On the last day of 2009, Google confirmed that they had removed the Local Business results for many SEO, web design and hosting companies. So while the search results for [web hosting leeds] won’t come up with any local business results, [supermarket leeds] will come up with the familiar Google Maps with businesses located on them. However, many experts have pondered the strange fact that while [web hosting leeds] won’t appear in Google Local Business results, using the word ‘in’, like [web hosting in Leeds] does show Local Business results. Also, while most cities in the US and UK are affected, [web hosting sydney] and many others are not.
A Google employee, Joel H states,
“Today, we’re intentionally showing less local results for web design / SEO queries. For example, [web design sacramento] doesn’t display local listings today. We believe this is an accurate representation of user intent. In some cases, we do show local listings, however (as NSNA/php-er noted) [web design in bellingham]… I understand that concern, but based on our understanding of our users, we feel this is the right decision for now.”
“Using words in or near seem to be suggestive of a different intent. In the end, these search results will fluctuate as we fine tune our results pages to get the user the best answer.”
It is definitely confusing for many to understand the motives for this move by Google. Has this move affected your company? Or do you think that Joel is right when he says that this is “an accurate representation of user intent”?
Personally I don’t see the reason behind the user intent argument. If this was the case then other industries that are not dependent on locality would be affected such as mortgages and from this example they are not.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=&q=mortgages+sheffield&btnG=Search&meta=
I agree - this move seems to be targeted only at SEO related, web design & web hosting companies. Perhaps as a “penalty” for these sorts of companies attempting to dominate and crowd SERPs for such competitive local keywords?
I was effected by the change, but I can also understand the change, I just wish they would explain it better.
To me, it seems obvious. It’s not just Web Design / SEO companies that have been removed from local business results, but virtually every web-based company.
Why? It seems very clear to me; because anything web-based or services that can be provided remotely over the internet are technically available worldwide and have no local relevance.
So again, although it has hurt me as a Web & Graphic Designer where I see less potential clients finding me locally that ultimately would have lead to an in-person meeting and landing the project; I understand Google’s decision.
Too many people can abuse the local directory by stuffing locational keywords and the bottom line is they have just decided to give precedence to actual brick and mortar store fronts and filter out all the rest.
I just wish I would/could read more clear and concise explanations like that from the horses mouth.
Thanks, Bryan