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Understanding Google My Business & Local Search

New Look for Google Local Search Results

Google is apparently testing a new, cleaner front page layout that will affect both local and regular search results. First reported by Dan Barker on March 5th, Searchnewz is reporting that they will be rolled out.  I am now seeing this new layout on Safari for Mac.

The differences:

  • The removal of the underlines from all the links that appear in the search results on both paid and organic content.
  • A new font style and larger font size for the titles. This results in only 55 characters visible in the title tag; the same as mobile.
  • When a listing is rolled over and the KG Info Panel is show, the whole area to the right is greyed.
  • Ads are now annotated rather than shaded making them more obviously ads to a color blind person and on LCD screens compared to before.

Here are some comparisons of the change before and after (click to view larger):

Before-after-jewelry

Note that the grey extends down the full screen when the Info Panel is selected for Barbara Oliver & Co Jewelry:

Screen Shot 2014-03-11 at 3.11.12 PM

 

Branded search comparison:

branded-search-before-and-after

Are others seeing this?