Even a 'theory based' guess would be welcome! Google local typically returns a thumbnail map and (3) local listings returned labeled with A-B-C map pins. 1st question: "How does Google determine what 'Listings' they will show first, second and third? Are these results; Purely geographical? Random? Based on traffic? Amount of Backlinks? Ranking actor? Length of time listed in Google local? Age of the domain? 2nd question: "Why do these A-B-C map pins never match the the A-B-C map pin results when you click to view the Large Map? In other words the first 3 listings on the local details page display in a different order. Other miscellaneous results I have seen, but are not particularly important ~ Sometimes the THUMBNAIL MAP displays in the middle of the Google results page. It does not typically happen all the time, but I have seen this before. Is this a random occurance as well? ~ Just today Sept. 30 I noticed that Google is showing my 2nd photo instead of the first photo for my listing. (these are shown when you click for the listing details). Again... no big deal - but it shows that somebody behind the Google curtain is tweaking the code.