Well it is official, Google has run out of cool animal names for their algorithm updates and so we have Pigeon. Despite being named after a diseased, winged rat, you actually should pay this update a fair bit of attention as it has completely changed local search. Google haven’t gone into a lot of detail about what has changed, but we will:
Two main updates
So far it is clear that Pigeon has made two very important, very influential changes which are:
1. They are using the organic algorithm ranking signals to provide better results to their local algorithm. Now it isn’t just about where you’re located, but traditional signals as well as this.
2. Improved Google’s location-targeting parameters for more relevant results ensuring that you receive the most relevant results based on your location.
These core changes have had a large impact on local search results and local businesses are likely to see a change in their traffic as a result, but surely this is a better thing for users? Theoretically, yes. This change should eradicate non-existent or broken business listings, meaning that the user receives the most relevant listings, however it also means that some local businesses may get pushed out of the listings.
One change that is already evident is the increased rankings of local directories, who now often show higher than the businesses they feature. A quick Google search for “Cardiff Restaurants” for example, churns out TripAdvisor as the top result, then the map carousel which followed by other review and directory sites for the entire first page. In fact, individual restaurant websites don’t show up at all until you hit the second page.
Inception of search results
The results that users are receiving from their searches are arguably worse than they were prior to this update. Now, the results you receive are search results within search results – like inception, what’s real? While it is understandable that local directories would show up when vital keywords are included, by producing these results many local businesses are missing out and users are greeted with irrelevant results.
Google results still show a map-pack of local businesses, but it takes a lot more interaction to get from the SERP to the website the user wishes to use. However, not all industries have seen a significant change like this – less location specific or more niche business searches have seen almost no change at all or changes that only feature in areas where there is high traffic for that search term.
Merging desktop and mobile
Many people have been seeing an increase in the number of 3-pack results that are shown on both mobile and desktop searches. This unity across the devices could be pointing to a merging of these algorithms with the aim to produce less results but with the ones that are shown being far more relevant. Theoretically, this is an excellent idea when it comes to local listings as you will be able to get the best quality results without having to scroll through several pages.
Overall conclusion
Google’s new algorithm has once again made it harder to optimise for local listings, but they have made it much easier for local directory sites and big businesses to rank. This isn’t something that most small businesses want to hear, but it is likely that in the next couple of months we’ll see further updates rolling out to make more subtle changes.
Don’t be put off by trying to rank for local terms though. Graphic Alliance offers professional SEO services in London and UK-wide and can help your business to stand out from the crowd and overcome the Pigeon update.
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