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Early August 2015 Google rolled out a major change in the way “Local” search results were displayed and handled.
In a nutshell, here is what you need to remember so you can adjust your marketing:
- Whether you are in the USA, Canada, Europe or South Africa, changes have been rolled out across all countries
- The layout has changed significantly:
- Only the Top 3 results displayed on the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) – vs. up to 7 before
- Displayed business info is more compact
- Ratings and Reviews stand out even more
- SERP displays can vary per business type (category)
- Mobile searches: increase in the numbers of (paid) ads displayed
- Impacts on your business:
- Reduced traffic and leads if you are positioned beyond Top 3 results
- Requires additional click on Map to view more business listings
- Average Rating and Number of “Google Reviews” is even more critical to stand out from your competition and attract new “customers”
- Mobile searches:
- Local organic search results pushed further below Pay-Per-Click ads resulting in reduced visibility hence less traffic / leads and prospects
- Requires increased paid ad (Adwords) spend to get same mobile search exposure
- Reduced traffic and leads if you are positioned beyond Top 3 results
To read more details check out the following 2 articles:
- https://moz.com/blog/google-local-snack-pack-shakeup
- http://searchengineland.com/new-google-local-search-display-230525
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