SEO Blog

While the concept of local search is obviously important, Google does not promote its local search features as stand-alone products. Google Maps is the primary interface for local search at Google but there are few prompts or cues on search results page directing users to try local search.

Unlike Yahoo, Google does not push or promote its local results as a direct service for a couple of reasons. First, Google mergers local results in with increasingly personalized or regionalised results. Second, general search results from Google Maps are not always as accurate as its general web search results.

Search results at Google that include city or place names will often include a map showing businesses related to the search query. For example, the search query “Hotel Seattle” brings up this result set. Clicking on the map takes users to a Google Maps search. Above the map a text link reads, “Local business results for hotel near Seattle WA” which leads to a set of local results. A similar search for “museum Seattle” produces similar results, as does “restaurant Seattle”