Some people are seeing the new richer Google UI (three-column format). Among other features it has a “detect my location” pull-down that allows for transparent automated detection of location or for manual input of location. Here’s a screen from Barry Schwartz’s story at Search Engine Land:
This means that content can get more locally relevant and more precise location (perhaps) can be factored into ads. Google is still testing this UI reportedly and isn’t yet rolling it out for the rest of us.
Screenwerk 
April 2, 2010 at 8:01 pm
[…] Schwartz discovered that Google may be auto-detecting your location and showing it under the search […]
April 2, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Google already tracks and displays ads by location as we all know. This new feature is simply seeking permission to localise search results. They could just go ahead and do this, but learning lessons from the privacy fiasco of Buzz I think they are being much more sensitive (and seeking greater accuracy).
April 2, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Well it’s curious that they would be backing up, in a way, and asking permission to serve local ads/results.
April 5, 2010 at 4:49 pm
I don’t want geographically arranged search results, and I don’t want to have my location displayed on my screen.
How to make Google stop displaying my location under the search bar?
April 5, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Chuck:
You’ll probably be able to opt out. I’m not seeing the option yet.
April 7, 2010 at 3:40 am
WTF!!! This feature is bullshit! If I wanted to search for anything in my area, I’d put that in the search box. When I look for anything on the internet I want the results from everywhere. That’s the whole point of the internet… How the fuck am I suppose to learn new things and see different websites when shit google is trying to control the content and sites that I see. THIS IS NOT HELPFUL!!! Stop deciding what you think I want to look at and just give me all the results from the internet on what I am searching for. The whole point of a search engine is simple… to show websites with information I am searching for. Not to only show me the sites google has chosen to show me. Where is the freedom in that? Like fuck you google!! Will have to try out all the other search engines for a while… hopefully my search results will not be so filtered.
April 7, 2010 at 1:24 pm
for Mr (or Ms) No Respect,
Though many of us marketing or developer dweebs know ‘local search’ like the back of our hands, any number of studies have shown that the general public hasn’t a clue as to how to intentionally perform a ‘local search’.
For a while I was getting my ‘location’ showing automatically on some searches. (and it probably still will) but right now I’m noticing that I can choose an option to see ‘all results’ or ‘nearby’ results by selecting the ‘option’ expansion tool in the UI. And at the end of the day, it is Google’s search engine. If you don’t like it, don’t use it.
April 15, 2010 at 5:15 pm
How does this work? It’s not done via IP because I’m running via proxy in another location and it shows my actual physical location… i dont like my results to be ***ed with
April 15, 2010 at 6:08 pm
May be triangulation via the browser.
April 21, 2010 at 3:14 am
I tried running incognito in Chrome and it still picked up my location – deleted cookies, the same. Seems like there’s some kind of a trick involved that’s outside the browser, but not IP based (if noname remembered to clear their cookies).
I’m at a loss to explain that, however.
April 21, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Cell tower and WiFi triangulation is built into Chrome, which was also part of gears so that’s the potential alternative to IP but not sure what it would be “outside the browser.”
June 2, 2010 at 12:10 am
The darn thing appeared again just a few minutes ago.
“No Respect”‘s angry comments actually express my real feelings on this much better than what I’m actually posting.
I don’t want geographically skewed results or my location shown to me on the screen.
July 21, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Eh.
It doesn’t matter if the general public doesn’t know how to search for local stuff. Ignorance is no excuse, and making it so that they don’t need to learn how to search for local results will just enhance the user’s dependence on spoon-fed search results. We’re not idiots, we can figure this one out. Just let the rest of the world take the time and effort to get caught up. Or, keep things global for the rest of us people who do live in the 21st century.
Hotfix: “Search Global” “Search Local” radio buttons.
Detect my location: Togglebox.
I know Flash and VB. If a Google worker is reading this, I could do it for you if you want. For free.