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You are here: Home / Google / Google Local 3-Pack Drops Organic Listing for Local Ad

Google Local 3-Pack Drops Organic Listing for Local Ad

February 3, 2017 at 4:18 am PST By Jennifer Slegg

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Google My Business is testing a bold new change.  Google is now testing their local 3-pack to include one local ad and only two organic local results.  Until now, Google has been using ads only in the new sponsored local panel or including an ad in addition to the 3 organic listings.

Here is what it looks like:

As you can see, there is a single ad, plus only 2 organic listings instead of the usual three.  It isn’t a case of not having more businesses to show, as Google offers the “more places” expansion on the pack.

Just earlier this year, Google began showing local 4 packs, that consist of a single ad at the top, followed by three organic local listings, a solution that while not ideal for local businesses not paying to advertise, it still meant there were still the usual three organic listings up for grab.  But not so in this case – Google drops one of the organic local listings.

That said, this isn’t exactly a surprise.  It is a move that many local SEOs have been expecting since Google first began experimenting with ads in local packs.  Will this roll out to all local results?  I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.

Of course, this means that competition for the local 3-pack will have become that much more aggressive since there is now only two organic listings up for grabs instead of the usual three when Google displays this version of the local pack.

H/T Sergey Alakov

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Jennifer Slegg

Founder & Editor at The SEM Post
Jennifer Slegg is a longtime speaker and expert in search engine marketing, working in the industry for almost 20 years. When she isn't sitting at her desk writing and working, she can be found grabbing a latte at her local Starbucks or planning her next trip to Disneyland. She regularly speaks at Pubcon, SMX, State of Search, Brighton SEO and more, and has been presenting at conferences for over a decade.
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Latest posts by Jennifer Slegg (see all)

  • New Google Quality Rater Guidelines, Update Adds Emphasis on Needs Met - October 16, 2020
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  • Analyzing “How Google Search Works” Changes from Google - July 8, 2020
  • Google Quality Rater Guidelines Update: New Introduction, Rater Bias & Political Affiliations - December 6, 2019
  • Google Updates Quality Rater Guidelines: Reputation for News Sites; Video Content Updates; Quality for Information Sites - September 13, 2019

Filed Under: Google, Local, Pay Per Click

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