If you hadn’t heard about or noticed Google’s most recent changes to their organic search results page, then you’re likely just starting to learn about Local Search Optimization.  Here at chatmeter, we wanted to write specifically about the potential effects it has on SMB owners.  The most predominate change that has come with the new design has an enormous impact on local searches.  When Google believes the user is looking for services provided at the local level, they are now displaying a lot more local business results at the top along with their Place page information (address, reviews, etc) displacing many of the directory results (such as Superpages, MerchantCircle, Yellowpages.com, etc).   The previous “7-pack” has been abandoned.   Sometimes organic results and place page results are intermingled and other times, as you see in this graphic, nearly the whole first page is place page results pushing the organic website results to the bottom of the page. Old Layout                                                          New Layout Above is an example of the comparison between Google’s old and new layout formation.  As you can see, the Local results are now taking up most of the initial page, which allows consumers a quicker approach to finding what they are searching for. The information presented shows the  address, phone number, customer reviews and 1 click access to the Google Place Page

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According to a new study, 7 out of 10 potential customers are more likely to buy from a local business when it makes information accessible through a social media site. This yearly study, which is called “Local Search Usage Study: Bridging The Gaps, From Search to Sales,” is a combined effort of TMP Directional Marketing and comScore. The study surveys 4,000 consumers online and contains data obtained by observing one million of those who allowed their online searches to be monitored anonymously.

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