clicks from adsense means less for Adwords.

seems like all you need is local ph and address - that's EZ

How will Google make more money?

 

[ADHD-Dude]

This is so F**** UP, all the changes that G is making the first page useless

 

[kashkash]

I currently have multiple site that are ranking above the new local search interface, but they were all number one organically before the change.

 

[oinky222]

not true - I rank above the local results but its also the number 1 organic..

the whole idea is to squeeze extra money out of local businesses /search results.. this will be a whole new system/interace marketed independly from Adwords

Imagine how much money they could make out of this...

really? in every single local search i tested, the top six or so listings were all local listings, and all of the organic results came at the bottom. did you do anything special to outrank the local results? or just lots of backlinking and on-page optimization like you normally would for any other type of search?