Google Really Pushing Competitor Listings on Knowledge Panels and Branded Searches

[Colan Nielsen]

Google continues to offer users more opportunities to search other businesses when you are on a businesses knowledge panel or Google Home Page on mobile.

Here are two examples.

In the first one, "See Similar Places" sits right at the top as the very first thing you see when looking at a business on Google Maps.

This second one is three full rows of competitor listings that appear at the bottom of a mobile SERP for a businesses Google Homepage/Branded search.

 

[Lachlan_Wells]

This would frustrate me if I were the business owner, but on the plus side, Discover features like this are really increasing the volume of searches available in the market. It's never been easier to be found, and more difficult to generate a conversion.

Now that engagement is the big challenge I'm glad I can focus on more fun things like figuring out how to encourage cool photos, instead of analysing keywords so much.

 

[Yan Gilbert]

Google making it easier to compare listings.
Getting lots of good reviews and adding a nice image are even more important now.

 

[krystaltaing]

I am also seeing this directly on your listing on maps. I get the feeling the G is adding this so they can charge you to remove it..

 

[CarrieHill]

This really chaps me -not because it's there - but because none of those LKPs that are linked have the same feature.

If you're going to add it, Google -add it everywhere....