Did Google's One Box Expansion Lower Your "City-name" Traffic?

[jk3210]

This question didn't get much traction in the Local forum so I'll try it here...

For those of you who target [city-name widgets] type searches, have you seen any lowering of Google traffic due to Google's expansion of the One Box?

[travelin cat]

What expansion? It has been around for at least 3 years.

As far as answering your question, our traffic has grown steadily since its implementation and I do not think it has hurt our traffic at all.

[Robert Charlton]

jk3210 - Just to make sure we're all talking about the same expansion, I assume you're referring to the expansion to ten results (up from three), that we discussed in the Google Search forum on Jan. 25, 2008....

Google Local Business Results Expanded
up to 10 businesses listed in first page of results
[webmasterworld.com...]

...and not to the expansion to the map plus 3 results, which was discussed in the Local forum in Jan, 2007...

Google expands OneBox for More Local Search Content
Google upped the number of biz listings appearing at tops of local SERPs
[webmasterworld.com...]

In the 2007 Local thread, you commented that you expected a huge reduction in click-throughs. Also, in this 2007 thread, there's a reference to a big change in Feb 2005. (Perhaps that's when the one-box was first introduced, as travelin_cat suggests).

Just to clarify, not all [cityname widgets] searches produce these one-boxes... and it hasn't been a stable environment. I too am curious about the effect on [cityname widgets] traffic, specifically on searches where these OneBoxes appear.

[jk3210]

I assume you're referring to the expansion to ten results

Yes, that's the one.

In the 2007 Local thread, you commented that you expected a huge reduction in click-throughs

RC, yes, I did expect a huge reduction in click-throughs, but NOT because of the -950 that hit me less than 4 days after I made that post.<G>

That's the main reason I'm curious about traffic-change comments from others --my point of reference for gauging click-through changes as a result of the 10-Box expansion was wiped-out.

[Whitey]

I guess Google's one box expansion has got to lower traffic, but those results are generally of poor quality for the user in my opinion. they usually appear in cities and represent a minor proportion of options which requires much greater detail from the user's perspective.

In my opinion these results just frustrate the user - but maybe that's G's strategy to serve poor results and drive folks to the PPC ads.

Of much greater concern are results for "City-name" Traffic on global search on regional TLD's , probably effected by the users IP as discussed over here :

[webmasterworld.com...]

It's another one of those regional issues that is disruptive - so I'd take all the regional issues and put them into one pot of disruption for webmasters.