SERPs Peppered with Local Results - for non local queries

[limoshawn]

This may not be new but i'm seeing a lot of attempts at returning local results mixed in with the serps this morning. i've seen them on the top before and with maps but never mixed in with the regular serps. I say attempts because the results don't seem very good. For example, i do a search for "keyword" and in the top 10 results i see a blog post about how "little johnny took his keyword to las vegas". not really what i was looking for especially since the keyword was definitely not local specific!

[tedster]

Interesting observation. Which search terms get local results and which don't must be up for testing again. There's no doubt that Google (and others) still need to work on local search. Since we can't stop them from trying to be a mind-reader - sorry, make that "intention reader" - we will probably see this kind of test for quite a while. Hope it gets refined rather quickly.

We have talked about flags for QDF (query deserves freshness) and QDD (query deserves diversity), but it seems clear that there is also something like QDL (query deserves local).

[JoeSinkwitz]

Look closer limoshawn and you'll see that in almost all cases this occurs in positions #6 and #8.

[limoshawn]

thats about where they were at, #6 and #8, just did a check however and the local results are not there. It was a bit of a kick in the head this morning because just last week we made it on to the first page for this search term and then we got bumped by the local results. All part of the game I guess.

[WebDesignerIllinois]

It seems to me that google is experimenting with serving local results for non-local specific search phrases based on the location of the users ISP. If my ISP was located closer to me, I would find it useful but....

[limoshawn]

seeing it again this morning, result numbers 5, 6, and 7, returning localized results based on ip address.

[cls_wired]

>It seems to me that google is experimenting with serving local results for non-local specific search phrases based on the location of the users ISP

The "local" queries percentage couldn't be prevail. The majority of queries are navigational, brand etc, and not depend on locality.

Google inexactitude in a QDL determination now, but i think it will be corrected as soon as Google can collect enough data associated with user's behaviour on SERP for these queries.

[JoeSinkwitz]

Same here limo; 5,6,7, and 9 for a bit on some queries that are not necessarily local centric.

[limoshawn]

looks like the local results go away around 4pm (pst) and then starts back up in the mornings. I hope google finds what they're looking for soon.

[tedster]

looks like the local results go away around 4pm (pst) and then starts back up in the mornings

Now that's a new and unique observation - thank you! Given the way local results affect true organic click-through, it's something to keep in mind when odd traffic drops show up.

[daveshap]

Yeah, I noticed the same thing this morning. I was searching for a one word term, the broadest most market defining keyword in the niche, and it was showing local results in positions 6-8.

I then tried some other one word queries and got local results also.

[daveshap]

I'm seeing this rolled out pretty aggressively now. Anybody else seeing this? I did searches for 'hotels', 'grocery stores', and 'pizza' and positions 4-6 were almost always local results, sometimes from Yahoo Directory and one instance of seeing an article from a directory show up which contained the location.

[limoshawn]

haven't seen it too much for the terms i've been watching for the last week or so. the terms i was watching should not be related to local at all so maybe G is narrowing down the term they show the local results for.

[jimbeetle]

I did searches for 'hotels', 'grocery stores', and 'pizza' and positions 4-6 were almost always local results,

Google Instant is much more localized. Try the search featured in the announcement video: simply type a w. Your local weather should pop up.