Google is testing a local knowledge panel in Search where business photos and the block holding the company name, ratings, description, and action button trade places. Search Engine Roundtable reported the test on Oct. 22 and credited Ben Fisher, who shared screenshots on LinkedIn.
Barry Schwartz calls the change subtle. The lower part of the panel is also tightened, and the new arrangement matches Google’s current mobile design more closely. He spent a day trying to reproduce it and could not, which points to a narrow test. Google has not announced anything.
Schwartz suggests the layout could go live before long, and he asks how it would affect clicks, calls, and directions to those businesses. No data exists yet to answer that.
Local SEO teams should capture baseline Business Profile interaction numbers and screenshots of current panels now. If the layout spreads, a before-and-after comparison is the only way to tie any shift in calls or direction requests to the design.
Search Engine Roundtable, Barry Schwartz, Oct. 22, 2026.
