How did the March 2023 Core Algorithm Update Impact Local Rankings?

[JoyHawkins]

I'm still digging into this but from what I can see thusfar, most of the major changes happened in the local packs right at the end. The update ran from March 15 to 28, 2023.

Here is an example for a personal injury lawyer (comparing March 13 to April 3):

What are you guys seeing?

 

[Ankit]

I'm still digging into this but from what I can see thusfar, most of the major changes happened in the local packs right at the end. The update ran from March 15 to 28, 2023.

Here is an example for a personal injury lawyer (comparing March 13 to April 3):

What are you guys seeing?

Yes mam our business was at local pack 3 suddenly came to 5th rank our primary category is also perfect and address is also correct what it has impacted still didn't get

 

[chadkimball]

We did see dramatic ranking drops for one of our clients. Service area type business with address not visible. Their website beats everyone else in terms of content, DA, backlinks. The only thing I can see where they need improvement to match/beat the competition is more reviews. But still digging into why. Anyone else?

 

[JS Girard]

There was a very noticeable uptick in "pending review"/"processing" status were you complete validation but have to wait for days before you can actually do anything at all on the GBP.

 

[chadkimball]

There was a very noticeable uptick in "pending review"/"processing" status were you complete validation but have to wait for days before you can actually do anything at all on the GBP.

I dont think that would be part of the core update, probably something else.

 

[chadkimball]

Yes mam our business was at local pack 3 suddenly came to 5th rank our primary category is also perfect and address is also correct what it has impacted still didn't get

what is the business? if you post what it is we can look into it and see what might have caused it

 

[JS Girard]

I dont think that would be part of the core update, probably something else.

All I've seen here is single-GPB results, so no actual patterns of impact."The ranking of one client changed" is not a useful impact to document until it's a bunch of guys in the same geographical area or vertical.

A significant number of clients starting to go into "pending review" status at the same time? This is a measurable impact across several clients (a dozen+).

There's also the usual small wave of GBP duplicate fusings and suspensions that we've witnessed with every single Core update since I started doing this job three years ago.

 

[keyserholiday]

I'm still digging into this but from what I can see thusfar, most of the major changes happened in the local packs right at the end. The update ran from March 15 to 28, 2023.

Here is an example for a personal injury lawyer (comparing March 13 to April 3):

What are you guys seeing?

I am unsure if this is related, but I got two results for business profiles at the same address using the same category. I'd love to get @ElizabethRule's take on this!!

 

[JS Girard]

I am unsure if this is related, but I got two results for business profiles at the same address using the same category. I'd love to get @ElizabethRule's take on this!!

The address filter algorithm has been softening somewhat in the last year. I posted about it back in November.

 

[keyserholiday]

The address filter algorithm has been softening somewhat in the last year. I posted about it back in November.

Have you two business profiles at the same address using the same category? The first one was claimed, and the second one, wasn't.

 

[JS Girard]

Have you two business profiles at the same address using the same category? The first one was claimed, and the second one, wasn't.

With only two possible results at the same address for the query? I have not seen it happen, no. I have seen two GBPs showing with a few as five or seven profiles matching the query though.

 

[JS Girard]

Two business profiles at the same address using the same category, example.

There are more lawyers at that address (at least one other has the personal injury lawyer category), though, so both your and especially Jason's example fall within the parameters of what I described. I've seen similar instances since at least last summer (though my own lowest number of GBPs at the address was seven IIRC).

 

[AndySimpson]

Yeah, sorry JS deleted my post as it was "not new"

 

[chadkimball]

Are we still talking about ranking impacts of the March update? I'm getting lost

 

[JS Girard]

Are we still talking about ranking impacts of the March update? I'm getting lost

yes, we're just disagreeing about what can be definitely ascribed or not to the core update lol

 

[keyserholiday]

yes, we're just disagreeing about what can be definitely ascribed or not to the core update lol

How are you sure? Your example is not the map pack results. @AndySimpson and I show two business profiles, with the same address and category showing in the map pack. I can’t tell what your screenshot is, is it local finder or and address search?

 

[JoyHawkins]

A significant number of clients starting to go into "pending review" status at the same time? This is a measurable impact across several clients (a dozen+).

Stuff related to suspensions, listings publishing, etc would be the GBP department which isn't something related to algorithm updates. We have also seen changes with verification status but it's unrelated. The search team + the GBP team do not really communicate much.

 

[AndySimpson]

How are you sure? Your example is not the map pack results. @AndySimpson and I show two business profiles, with the same address and category showing in the map pack. I can’t tell what your screenshot is, is it local finder or and address search?

Here is the example I deleted...BUT think I was seeing this previous anyway, but not 100%

 

[JoyHawkins]

Normally I see filter changes with core updates. Who is filtered can change along with how many listings manage to escape it.

 

[JS Girard]

How are you sure? Your example is not the map pack results. @AndySimpson and I show two business profiles, with the same address and category showing in the map pack. I can’t tell what your screenshot is, is it local finder or and address search?

What I'm saying is that your examples are not that different from cases I've been seeing all the way back in July last year, and which I posted about in November. Mine just had more profiles sharing a category and address.

I'm not saying the address filter has not changed at all during the core update. I'm sayig if it did, this further softening continues a trend that goes back almost a year.