New Blended Results?

[Laustin1878]

Poking around on Google, I noticed that a website had a #1 organic ranking as well as a #1 Places listing. The results were in the 7-pack and the title of the link in the results was the page title from the homepage of the site and not the business name as you would see in a typical map listing. I have also noticed a combined type result with a business that ranked high and not within a 7-pack. Is this something new?

I also noticed with a result in the same 7-pack. I am guessing that this indicates that Google has drawn the most direct correlation between your website and your places listing? This is a good indicator that the places page is optimized well, no? This could be an oversight on my part but I don't recall seeing this type of result in the SERP's.

Anyone else notice this?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Luke,

Can you share a screen shot or a search link? Because the way you describe it I'm visualizing a couple different things that are just standard results that have been around. The double #1s for instance usually show up when it's the old pack style listing. And the other you describe sounds like what I call a one box.

BUT again it's hard to know just on the description, you could be seeing something new and diff and if so I would LOVE to see it too.

 

[Laustin1878]

Sorry about that. I forgot to attach it. I re-wrote my post a few times trying to explain it better.

I checked the website and the top listing is displaying the homepage title instead of the business listing title. I tried doing a few other searches as I saw this in 2 other cases and have had trouble duplicating this. I am signed out of any Google accounts so it's not a personal result. I also double checked the last listing that I mentioned in my first post and it is only a spammed title..haha

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Luke!

Yes I normally, or at least often see the actual title tag in the A spot.

Then #2 and 3 have name as Google thinks it is based on scraping the web site. Which could be different than name on G+L. Then last 4 or 5 have name pulled exactly from the G+ L.

But what I wanted to see was that double #1 because there can be a couple scenarios where that happens.

 

[Laustin1878]

Okay, I didn't think I stumbled upon anything ground breaking. I may have just started paying closer attention as I learn more about the local optimization.

Double #1 as in an organic with a #1 local in a 1 pack? Here is another....

 

[Linda Buquet]

Yep Luke, as I suspected that's the old PACK style layout. I su

NOTE: The way you can tell is if there is a link at top of pack that says "Places for KW Near City" That old pack style TYPICALLY only shows for more niche, less competitive terms or sometimes for core terms BUT in smaller towns.

So I suspect, since they are pretty rare to see these days, when you stumbled on one you thought you were seeing something new and different.

With the PACK layout the site and local listing are totally separate and NOT blended into one. So if site is well optimized and local listing is too they'll both rank.

In fact I often see results where the top 3 A,B,C listings are also the 1,2,3 organic listings.

Here are some screenshots I've taken where multiple listings have doubles and you'll see they all have that link at the top.

#1 http://localsearchforum.catalystema...nded-local-results-pack-results.html#post6997

#2 http://localsearchforum.catalystema...nded-local-results-pack-results.html#post7390

Here's one that compares a PACK vs blended.
#3 http://localsearchforum.catalystema...nded-local-results-pack-results.html#post5425

 

[Laustin1878]

Thank you for the feedback. I just saw another post with the screen shots of the blended listings. They change certain things that I can never remember if it's old or new.

This is also why I can never get anything done. I start searching for a party place for my niece and I end up analyzing the site and results that I found...lol #seoconsumesme

 

[Linda Buquet]

#seoconsumesme Good one and me too!

And we wonder why it's so hard to get anything done. Every little thing I do leads to getting side tracked trying to figure out why someone ranks or thinking I've stumbled onto some new trick or ranking anomaly I want to post about. 20 links later 1/2 hour of my life is gone and I'm wondering why I never get anything done!

Signed,
#compulsivelocaladdict

 

[Laustin1878]

In regards to this situation and tracking success, is it possible that because this "combined" listing that Actions in the dashboard would reflect low numbers? (over 2,000 impressions but under 5 actions) Perhaps by not actually getting to the local listing then going to the website, this data is not being captured or just being captured as organic traffic instead local traffic?

Just trying to understand why there are so many impressions, #1 or #2 rankings but few actions.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Luke I never put much stock into the Google Places stats. Don't think they are very accurate and there is often a bug and they are borked.

 

[Laustin1878]

Smoking mirrors...lol Sorry if this is redundant but can you provide me with a way to better track success or at least point me in the direction of trying segment "Places" traffic? I feel like I'm working completely blind at this local with nothing to show for it other then rankings.