It’s 5 pm on a Friday; you’ve forgotten it’s your best friend’s birthday night out, and your hair is a shabby mess. Quick, Google ‘hairdressers near me’. You may find, however, that as opposed to the usual seven handy options to select from, Google has now reduced this to just three.
What’s Going On?
Google has updated its algorithm to now only present three local results as opposed to the previous seven listings. These have been refined in terms of their details and information also.
What’s Changed?
Precise and direct addresses are not available until the user clicks onto either maps or the website. Together with the address modifications; telephone numbers have also been removed from the initial pack listing. Also, the listings are much more refined and offer a cleaner look and feel.
What Else is Missing?
Those hugely beneficial Google+ links we have all grown to love have been removed. While you try to console yourself over this announcement, we can also reveal that the reviews are no longer ‘Google Reviews’ they are instead just listed as ‘Reviews’.
Just in case you might be in any form of doubt, these are still reviews that provide largely useful information from a variety of sources.
Who Will this Affect?
Undoubtedly, those within the three-pack listing will get an increased share in the call numbers, and those who were previously positioned between four and seven may see a decrease.
What Should I Do?
Having a strategic and ethical approach to your SEO campaign will undoubtedly enable your organic rankings to grow in accordance with Google and their clearly defined requirements.
If you serve a local area in particular, as opposed to on a national scale; have a chat with your SEO team and ensure that your monthly spend is still accurate and being used to obtain phrases that are of relevance.
Still a little lost? Give us a call, we know our stuff and our team will be more than happy to have a chat with you.