Google has changed how they display the large map result for a single listing in web search. First covered by Mike Blumenthal, the OneBox map result has some minor changes but at the same time can have a large impact on your search referrals from Google.

The example I gave was for a search on [General Patent Corporation International 10901]. The new look shows the web page of the OneBox above the OneBox. Then you will also notice more changes to the OneBox itself. The changes include that the “more information” link was changed to “place page,” also there is an additional ballon/marker on the list and when you click on the result, it takes you to the Google Places Page for the result, instead of the listing’s web page.

Here is a picture of the new layout:

Plus, Google won’t show the reviews unless it meets certain criteria. I suspect it is similar to the review requirements of merchant ratings, but probably less reviews are required here.

It is too early to say if this is a good thing for webmasters in terms of more or less clicks to their web sites. But I suspect Google cares more about the results working better for searchers.

Related Topics: Google: Maps & Local | Top News

About The Author: Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry's personal blog is named Cartoon Barry and he can be followed on Twitter here. For more background information on Barry, see his full bio over here. See more articles by Barry Schwartz