In early November 2009 I noticed that the Google Maps listing were no longer appearing under some of the phrases where my business listing previously appeared, I first spotted this under a search for “SEO Cheltenham”. I checked the same searches within google.co.uk and google.com and signed in and out of my Google profile all with the same result.

I noticed that it wasn’t happening for searches such as “SEO Bristol” and that it wasn’t anything to do with the Cheltenham area either as a search for “Carpet Cheltenham” confirmed .

Finally an answer from Web Pro News “Google Ditches Local Listings for SEOs and Designers”. Essentially then if you change the search from “SEO location” to “SEO in location” (obviously replacing the word location with your location) the results will magically reappear, this works for “SEO Bristol”, “SEO Cheltenham” and other “SEO” and “Web Design” related terms.

Not all areas seem to be effected but many web designers and SEO’s are up in arms, will this change back after Google have had a chance to go through and eliminate the huge amount of Spam in Local Business Center, only time will tell…