TL;DR Summary of Google Local Pack “More Businesses” Button Now Redirects to Broken Places Tab
Optimixed’s Overview: Understanding the Recent Google Local Pack Navigation Shift and Its Impact on User Experience
What Has Changed in Google’s Local Search Results?
Recently, Google updated the behavior of the Local Pack in its search engine results pages (SERPs). When users click the “More businesses” button at the bottom of the local pack, they are now redirected to the Google Places tab rather than the traditional Google Maps interface. This represents a significant change in how local business listings are accessed through Google Search.
Issues Arising from the New Navigation
- Broken Pagination: After accessing the Places tab, attempting to view more results via pagination triggers an error message stating, “It looks like there aren’t any ‘Places’ matches on this topic”, preventing further results from loading.
- Cross-Platform Impact: This problem has been observed on both mobile and desktop versions of Google Search, indicating a widespread issue rather than a platform-specific glitch.
- User Experience Concerns: The inability to browse additional local business listings may frustrate users seeking comprehensive local search results.
Community Reactions and Possible Explanations
SEO experts and industry observers first noted this behavior on social media platforms, discussing whether this represents a deliberate feature update or an unintended bug. Theories include:
- Unintended Bug: The pagination failure might be a technical error that Google has yet to resolve.
- Experimental Feature: Google could be testing new ways to display local businesses but hasn’t fully optimized the experience.
Implications for Local SEO
For businesses relying on local search traffic, this change could affect visibility and user engagement. Monitoring these developments is essential for SEO professionals to adapt strategies accordingly and anticipate further modifications in Google’s local search ecosystem.
