Google has removed the link to Places search. The link, which had been located in Google’s “More” drop-down menu option, is no longer there, meaning local businesses can only be found via search (paid or organic), Google+ Local, or Google Maps.
Image via Understanding Google Maps & Local Search
Also, when Google shows a 7-pack of local results, there is no longer an option to see “More results near [location]”. Why did this go? According to Google’s Jade Wang:
“Thanks for your feedback about the small update to the local search user interface on Google. This is one of several updates we’re working on to improve the local search experience, with the goal of more seamless exploration of places and more integration of local data. Stay tuned for more updates soon.”
Under Search Tools, Google users can set their location setting. Generally Google auto-detects your location, but they aren’t always perfect, so you can change to another city.
However, if you’re ever hoping to see local results for a location outside your country, you’re out of luck. Google now only lets you specificy a location within your country – so if you’re in the U.S. on Google.com, you can’t see local results for London, England – you’d have to use Google UK for that.
The elimination of Places Search, which launched in 2010, was first reported by Mike Blumenthal and the change comes not long after the launch of the new Google Places for Business dashboard.
This is an interesting development, considering Google has pledged to label Places Search results, as well as link to three competitor sites in Europe, as shown in this illustration:
So it seems as though you check the box that says Google Places search is permanently closed. And it seems Google is working on a new local search experience, perhaps further pushing Google+ on businesses. What sort of updates do you expect to see next in local search from Google?
Related reading
Four ways to boost SEO in just 5 hours
Good SEO practice is the difference between getting your site ranked as high up the search results and possible, and reducing the chance of a click through to your site. It can be frustrating to spend a great deal of time and effort on SEO and not see the results. Pius Boachie shares some tips you can quickly implement to make a difference.
Consumers lose trust in businesses with inaccurate NAP
Over the years we’ve seen the importance of the humble business listing change. While citations were once considered key link sources and their accuracy a contributing ranking factor for local search, today their impact has waned somewhat.
Hyperlocal SEO: What is it, and how can you make sure you do it right?
It is likely that if you are reading this, you’ve heard of ‘local SEO’ and have an understanding of the importance for certain businesses to optimize their web presence to rank for locally specific searches. In a nutshell, ‘hyperlocal SEO’ is the same kind of optimization, but for smaller, more focused localities such as neighborhoods, towns, streets, and spots located near well-known landmarks.
6 common international SEO fails and how to avoid them
If you already run an international website or have international expansion on your road map, there are several common SEO issues which can hold back your success. In this article we’ll look at six international SEO mistakes that you could be making without realizing it.
