Mobile Phones Change Local Search Results

Does the location of your phone impact the results Google show you? Absolutely! Watch this video to see how even small changes in location can have a major impact on results.

For many people, their phone is their first point of reference when looking for a dentist. Because Google knows where the device is located, based on GPS, it delivers dental practices located nearby. We took a drive around the city of Halifax to see how much the results change. The results are actually a little surprising. I expected different results when I went across town. I didn’t expect to see completely different results with very small changes in my location. The following graphic shows the locations where we completed a search and the different results.

Local search map

The best example of how Google changes results is between locations 4 (purple) and 5 (orange). By simply crossing the street, the search results completely changed.

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Brent Parr

Brent is the CEO and co-founder of Optio Publishing. Most days he can be found deep in conversation with customers or partners about the best ways to market their business. Brent loves outdoor activities such as skiing, ultimate frisbee and camping.