Google Local SERP Update: Old Pack Algo & Doubles

[Linda Buquet]

re: Google Local SERP Update: Old Pack Algo & Doubles

C'mon, Linda - can't you just pick up your Google Bat-phone and ask them what the heck they're thinking?

My Bat-phone does not ring over on the Google search side of the house, which I'm sure is the department in control of changes like this.

The display changed and is back to the blended display with bigger font and NO "near" link above the pack.

Mike just blogged it: Google Local SERP Results Change Again

I've been tracking rankings and layout daily on about 6 SERPs watching for changes.

Only thing I saw move is that an UNclaimed listing, far south of town that is NEVER in the pack but usually in organic just jumped to the A spot. Still in organic so has a double. BUT the interesting thing is, this is super competitive market, it's unclaimed and far from centroid. So it's the organic ranking order that put it in the A spot.

Just did a pure organic comparison and yep blended is back. So it's like they rolled back that old Places algo/display. BUT there are still doubles so it's still different than the previous blended we've had for so long.

WHOA almost everyone on top has a double now. Doubles, doubles everywhere!

Off to research some more.

 

[whitespark]

re: Google Local SERP Update: Old Pack Algo & Doubles

Yep. They have changed everything up again. Woo! What a roller coaster!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Fasten seat belts. Put your hands in the air and woo hoo! Here we go again.

 

[whitespark]

Here are Mike's thoughts on the changes:
Google Local SERP Results Change Again | Understanding Google Places & Local Search

 

[Dustybones]

I'm seeing this as well Linda. I track 50 sites and its pretty consistent.

WHOA almost everyone on top has a double now. Doubles, doubles everywhere!
Off to research some more.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I've been tracking rankings and layout daily on about 6 SERPs watching for changes.

Only thing I saw move is that an UNclaimed listing, far south of town that is NEVER in the pack but usually in organic just jumped to the A spot. Still in organic so has a double. BUT the interesting thing is, this is super competitive market, it's unclaimed and far from centroid. So it's the organic ranking order that put it in the A spot.

That was Wed when that far away unclaimed listing jumped to #1. Another pack I watch an outskirts listing that jumps in and out of the pack, jumped in that day too.

Today both were kicked back out of the pack, for what it's worth. So the pack order is back more or less to what it was before these last couple algo tweaks.

But still doubles, doubles everywhere.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Just noticed a new one popped to the top for Los Angeles Dentist.
(I don't watch this SERP much but I'm pretty sure this guy was not there before.)

Site: downtowndentalla.com/

Title tag: Dentist Los Angeles - Cosmetic Dentist Los Angeles - LA Dentist - Los Angeles Dentist CA 90012

Meta description: Dentist Los Angeles, Cosmetic Dentist Los Angeles, LA Dentist, Los Angeles Dentist CA 90012: Dr. Don Mungcal is a top dentist in Los Angeles. He provides the latest dental treatments for best results.

So maybe this new algo = he who repeats city the most times wins?

I would think Google would ding for that much KW repetition, not give it the A spot?

 

[Stefano Romero]

Hey Linda,

Looking at his G+ page, a few things stand out:

They are consistently posting something every 3-4 days (this is the main difference from the other dentists)
Majority of their posts include a picture
They have a decent amount of photos for a dentist (photos are not geo tagged however)
They have videos (you touched on this before)

The other dentists who have a social G page also have videos and photos comparable to the dentist in the A spot so I looked into their website. Looks like they recently got a huge spike.



Maybe there is something black hat going on here. Will interesting to see if over the next few months they get a rude wake up call

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hey Stefano, great analysis. I didn't have time to look at anything to see why, just noticed the spammy title and de.

Looks like they recently got a huge spike.

What tool did you use for that traffic graph?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Whoa, just checked Los Angeles Dentist again and everything is totally different.

downtowndentalla.com that was just A is now E

and drkezian.com who WAS B and is usually A or B is now G.

Now the new A listing is farthest from LA, non optimized G+ L page (merged/verified) and is a Periodontist not a general. Kinda odd to see a specialist rank for City Dentist.

Off to check the others I follow to see if there was just another update that shook everything up or if it's just this one. Nope the other ones I'm watching are stable. Weird.

========================================

Nevermind. 10 minutes later it's back to:
downtowndentalla.com A
drkezian.com B

I think Google's playing with my head.

No more algo scouting for me today. I'm getting dizzy.

 

[Stefano Romero]

SEMRush - they have a free version and a paid version. The number arent exact but the timeline is pretty accurate from my experience.