Google has updated its algorithm again. But hold on! Before you rush to find ways to dodge possible penalties, it’s essential to understand that this update is different from the previous Panda and Penguin updates – Pigeon aims to provide users with more relevant, quality local search results.
That being said, while this update isn’t aimed at directly punishing low-quality sites, your site traffic might still be affected. This is particularly important for local businesses to grasp. You need to know what this update is about, how it could influence your business’s search rankings, and what steps you can take to keep or enhance your local listings to comply with the new update.
Without the technical mumbo jumbo, what exactly is the Pigeon update?
According to Search Engine Land, this new Pigeon algorithm update is going back to basics when it comes to ranking local search results. In other words, for Google web search results and Google Maps search results, Google is putting more weight on traditional signals like keywords, page quality, domain authority, etc. to present the top local results for searchers.
How will my business’s local search results change?
Well, for starters, you’ll see a change in the amount of Local Business Results Listings. Typically, Google provides the top 7 to 10 most relevant local businesses based on your search query. With the Pigeon update, now only 3 to 4 businesses will appear.
As for many local brick and mortar businesses, this is where a decent amount of their organic search traffic comes from – unfortunately, if your competitors reign SEO superiority, your business could get bumped and your organic traffic will likely take a hit.
In addition to the change in Local Business Listings, you’ll also start to see more local directory sites – like Yelp, OpenTable, TripAdvisor and Urbansoon – moving on up in Google’s organic search results pages. More specifically, page one listings for local business-related search results will hold their own within Google’s local carousel results, but many businesses will lose their organic page one results to these local directory sites.
What’s next?
Keep a close watch on your analytics over the next few weeks, if you notice a significant drop in organic search results, reach out to your SEO partner or a trusted SEO agency to discuss opportunities to improving your visibility.
Creating quality, locally-optimized content, improving your on-site SEO and integrating a locally-focused link building strategy are critical for local optimization. With that said, beware of SEO companies who promise immediate results. No matter how big or small your company, local SEO takes time – but if done correctly, you’ll be more likely to maintain your listings overtime and withstand future penalty-based algorithm updates.
