Location, Location, Location!

Google announced today that a "Nearby" filter is now available in the search options panel on the Google.com domain.   Local search has always been important; every keyword analysis we have ever done has shown a high percentage of geographic references.  This tool is particularly interesting as it works geographically and not just with keywords.  Google says that it will shows you Nearby results according to your IP address or your preferred location, if you customized your location in search settings.