Does Google Local Business Center influence Organic Search Results?

In a previous post about geo-targeting, we mentioned Google's latest attempt to break into local businesses. For small businesses, Google Business Center is another way to reach local customers.

Google Business Center is adding features everyday and it gradually becoming integrated into other Google products such as AdWords, Merchant Center and of course Google Map.

This is how Google Local Business Center looks like today. The example below is for a College Hunks Hauling Junks franchise in Atlanta. From a reputational standpoint, potential customers who enter this business name and location will be able to see it in Google map (under the organic search option). The little paragraph provides basic information including address and phone number.

By clicking on the map, a new window pops-up and shows the following information;

In addition to these gimmicks, businesses can offer coupon that will show up in the Google map window. By the way, you will notice that AdWords ads for this businesses come-up on both left hand side and underneath Google map.

The question that immediately came to my mind is whether this would have any impact on the Organic Search Results. Does a business registered in the Google Local Business Center is more likely to come-up in search queries? As I mentioned above, yes from a reputation standpoint (i.e. someone look for the business name). Probably not from a product standpoint. I have not seen evidence yet that this particular business came up higher in Search Engine Results Pages when a customer looks for 'junk removal Atlanta' let's say. But it certainly can't do any harm.