Google's Near Parameter Still Lets You See Results By Specific Location

So yesterday, Google stripped away the ability to use the Search Tools options in the user interface to show search results as if you are in a specific location. This upset many many SEOs and webmasters, especially the ones who do SEO outside of the US for US customers.

The thing is, you can still get the results by hacking the URL of your search - at least for now - until Google removes that as well (and they will).

For example, instead of searching for https://www.google.com/search?q=pizza use https://www.google.com/search?q=pizza&near=chicago or https://www.google.com/search?q=pizza&near=san+jose and that would work.

Here is an example of search?q=pizza&near=san+jose:

This is without the near command:

Adding a near command a pain for you? Linda Buquet posted several tools to help you with this as well at the Local Search Forum.

Chris also made a quick bookmarklet:

@sengineland @rustybrick I made a bookmarklet which let's you search Google by location. Check it out :-) https://t.co/MCuGvprjIa

— Chris Desrochers (@ChrisDesrochers) December 1, 2015

Again, I am not sure how long this will last. From my experience, the URL version should last a few months until Google phases it off. At least based on Google removing real time search and many of the other tools. But who knows, the may keep the URL version.

Forum discussion at Local Search Forum.