A lot of movement in the 3-pack / Local Finder

[JoyHawkins]

Right now my listing is IN the 3-pack again because I changed the adress to "Markt 57" (which is wrong without the "a") - but like that it seems to escape the filter.

Petra,

Thanks for sharing that. It definitely is the pattern I'm seeing and it's really great that you clarified that changing the address actually made you get put back in. I'm going to try that on a few I'm looking at to see if I can get the same result.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Here is the article I mentioned I'd share. I'll be doing a follow-up one most likely next week because since writing this I have documented and noted several other patterns among some of the disappearing listings that are getting filtered.

I'm becoming more and more convinced there is a spam filter in local and that the criteria for it changed as of last week. Of course, I could be wrong

Is Google filtering your business in the local search results?

Thanks so much Joy for linking to this discussion in the SELand article!!!

 

[danieljc]

As I look more closely at what's happened with the personal injury search in Dallas, I think there's a possibility we may be seeing a difference in how the "centroid" works - at least in higher competition / metro areas.

 

[Linda Buquet]

This might be somewhat related so wanted to share it here:

<a href="http://www.localsearchforum.com/google-local/42925-google-listing-disapeared-recent-update-try.html">Google Listing Disapeared With Recent Update? - Try This</a>

 

[Brian Barwig]

I tried 2 things for my client because I assumed she was being filtered.

First, I changed the address slightly (suite --》ste #). She is still not appearing in local.

With the above change still implemented, I tried the zoom method. Boom, she's back. I think it is a filter but this is an odd "trick" to make the listing reappear.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Right, but zooming in doesn't make it come back...it just shows you it's filtered. It's a good trick to see the filtered listings but the listing is still filtered for everyone searching, unless I misunderstood?

 

[Brian Barwig]

You are correct, it doesn't come back. I wasn't sure if it was filtered or completely nuked though so this helps.

Step 2, getting the filter removed to move back in the pack. Tips?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Brian,

Yeah it worked beautifully for a consultation I'm working on right now so it's a really great trick to see the filter. If it's filtering one based on address you would need to move lol

 

[Brian Barwig]

I'll run the potential move by the client and see how they respond

Why would the client being getting filtered now when they have been in the pack for years?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Is there not a profile there instead that is in the same category/address?

 

[Brian Barwig]

There are several other lawyers in the same building (different suites) who provide similar services. I hadn't noticed the filter until recently as the other lawyers ranked as well. Now my client is out and it looks like the others are still there.

 

[Rich Owings]

Consider this one: Searching for "dentist asheville nc 28803" incognito, client is 27 in organic and missing from maps when you click on More Places. Zoom in and they show.

But then, I search for "dentist" using the AdWords ad preview tool with the location set to 28803 and they are on the front page, #3 in the map pack. Joy, are they filtered for one result but not the other? Filtered for what?

Incognito search for "dentist 28803" and they are missing from the map pack but when you click on More Places they are #3! Crazy, huh?

EDIT: There are several dental practices in their building.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Brian - do you want to PM me the search in question? Most of the ones I'm seeing filter all profiles but 1. I think it's a combination of categories and address so if the other lawyers have different specialties they might not get filtered.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Rich,

Those are different searches and I'm finding variations are making a big difference so you might get something different depending on the order you type it in or what you type in. Especially if Google has a lot of listings to choose from.

 

[Cori Shirk]

We saw drops for clients in the gas station, banking, retirement community / assisted living, moving, and vacation rentals industries. Mostly in local results but some organic is a mess too.

Anyone else thinking this feels a lot like Pigeon...?
- Centroids have shifted across all the verticals we've looked at
- Local map packs are full of crap again
- Localized organic results are super volatile and way too dependent on a person's input. It almost seems like Google's taking the order of the words searched verbatim.
- MozCast is reporting a ~1% drop in local packs on 9/1, which is almost identical to what it reported in July 2014

 

[JoyHawkins]

This is the biggest update to local I have seen since Pigeon. Went through a ton of client reports today and not a single one is the same as August 31. A whopping majority are doing better from the updates. Provided I can manage to find any time next week, I wanted to write a part 2 of my article outlining all the similarities hat exist between all the cases I reviewed this week. I am seeing some definite patterns.

 

[danieljc]

It's a tightening of spam filter with tightening of criteria for triggering duplicate filter. I'm pretty much convinced.

 

[JoyHawkins]

It's a tightening of spam filter with tightening of criteria for triggering duplicate filter. I'm pretty much convinced.

Yep. They also pulled back on a couple items that were previously filtered more harshly.

 

[Cori Shirk]

This is the biggest update to local I have seen since Pigeon. Went through a ton of client reports today and not a single one is the same as August 31. A whopping majority are doing better from the updates. Provided I can manage to find any time next week, I wanted to write a part 2 of my article outlining all the similarities hat exist between all the cases I reviewed this week. I am seeing some definite patterns.

Let me know if you want any more cases to analyze! We've got a handful over here that could provide some useful data.

 

[JoyHawkins]

LOL I will let you know if/when I get caught up on all the ones that have paid for consultations in the last week