Google Local SEO: new layout makes it a million times more important
Google's new layout (only on google.com, not .co.uk, so far - or maybe just for me if it's still a test) has increased the importance of local SEO about a million times. Check out these two screenshots of a search for "St Albans offices" - one on google.com and one on google.co.uk.
The old look: a map, 7 local results and a web result
The old layout - several local results visible and a web result
Here's the old look (the current one on google.co.uk). You see paid results, then a map and 7 local results, and in this screenshot the web result underneath. Exactly what you see depends on your browser size etc (this was taken on quite a big screen).
The new look: a map and 5 local results
The new layout - a couple of local results visible only
Now here's the new look in the same size window. All there is room for in the non-paid results is a much bigger map and five local results (only 5 were shown in the new design). There are web results underneath, but they were way down the screen.
Google local SEO
So if this result is anything to go by, local SEO is going to become even more important:
- Local results push normal web results way down the screen.
- There are fewer local results shown - so more traffic for the top few if you can get in them.
- Each local result has more prominence than it used to, taking up more space on the screen.
- Having a long address is important as you get an extra line if it's long enough!
Keen watchers of this blog will know that I'm searching for my mum's website (and there it is at the top!) Fortunately, I no longer need worry about her dropping in the web search results due to her 1st place in the local ones. I just need to go and make her address look longer!
Great to know we work with many local businesses. but i have to questions one in my market we are still seeing the old page view and wondering when you think it will hit in N.M. also you said "Having a long address is important as you get an extra line if it's long enough!" what did you mean by this? long tail key word in the heading or a long domain name??
Joanthan
Jonathan: not sure what you mean by N.M.?
Anyway, by longer address, I mean this: Look (squint) at the first result in the new layout. This entry is 2 lines - the name (St Albans Business Centre), physical address and phone number.
The other entries have physical address details so long that they spill over onto an extra line - these entries take up three lines on scren. So if you want to take up more space in the results, make sure your physical address details are long enough.
It'd be more useful to searchers if Google moved those 3x PPC links down to the right-hand side next to the map so that they could at least see the organic results. Oh, wait... click click click click...
Also worth thinking about here is Aaron Wall's findings of Google displaying paid local ads also above the map, pushing the orgaic results down even further.
Are we gearing up for the monetization of Local, one would suggest yes by the shuffle in local search, as everything Google does these days appears more and more revenue focussed and less in terms of usability.
I have tried both .co.uk and .com searches but getting identical results. However in the last month I have noticed some really massive ranking changes in the map results that appear with localised search. It seems there is an increasing importance on the directories and sites that mention a company, both in quantity and quality. Does anyone else have any further info on this?
[...] 2009 Over the last few months Google has been really pushing local search in the UK (with plans to push it even more) and we are finding results increasingly creeping into generic keywords such as mobile [...]
I'll be honest I'm seeing the exact same results in .com as .co.uk, maybe the version is only live on one data centre or something?
Yes, I don't see it anymore. You can see it on some data centres if you force the IP address.
[...] for its main search page that offers a 3 pane view and a more guided view. As Malcolm Coles pointed out over the weekend, this new view comes with a significant adjustment in the display of the Local [...]
So they are still piloting the local search then? Isn't this just a small change meaning that only local sites will be most prominent and there is nothing you can do about it if your website isn't local?
Wow great find. If this is true then Local just got a little harder. From the 10-pack to the 7-pack and now the 5-pack.
Local SEO is getting more and more interesting every month.
I was more interested in the 2nd local result. "Hot" Offices? I wonder what goes on in there?!
Whatever that means, claiming Redbourn is St Albans is like claiming Luton Airport is in London. Oh, right.
Right now only one Google data center is showing the new version. Once the new Caffeine update goes into a full roll out we should all see the new layout.
Yup, local is about to get much more competitive. The drop of 10 results down to 7 was a bit of a wake up call a couple months ago. 5 will send a lot of small business owners into a panic.
I don't understand why certain phrases don't appear anymore, we used to be the top of the listing for 'seo sheffield' but now there isn't one?
Google appears to be cracking down on either industries or highly competitive key phrases it seems. Local web design results are gone too! If you find any others please post!
Thanks Phil, although it doesn't make sense when they diplay marketing companies, insurance companies and other highly competitive market sectors like that. maybe they were just hammered by seo firms trying to get into listings across the whole of the uk....
Of course, you don't exactly paint the industry in a great light when you use your target keywords as your name on peoples' blogs, nofollow or no nofollow
I don't think the loss of SEO companies and Web Design companies is any sort of crack down against competitive industries (ie. spammers). Many of the more heavily spammed industries (escorts, locksmiths, etc..) are still showing maps.
Google admitted that there is some sort of bug in the database and they lost a couple industries. Read more about it here http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/11/24/new-local-listing-ad-layout-whatever-happened-to-the-7-pack-for-web-designers/
maybe these will appear again when google finally starts charging for the listings- i can't see them being so bothered who gets up when thats the case!
The loss of SEO and Web Design companies in Maps is global, not just the UK. Many have been reporting seeing it in the US and Canada too.
Thanks for the info Stever. No doubt they will take some time to come back! Things do seem to take time when the listings get juggled at the best of times!
Phil: they're not coming back
This is what google said (snuck out on new year's eve ...):
Today, we're intentionally showing less local results for web design / SEO queries. For example, [web design sacramento] doesn't display local listings today. We believe this is an accurate representation of user intent. In some cases, we do show local listings, however (as NSNA/php-er noted) [web design in bellingham]. I'm sure some of you feel we should be displaying local results for queries like [Web Design Vancouver]. I understand that concern, but based on our understanding of our users, we feel this is the right decision for now.
I'll give the usual disclaimer that we're constantly working on improving the user experience and results will vary over time. So, this could change in the future, but I wanted to be explicit about what we're doing today.
Well I don't really see that it makes an awful lot of difference to be honest, I don't go around leaving 1000's of automated comments, and why shouldn't I promote my company?! Anyway if it bothers you take them off, it's your site and a decent one at that, so I wouldn't want to get on anyones nerves!! Cheers
No worries, I was only kidding. I'd checked out your blog comment profile via http://www.backtype.com/url/seoclock.co.uk and you seemed genuine!
As opposed to the large numbers of comments on this post that I *have* had to consign to the spam dustbin.
For instance, I just spammed this person ... http://www.backtype.com/url/seosuite.com
Thats probably why that guys site is doing nothing- he is definately black hat!
[...] Google’s new layout: Local SEO a million times more important » malcolm coles [...]
[...] The shape of things to come? (You might like my previous post on the new look google local results and the implications for natural search). [...]
[...] local listings more important, as they fill up more of the screen – you can read more about Google’s new design [...]
Some of the negative reactions to Google's "improved" design:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web+Search/thread?tid=2b617300e762035c&hl=en
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web+Search/thread?tid=468a085df5512b33&hl=en
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web+Search/thread?tid=4269aafc4ea789e0&hl=en