If you're performing local searches, e.g. on google.com.sg or google.co.uk, you may have come across a new search results format, where Google Places (i.e. Google Maps) listings are merged together with organic results.
This is part of the new Place Search function recently rolled out by Google, which you can activate by clicking on the Places link or the red pin on the drop-down menu on the left. It's also automatically triggered for certain keywords under "Everything" searches.
Larry Lim, an SEO Consultant in Singapore, has written extensively about this new Google Place Search function and its impact on local SEO. Go have a read!
