Upon initial evaluation of the release, there is speculation that the change has been favourable towards local directories like Yelp, UrbanSpoon and TripAdvisor to name a few in the US thus far.
Search Engine Land touts that it has noticed additional visibility, particularly in certain verticals, for such reputable local directory sites in the US.
Google mentioned that their new local search algorithm ties more closely with their web search, distance and location handling and ranking signals.
Many local directories that are legitimate and have strong SEO signals than small, individual business websites are benefitting with higher visibility from the update so far in the US.
We are yet to see the impact to sites on our shores, however, we are trusting that the results are the same if not similar to what is emerging in the US.