Where did {MY GOOGLE MAPS} Go ❤️ Google Maps St Valentines Day Massacre❤️

Watch this video to find out why there’s buzz in the local SEO community following Valentine’s Day!

Have you ever searched for a local business on Google Maps and found something unexpected? Well, on Valentine’s Day, something peculiar happened with Google Maps that has local SEO experts concerned. In this video, we delve into a potential shift in how Google displays local businesses, exploring whether it could impact small businesses and the way customers find them.

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Episode Transcript

• Here’s what we cover:

  • The Valentine’s Day Google Maps Outage: Initially, some users reported that Google Maps appeared to be down in the morning.
  • The Sponsored Local Pack: Later in the day, around 11:30 AM, a user noticed something even more striking: when searching for “plumber near me,” the top section of Google Maps on mobile looked like the familiar local three-pack, but it was entirely labeled as “sponsored”.
  • Organic Results Pushed Down: What was even more unusual was that the regular Google Maps listings were found much further down the page, requiring significant scrolling to reach them.
  • A Potential Shift to Paid Local SEO? This observation has led to speculation that Google might be testing a move towards a predominantly paid model for local SEO results.
  • Concerns for Local Businesses: The video discusses the potential negative consequences of such a change, particularly for smaller businesses (“the little guy”) who may not have the budget to consistently pay for top placement.
  • The Value of Organic Local SEO: The video highlights the work that good local SEOs do to improve websites and Google Business Profiles, making it easier for customers to find relevant information like phone numbers, services, and location. This process also helps ensure that businesses appearing in the organic results are reputable and provide a good user experience.
  • The Risk of a Paid-Only Model: The speaker expresses concern that a purely paid model might allow businesses with large advertising budgets, but potentially lower quality services or websites, to dominate the top spots. This could be detrimental to consumers looking for reliable local services.
  • Reviews and the Algorithm: The importance of optimized Google reviews in achieving organic ranking is emphasized. Reviews that mention specific services, areas served, and the technicians involved help the Google algorithm determine which businesses to list. A paid model might de-emphasize the significance of such organic ranking factors.
  • Google’s Perspective: The video acknowledges that Google, as the owner of its platform, has the right to monetize it as they see fit.
  • The Evolving Landscape of Google: It’s noted that Google’s local search results have changed over time (e.g., the shift from a seven-pack to a three-pack) and will likely continue to evolve. This Valentine’s Day incident might be a glimpse into the future.
  • Balancing Work and Life: The video concludes with a reminder for business owners and SEO professionals to maintain a healthy work-life balance and prioritize family.

  What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Was this just a glitch, or is Google testing a significant change to local SEO?