Does the Proximity Filter Navigation Truly Localize Google's Search Results?

It is evident that searches containing local keywords are inclined toward immediate transactions, a sentiment shared by Google. When individuals search for terms like "coffee near me" to quickly quell a caffeine craving or "best risotto in San Francisco" to plan a memorable dining experience, these searches typically result in a monetary exchange at the local business level.

Google has consistently sought ways to intertwine shopping capabilities with local search results to enhance their commercial potential. Their purchase of Pointy was a strategic move to support the 'See What's In Store' feature on Google Business Profiles. Previously, a search followed by a selection of the "shopping" tab and the "available nearby" option would yield a list of local retailers, post advertisements, like so:

This feature remains, but Google has introduced a new twist: a filter sidebar adjacent to the organic search results with a "nearby" option marked by a map pin. I'm exploring whether this expanding functionality genuinely enhances the localization of search results, which would be advantageous if confirmed.

Engaging the "nearby" filter prompts Google to adjust your search (for instance, from "Christmas ornaments" to "Christmas Ornaments Nearby"), which then presents a local collection of results:

From my observations, these results are consistent with those obtained if the search had initially included "nearby." Google's exploration into this filtering mechanism for e-commerce has been ongoing for over a year, but its application to local searches seems to be gaining traction now. I note its prevalence particularly among businesses selling goods rather than service-oriented establishments like restaurants.

The local pack's contents are quite familiar: essential contact details, a summary of review ratings, a business category, an image, and a highlight on local attributes such as "In Stock, Updated Today," and "Seen By Shoppers."

Selecting the "In Stock" attribute still navigates to the business's Google Business Profile, showcasing a Pointy-enabled product catalog:These Pointy features, however, do not support direct transactions – they guide users to either contact the store or visit the website for purchases:

On the other hand, clicking on the "Seen by shoppers" attribute generates a new Google Business Profile interface.

Predominantly, it features an enhanced review summary that emphasizes the searched terms "Christmas" and "ornaments." Mike Blumenthal has also observed this feature potentially surfacing Google Q&A, which underscores the value of actively managing FAQs within this platform.

Again, no shopping is exactly happening here. It’s simply an emphasis on either products or attributes a searcher is, assumedly, looking for. So, let’s look at the organic results. Has selecting the left nav “Nearby” filter localized the results to make them more local and/or more transactional? This is what I’d like to know.

Despite the implication of shopping, the reality is that it's more about highlighting products or features that users are presumably interested in. So, I turned my attention to the organic search results. Do the "Nearby" filter options in the left navigation actually narrow down results to be more localized or transactional? This is the question at hand.

This investigation has revealed a couple of significant challenges:

My subsequent inquiry pertains to the correlation between the organic SERPs and the actual local availability of Christmas tree ornaments. Is the SERP representation accurate? Only four of the top 20 listed businesses were located within the city, leaving 16 spots for entities located further afield. Does this mean there are only four local options for purchasing these items?

The resounding answer is 'NO'. The city in question is home to a multitude of places where one can purchase these items, including numerous small boutiques that are conspicuously absent from the top 20 results, which have been usurped by larger brands located further away. Most revealingly, the local pack itself betrays the absence of true locality in the subsequent SERPs.

Continuing the exploration, one wonders about the alignment of the organic search results with the true local accessibility of festive ornaments. Do the search outcomes mirror the on-the-ground situation? Within the search's urban parameters, only a quartet of the top 20 indexed businesses had physical locations, while the remainder were headquartered at a distance. Does this imply a mere four venues within the community vend these holiday adornments?

The response is emphatically in the negative. The city in question boasts a wealth of vendors, including an array of independent shops. However, these local establishments are overshadowed in the top 20 by larger, distant corporations. The local pack, more revealingly, suggests a disconnect between it and the organic results that ensue:

For instance, Hallmark appears among the top 20 organic results, but the link directs to a generic online shopping page rather than a local store page, despite its prominence in the local pack. Amy's Hallmark Shop, prominent in the local pack, is conspicuously missing from the organic search results, even with the "nearby" filter active. Similarly, a second shop, with its entire focus on Christmas decorations, is absent from the organic results despite its potential for a top ranking. Meanwhile, a larger retailer like Target appears at the top of the organic search results, but again, it links to a broad inventory page, not the storefront page of the proximate branch.

