Google Search currently has a bug when the local pack, the local search results box, is not being served in its desktop of mobile search results. This is affecting a lot of searchers right now and seems to have started at about 8:40 am ET on Wednesday, February 14.
Some searchers are able to see the local packs but here in the United States and in many other countries, it seems the local pack is not rendering for any searcher.
Searches like lawyers near me, density near me, florists near me, pizza near me, car repair near me, and so on – none of those are returning the local pack in the Google Search results right now.
It also does not work when searching directly in Google Maps:
What it should look like. Here is a screenshot from one searcher who is able to see the local pack in the UK. That local pack should show up at the top or middle of the normal search results.
There has been no word from Google on this issue yet but this can have a serious impact for local businesses that get a lot of traffic from these local packs.
Why we care. If you are a local business and depend on driving traffic and sales through Google’s local pack and local search results, know there is a bug. I suspect Google will fix this bug relatively quickly but it has already been over an hour since we noticed the bug and it is still not resolved.
Fixed. It took over two hours but it is now working again, here is a screenshot:
