3 Ways Local Search Changed Present Day SEO
Posted 13th May 2011 at 04:40 PM by neojr
Have you noticed a drop in Google organic SEO traffic for any “local” search queries?
Over the past couple of weeks I have noticed King search engine Google playing around more with the way it presents the results for location modified searches.
Some pretty huge changes in Local search engine results web pages now. Looks like Google Places and natural search results pages have merged.
The new layout goes much, much further. Now the local search results are broken out, one by one in the similar set-up as Google organic or natural results. For many searches, this pushes the natural / organic results down beyond page one. If, for example, there are more than 10 Google Places / Google Local results, a user may not see the standard Google organic results until page 2.
Why is Google doing this?
1. By showing real, approved local businesses in reply to “local” searches, Google thinks it’s giving the searcher a better experience.
2. The organic results which are unconfirmed and potentially SEO’d to high rankings are pushed out and therefore the Google searcher avoids a potentially negative experience from a visiting an organic result.
3. After businesses have claimed their local listing, Google offers them the chance to insert images, video clips, coupons, menus to their listings using their “tags” service from which Google earns income. Google is also testing the ability to automatically set up Adwords advertising for the local businesses using Google Boost based on the information it has about them which would be another money spinner.
Google Instant, another new improvement, has also been a superior player in the enlargement of local search. With Google Instant, results change depending on whether the search is taking place on a cell phone or computer because Google assumes that searchers using a cell phone are more locally alert.
This change in the Google search layout has major implications for local businesses. Much has been made of Google Instant, but really I think in the long run Google instant will end up more as an annoyance than as something major in Google SEO / Search. Instant is just too instant, and often doesn't provide valuable search results.
As local results take priority as compared to traditional results, it is important for businesses and advertising groups to look at how searchers are interacting with local results and local hubs. I have worked very hard over recent weeks to perfect Google Local Optimizations and feel that this recent change is devaluing the effort a bit.
Over the past couple of weeks I have noticed King search engine Google playing around more with the way it presents the results for location modified searches.
Some pretty huge changes in Local search engine results web pages now. Looks like Google Places and natural search results pages have merged.
The new layout goes much, much further. Now the local search results are broken out, one by one in the similar set-up as Google organic or natural results. For many searches, this pushes the natural / organic results down beyond page one. If, for example, there are more than 10 Google Places / Google Local results, a user may not see the standard Google organic results until page 2.
Why is Google doing this?
1. By showing real, approved local businesses in reply to “local” searches, Google thinks it’s giving the searcher a better experience.
2. The organic results which are unconfirmed and potentially SEO’d to high rankings are pushed out and therefore the Google searcher avoids a potentially negative experience from a visiting an organic result.
3. After businesses have claimed their local listing, Google offers them the chance to insert images, video clips, coupons, menus to their listings using their “tags” service from which Google earns income. Google is also testing the ability to automatically set up Adwords advertising for the local businesses using Google Boost based on the information it has about them which would be another money spinner.
Google Instant, another new improvement, has also been a superior player in the enlargement of local search. With Google Instant, results change depending on whether the search is taking place on a cell phone or computer because Google assumes that searchers using a cell phone are more locally alert.
This change in the Google search layout has major implications for local businesses. Much has been made of Google Instant, but really I think in the long run Google instant will end up more as an annoyance than as something major in Google SEO / Search. Instant is just too instant, and often doesn't provide valuable search results.
As local results take priority as compared to traditional results, it is important for businesses and advertising groups to look at how searchers are interacting with local results and local hubs. I have worked very hard over recent weeks to perfect Google Local Optimizations and feel that this recent change is devaluing the effort a bit.
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