Thus, it appears the "nearby" filter has limited impact in localizing the organic search results. They fall short in presenting a genuine depiction of local inventory and tend to prioritize brands located beyond the city, without echoing the local pack listings. This raises another inquiry.

Does the “nearby” filter enhance the localization of “product blocks”?

If the prominent filter navigation isn't effectively localizing the organic search results, one might ponder its influence on the SERP feature commonly referred to as “product blocks,” which are presented as these non-labeled/non-sponsored entries:

Google is currently promoting this format heavily. My test search revealed a product block after every three organic search entries throughout the top 20, consuming a significant portion of the screen. However, reviewing these blocks revealed a similar pattern: they predominantly showcase large brands, many without a presence in the search city, including distant companies like Amazon. A notable observation was the prevalence of Target merchandise in these blocks:

Noticeably, Google indicates the proximity of a store (1.3 miles from what may be the city center), perhaps in an attempt to localize the product blocks. But does this hold true even if the closest store doesn’t carry the item in question?

Given that search engine results pages (SERPs) fail to showcase the true variety of local shopping options, one might question if Google is disproportionately highlighting a major retail brand because they have extensive data on its inventory—even if the actual local store doesn't stock the featured items. The inclusion of distance measurements in the product blocks seems to suggest that the "nearby" filter's most noticeable impact is not on the organic results but rather on the product blocks within the SERP. However, if that's the intention, its efficacy is questionable, considering the significant distance to the Wondershop Champagne Tinsel Ball at a Target store far from my location.

I would greatly applaud the "nearby" filter if it effectively elevated a range of local brands, particularly small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). My concern with the current state of SERPs is their apparent preference for large, non-local businesses, which implies a necessity to travel considerable distances for shopping, despite knowing that within my example city, a multitude of Christmas ornaments is available from local hardware stores, charming garden centers, independent bookstores, unique furniture shops, eclectic antique stores, and various home decor and craft boutiques. Google's SERPs create a perception that big-box retailers are the sole shopping option, either in town or 65 miles away, which is troubling. This perception risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, negatively impacting small businesses if SERPs guide local shopping habits.

It must be acknowledged, though, that this issue is not Google's alone to bear. The popup information for the Champagne Wondershop Tinsel Ball draws from Target's comprehensive product page. Google can only display information about inventory it knows exists, and smaller businesses often lack the resources to fully engage with Google's tools or develop sophisticated websites like those of larger companies. Many small brands known to sell holiday decorations are not sufficiently visible online due to inadequate search engine optimization and marketing efforts.

Conversely, Google has not been entirely successful in engaging with SMBs to enhance their online presence, leaving many potential support and partnership opportunities unexplored. This has led SEO professionals to observe a seeming bias in Google's SERPs towards larger brands, even with the introduction of the "nearby" filter. Despite nearly two decades since Google Maps launched, Google's index doesn't fully reflect the real local business landscape, partly because many SMBs have not fully committed to maximizing their online visibility. The connection between Google and local businesses hasn't been fully realized from either end.

I'm asking for a bit of community assistance here.

I invite readers to expand upon my findings with their own local searches, using the "nearby" filter for any type of product, and to consider these three questions:

Clicking these entries spawns a popup featuring product reviews and a link to make a purchase from the website, as opposed to facilitating a direct transaction:

The “visit site” option redirects to a product page instead of a store-specific landing page. In one instance, it led to an ornament that required a 65.1-mile drive for pickup since the nearest Target to my search center didn’t stock the item.

I encourage you to share your findings with me on platform X, and if you have insights on whether the "nearby" filter is genuinely making local businesses more prominent or transactional in your area, please let me know. Thank you!

In conclusion, from this limited research, the "nearby" filter doesn't appear to meaningfully localize the organic SERPs, failing to make them more discoverable or transactional for local businesses within the city. It's disappointing to see a preference for distant larger entities over true local variety, creating an inaccurate representation of nearby options.

I plan to further investigate the influence of the "nearby" filter on product blocks, as I suspect it's intended to shape their content. Yet, I'm concerned that the current emphasis on large brands across the results perpetuates a bias detrimental to the prosperity of local, independently-owned SMBs. This issue demands innovative resolutions from both sides of the spectrum.

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