Google's latest update, Pigeon, looks to use locality as a factor in search rankings. This slide deck explores the ramifications of this on your rankings and business.
3. What is the pigeon update?
⢠Rolled out on 25 July
2014.
⢠Unofficially named
Pigeon to follow in the
line of âPâ updates.
⢠Concerns itself with
local search. It gives
weight to locality over
authority.
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4. How does it work?
⢠Affects results in Google
Web and Maps searches.
⢠Local businesses and
individual stores will see a
change in ranking.
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⢠The image shows two search results with a before and
after.
⢠After the pigeon update the results were on average 20
minutes closer (driving) than before.
⢠âBaskin Robbinsâ (a large chain) had fallen out of the
results in favour of âVan Dyke Ice Creamâ (an
independent store with a strong G+ profile).
⢠When searches are carried out with the word âYelpâ in it,
this result will rank above Googleâs own local listings. This
is a new development.
Before
After
5. How does it work?
⢠Semantic understanding is taken into account.
⢠The most obvious way Google can understand this
is through the use of location; âSEO Agency
London,â for example.
⢠Google also uses machine learning to decipher
whether your particular search should render local
results or not.
⢠To use the example in a previous slide, âice creamâ
is more likely to be a local search whereas âbuy
booksâ is less likely.
⢠An improvement in location detection should make
the service better.
⢠Googleâs Knowledge Graph, reviews, citations,
mentions and local directories will all factor into
which local results appear.
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7. Why the change?
⢠Google Maps search was often seen as trailing behind in
terms of search capabilities, so bringing this up to date
was long overdue.
⢠The continued and unabated growth of mobile usage
means that more searches are taking place on mobile.
⢠Mobile search is growing, and search engines are having
to adapt to accommodate shift in search patterns.
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8. How will it affect SEO?
⢠Local businesses may notice a change in web referrals, leads
and business from the update.
⢠How drastic this will be is as yet unknown.
⢠More established, authoritative brands may struggle against
popular local stores.
⢠For example McDonaldâs may be outranked for the term
âburgerâ if there is a particularly popular independent burger
restaurant nearby.
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9. Next steps
⢠This is currently a US English-only update which we anticipate
coming to the UK very soon. This will give us a chance to assess
the effects of the update on US sites for feedback to clients.
⢠For some of our clients, shop fronts are very important, as such,
having a complete Google Places page as well as an active
Google+ page is integral.
⢠This way, Google can find you, searchers can find you and, if
there is a buzz around your Google+ page, you are more likely
to rank well for certain searches.
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