Our research indicates that Google has rolled out a major update to their search engine algorithm that affects not only organic ranking, but also map listings. We advise all businesses and SEO companies to check ranking immediately.

It appears as if the update was intended, from a local perspective, to provide a broader range of results. Instead of one business dominating the map listings for a variety of permutations, the results are more blended. Additionally, we believe the weight of backlinks and strategically crafted content have been afforded more weight.

We are in the process of researching the algorithm more in-depth and will provide a detailed report of our findings in the near future. Stay tuned.