New Google local SERPs

Google has updated its search results to include greater integration with Maps. The map, which shows local businesses in SERPs, is now placed to the right of the page, just above sponsored listings. Meanwhile, the central organic listings have been expanded to include more details about individual ‘local’ business. ‘Geo-targeted’ searches appear this way, that is, phrases that are written in the following format:

Place + shop/service

Here’s an example of ‘photographers in Manchester’. Click to see a larger version.

The main sponsored links (the ones with the red background) are still at the top of the page, but it’s interesting to see a picture appearing under the title of sites in the main organic search pages. There’re also links to the right of these sites that lead to the ‘place pages’, small business-specific pages that go into greater detail about services and offers. All of these are new to Google’s SERPs. Because the organic listings have expanded, there are only either four or five organic results displayed without scrolling down.

I also did a quick search for ‘theatres in Manchester’ and the list of theatres that once appeared to the right of the map now appear in the centre of the page below the sponsored links. Here’s an example. Click to see a larger version.

This move by Google could be harmful for local directory listings, but could be a boom for local individual businesses with smaller websites.