Whether this is a change to be rolled out permanently or just a test, I’ve no idea. It’s very early morning here, I was just trawling through Google and noticed the changes and once I got over the shock/surprise I decided to write a quick blog post.

For some localised searches it looks like Google has merged Google Places with the Organic Results though not for all the limited searches I’ve done. First Google did away with the 10 box listing, then they culled it down to the 7 box. Now in certain searches that 7 box listing have been removed, moving up the organic results to the top. The map is now placed on the right hand side, and there’s 4 or 5 pure organic listings. Who said Google organic listings were dead?

So this looks like a big win win for local sites that ranked well organically and that have a Google Places account.

So What happens to those that did well in Google Places but didn’t rank well organically?

Well one of my recent clients ranked in a 2 box listing for their main term, and on page 2 organically. Now the client appears to have been wiped off the first page of Google, leaving them with just a Pay Per Click listing on the 1st page.

The first page of screenshot for the search for ‘wedding photographer Liverpool’ above looks less cluttered, now it’s down to 10 or 11 results for certain searches in the main center column.

Different Displays in Different Markets

On another travel related search Google Places is still there but the Google Places listings are formatted slightly differently and the map has been removed to the side.

This is certainly one to keep an eye on. No doubt there’ll be more changes to come. Happy Halloween from Google, hopefully these changes won’t spoil the celebrations.

Google is charging businesses in Houston, TX and San Jose, CA a straight $25 a month for a yellow flag. This little flag goes beneath their local listing to help bring attention to their listing, but it also links to the page of your choice to help convert visitors. This sounds expensive at first, but when you consider the cost of other local advertising methods, SEO, and even services such as Yellow Pages, it’s easy to see the value in a service like this.

The Benefits of the New ‘Yellow’ Listings

Even if a business is already at the top of the local SERPs, this little yellow flag has the potential for making a big difference. First, it makes the listing jump off the page, and that’s never a bad thing. However, this may diminish as the idea gains popularity.

Being able to link to virtually any page gives businesses the perfect opportunity to integrate their listing with their marketing strategy. A restaurant, for example, could link directly to a menu and online order page. Or, it could link to a coupon to encourage visitors to come in. A page listing special sale items, an introduction to the organization or even just a special welcome video at the top of the home page can also be helpful here.

For Google, it has the potential for being a serious cash cow. At $300 USD a year, that translates into $2,100 USD for the seven pack per year, and that’s just for one keyword. Aside from a bit of extra accounting, this thing has no negative effects for the search giant.

Google’s ‘Enhanced Listings’ Aren’t All Sugar and Spice

Before handing over that coveted $25, there are a few serious things to think about. First of all, this yellow flag will be essentially useless if the business isn’t included in the seven pack, but it’s easy to see a number of businesses will eagerly hand over the cash without realising this.

The line between paid or ’sponsored’ listings and organic listing are being further blurred with this new system. This brings into question Google’s fairness and ethics to start. If it continues along this line, it will essentially have pages of paid listings. Should they? It might not get that far because it wouldn’t be in the best interests of the user, but it certainly could.

More emphasis on the seven-pack also means regular users could potentially pay less attention to anything else on the page since these listings push the regular results farther towards the fold. It also means there will be even more pressure on SEOs to get these companies into that top seven listings.

Lastly, this type of offering cuts out the ‘certified dealers’ and forces businesses to go directly to Google. So, this not only cuts out a profit opportunity and a chance to ‘game’ the listings, but you also can’t help but wonder what kinds of personal and private information they’ll be able to collect in the meantime. After all, it’s pretty obvious that if this goes well, Google will continue to build on this concept.

No Guarantees for Top Position

It’s important to note the $25 simply gives you a yellow flag linked to whatever you’d like. None of the articles say anything about guaranteeing a position when you pay the money. They only mention the enhancement to an existing listing, so if you aren’t already in the 7-pack, it won’t show up in the first page universal SERPs.

Google is simply testing this at the moment, so there’s no mention of when it will be rolled out both in the US, and here in the UK and Ireland.

It’s not buying top positions, it’s not a ranking factor, and it’s not guaranteeing traffic, but it is certainly changing the game by adding a new dimension.

What are your thoughts? Would you like this rolled out? Is it worth the cash?

The recent addition of a dashboard highlighted Google’s commitment to local search and it’s ever increasing importance.

The screenshot below is from a short article I wrote on the adding your business to Local Business center.

It shows a search for the term ‘wedding photographer in Belfast’, with the 10 pack, 10 listings labeled A – J next to a map. Google has decided in their wisdom to cull this down to a 7 pack. The second screenshot below now shows a search for the same term with a 7 pack, 7 listings.

So what difference does this make?

• It’s less cluttered looking
• Getting listed in the 7 pack obviously becomes more competitive

If you had a listing that appeared at number 8 – 10, your listing will now have disappeared and banished from a potentially very profitable position on the front page of Google.

So why has Google made this change?

Unfortunately for organic SEO’s I doubt that Google has decided to reassert the priority of the free, organic and traditional search results that is was built on. Arguably, the reason is that Google is set to introduce Google Local Listings Ads that will offer local pay per placement ads targetted at local business. A less cluttered 7 pack certainly frees up space for these locally targeted ads and at the same time will generate additional revenue for the money making juggernaut that Google is.

Local Listings Ad Video Promotion

So what are Local Listings Ads and how do they work:

• Targetted ads that display when users search for businesses like yours in your area.
• Add your business to Google’s Local Business Center
• Pay a flat fee based on your location and business category
• Receive a full report on the no of clicks and more
• Appear at the top of Google search results and Google Maps
• Free call tracking to include the message ‘This caller brought to you by Google’
• First 30 days free

Local Listing Ads look like a dumbed down version of Pay Per Click, no campaign set up and management, just a fairly straightforward process that most businesses should understand. The simple pay per placement model should also help Google target online competitors such as Yell. A free 1 month trial won’t do the uptake figures any harm either.

For an SEO, a one strand organic listings campaign for a local business just doesn’t and won’t cut the mustard any more. Businesses can’t ignore Pay Per Click and Local Search. Add Local Listing Ads to the mix when it is eventually rolled out here.