Google about a week ago started to roll out another huge change.
This only affects searches where Google serves up its Places listings (formerly known as Maps, or Local).
So this is only a portion, even of local searches. For example, if you search for “website designers Clearwater” you don’t get it, because no one cares exactly where a website designer is located. Dentists, Plumbers and many other searches, are a different story.
Currently there are at least three different versions of the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) that Google will serve up. One is close to the past version, where all the local listings are gathered together, typically after the first few organic listings. However, the map itself is now moved to the top of the right column.
The second version is similar but with each local listing after the first indented further.
The third version is the most radical. Places listings are FULLY integrated with organic search results so the two combined have only 10 listings on the 1st page. If a company has BOTH a Places page AND a website, the two listings are combined, and if their places page has pictures, a thumbnail is displayed.
This makes for a VERY much more robust display, occupying more vertical space, with more information and a picture.
Expect that such listings will immediately start gathering the lion’s share of the clicks, even at the expense of higher ranked sites.
There is a lot more to be said about this change. It is HUGE for those businesses that it affects. I’ll have more to say over the next couple of days.