Google Tests Changes to Local Service Ads Display in Search Results
Published 2026-05-05
Google is testing a change that would remove the "more" results button currently shown for Local Service Ads within web search results, according to ongoing tracking by local SEO consultancy SterlingSky, which monitors granular changes to Google's local search interface.
SterlingSky's log of 2026 changes describes the test as one of several incremental interface adjustments Google has made to how Local Service Ads and organic local pack results are displayed together, alongside a previously spotted "Products at this location" link that began appearing on some search and sponsored ad results.
The consultancy has also tracked a separate clarification regarding service-area settings: Google has reiterated that service areas themselves are not used as a direct local ranking factor, addressing a long-standing point of confusion among service-area businesses about whether expanding a listed service radius could improve visibility on its own.
Individually, these changes are minor interface tweaks rather than major algorithm shifts, but SterlingSky's broader point in tracking them is that Google continues to iterate on local search's presentation layer on a near-constant basis. For business owners, the practical advice remains the same regardless of interface changes: keep service-area settings accurate to where the business genuinely operates, rather than adjusting them opportunistically in response to any single interface test.
SterlingSky's log also noted that Google has rolled out scheduling and multi-location publishing for Google Posts, giving multi-location businesses more control over how they schedule content across several profiles at once โ a feature relevant to the citation and content strategy discussed in this site's multi-location local SEO guide.