Google loves keeping us on our toes, don't they?
It's frustrating but hey, it's the nature of the beast.
The biggest change will be the overhaul that AdWords received. It'll not only change how local businesses are recommended but how the actual layout of the search result page looks.
Gone are the days of the smaller ads running along the right hand side. Now, in an effort to look more consistent with mobile, there will be ads running across the top, maxing out at four total.
In a bit more surprising news, they'll be including ads in their local vertical packs also. You can see an example below.
This is good if you spend on AdWords, not so much if you rely on organic results. But as always, the businesses that do things correctly will rise to the top.
Lastly, if you are a dental practice - you'll want to look into getting paired up with a service that'll allow appointments to be set right within your Google window. One of our clients, Jeremy Kwon DDS, has done this and it really makes things easier on the prospective patient end.
