Google Local Universal Search gets serious! Really serious.

Ok, today Google's rolled out a big change to its local results. If your a local business & you're not registered for local search - you better get a move on!

Here's what's happened...

Yesterday, Google local map results looked a lot like this:



Today they're looking like this:



Not only that, in the 'old days' the top three results next to the map made up the top 10. Now Google's crammed 20 results onto the search results page!

Now we are seeing all sorts of strange results showing up too...



Then, as we started to wonder just how weird it could get, someone in our office yelled out "try 'brothels!'" as a joke. Sadly, I did and here's the result (I don't think the baptist church will be very happy about their result)....



Honestly Google, you've rolled out this new local box 'algo' update too quickly, and are now potentially damaging the reputation of all sorts of upstanding organisations.

I've also read on another blog how this update has nearly sent an online florist to the wall.

Test test test.