When searching for basic queries or local businesses in your area, you may find something has changed with the amount of local businesses that are being displayed by Google. What used to be a list of seven different businesses, the Google local pack now displays just three different businesses along with a map of where those businesses are in relation to your location.
SEO experts may be wondering why the “local pack” of seven business that Google displays has now shrunken to just three. The reason is because of how the results appear on mobile devices. Having fewer businesses displayed on Google’s search queries is better when integrated on mobile device interfaces.
Of course, the new update does not have positive effects on sites that were being shown for the fourth or lower positions in Google’s local pack, and the results that are being shown as top three will be getting more attention. This update may have some businesses wondering if they should be putting more attention to their AdWords campaign and less on organic searches.
This change to Google’s local pack comes only two days after Google’s update removing the Google+ page option for businesses showing up for queries.