Google Local Listings Changes: drop to a 3 pack, hiding addresses, and more

As a local business owner, I always took great pride in being listed within Google's local listings for nearby towns. I felt it drove business to us and helped brand awareness. Recently, Google has switched up local listings to only show 3 local listings according to a great article on Moz.com: Google's Local Snack Pack Shake-Up.

Example:

I've heard that this was done because it is what worked best on mobile display. So now mobile and desktop both use the 3-pack display for displaying local listings. As a business who used to be listed for other nearby towns such as "Mount Holly NJ wedding photography", I'm disappointed that I'm no longer listed on the first page within local listings.

Rumor is that Google has done research that shows that not many people clicked on any of the listings below 3rd spot anyway, but I still feel that it is a lost branding opportunity.




Other changes that were made to Google's local listing include:

• Removing specific addresses (only shows street name): I'm not a fan of this at all. Not because of my business but as a Google user I want to see other businesses addresses listed so I know where I'm going. Street name isn't enough information. 
• Rating filters: Google added an option for users to filter local results by rating. This makes getting good ratings from customers even more important. 
• Reviewing new businesses very tough: Google has made it very difficult for someone to leave a new business a review. You'll now need to find their Google+ page. Of course any business with existing ratings is fine.