Is Google Local more important now than being found on Page 1 of Google?

For some time now, Google has been blending local search results and traditional organic search results. If you go to Google and type in your city + plastic surgeon, you will first see about seven local results listed, followed by additional traditional organic results. This means that traditional organic listings which once ranked well are now being pushed much further down within search results.

As such, your site’s good rankings may be negatively impacted. For instance, a first-page ranking may very well drop to the second page of search results. Local listings are also very attractive to users. Some might argue that they’re even more attractive than traditional listings because they contain additional information. Not only do users see your url and a brief description of your website or web page as they would with a traditional listing, they also see your contact information and even reviews when available. This is why it’s now more important than ever to achieve rankings for your website within local search results.