google local pack

Google Local Pack Updates Change the Game… Again!

If you thought that removing right sidebar ads was the biggest change Google would make to search results in 2016, buckle up. Prepare for an incoming update — Google’s at it again! Why Does This Matter? This change means that another organic position is being replaced with a paid ad. While the removal of sidebar ads already moved organic positions down the page, this is another push to dominate the top of the search results page with ads. On a mobile device, users will have to scroll past numerous ads before they see any organic results. Below you can see a mock up from Search Engine Roundtable of what the new local pack might look like with an ad in position one. These new ads will likely look very similar to the other two listings in the local pack, but Google hasn’t officially released information about what the ads will … Continued

Will Google’s Local Pack Changes Affect My Business? #FAQuesday

That tremor felt throughout the SEO world in early August may not have been as earth-shaking as Google’s spring Mobilegeddon update, but the latest change in local search results still set the industry abuzz. The Google “local pack” that used to show the top seven results was downsized to display only three, even when the search is conducted on a desktop computer. In addition to showing fewer business listings, the new local pack — dubbed a “snack pack” by some observers — was also redesigned to resemble the mobile interface, which makes sense considering that mobile search surpassed desktop earlier this year. So what does that mean for companies in the fourth through seventh positions that dropped out of the featured box? Don’t panic yet.  What Will Happen to My Ranking? Although it may seem like a lost opportunity, Google assures us that the top three local-pack positions already were getting the vast majority of clicks from users, … Continued