Why does Google only display a 3 pack of local business results for some terms?

[highwayfive]

We have seen a pattern in the Google UK SERPS where only three local listings are triggered for a query although they have a more local results to show but chose to only show three: Anyone else seen this? Anyone know why? Is there a magic number for them to trigger a six pack, does the data set they pull from need to be larger for them to trigger more local listings.

"Solicitors Cambridge" = 3 listings

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=solicitors+cambridge&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=_vCwVc2mHMiAUZ-luZAE

"solicitors kent" = 3 listings

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=solicitors+cambridge&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=_vCwVc2mHMiAUZ-luZAE#q=solicitors+kent

"Solicitors Oxford"  = 6 listings

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=solicitors+cambridge&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=_vCwVc2mHMiAUZ-luZAE

Any thoughts?

[MiriamEllis]

Hey There,

Your question is a great one, but unfortunately, the answer is likely known only to a few engineers at Google. Google's choice to vary from 10 packs to 7 Packs to 3 Packs and now Snack Packs for various industries over the years has long been a matter of speculation. There have even been mind-boggling times when only a one-box would show (and usually a spammy one at that) for queries for which there was plenty more data. Why is this? Some suggest it has to do with the competitiveness of a query in a given industry or geography. Others have suggested at times that Google was making a conscious choice to reduce the local footprint in the SERPs. What has been standard through all this is fluctuation. Google is constantly testing what they feel delivers the most value to users and makes most sense for Google. There is no known magic number for how Google determines which type of pack treatment a query deserves, including whether it deserves any type of pack at all.

3 Packs are tough. Giving an entire city/industry only 3 spots can feel kind of miserly and frustrating for everyone who isn't numbers 1-3. It means having to work harder, longer and with more creativity if you want to be among the chosen few. My personal view of this is that all pack results must be viewed as possibly transitory and as a test by Google, because they can change overnight, both in terms of the pack number and in the order of rank.

One thing to remember here - don't forget to educate clients regarding the user-as-centroid phenomenon. There can be some hope in this, knowing that a client's customers are likely seeing different local pack results based on their physical location, again, both in terms of pack number and order of rank. I've trained people just one city away from me and have personally experienced how totally different their SERPs can be from mine for identical queries. Hyperlocal optimization and long-tail optimization may both be important considerations here.

Sorry not to have an authoritative answer to your question, but I hope these thoughts help form a good mindset for you to share with clients.