Earlier today we notice this filter on searches where a Google local carousel is displayed:

Now that you can filter Google local results via price and rating, the value of being ranked first has gone down even more. Combine that with eye tracking studies done with Google carousel, and I can’t help but ask: is traditional local search ranking on it’s death bed?

Not only does this mean that Google native reviews are even more important, but it means that the pricing also can play a huge factor in filtering reviews (much like on Yelp). Combine this with Google repositioning Zagat as a Yelp competitor and it looks like the big G is doubling down on moving into local discovery (albeit in a way that is very fragmented and increasingly confusing for business owners). Is anyone else seeing this? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.