Major Google Local Algo Update - Google "Pigeon" Update Shakes it Up!

[Linda Buquet]

I see everything here and other forums on G+ has died down some.

I need to leave for Dr appts and will be gone several hours. So if anyone posts and I don't reply til tonight, that's why.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I have a question regarding the update. For "Handyman Orlando", I saw a listing jump up in organic ranking but lower 2 in Places. So The Handyman Company used to be A and the organic listing was high, but was lower than the 3-pack. Now his organic ranking is ABOVE the pack and his Places listing dropped to C.

Something weird though is that the title of his organic listing is "Orlando - The Handyman Company". Any thoughts as to where Google is getting that from? It definitely isn't his Title tag.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@Chris

Good point, but there have always been 3-packs. There do seem to be slightly more since this update rolled out, at least in my observations so far.

 

[iFuse]

Hearing rumblings of a 7-pack decline of 60%.... Seriously considering just going the ppc route, sure seems a lot easier!

 

[sergiuliano]

On my side, the maps pack has been removed for some law related keywords I was tracking

 

[Margaret Ornsby]

So far nothing significant in Australia. Just the usual minor changes in ranking. Interesting, if I "google" realtors in the US, I still get local packs. Are they back for you guys?

Have had one client fall like a rock out of Bing local - does anyone know if something's going on there too?

Waiting very nervously for this to hit us.

 

[Phil Rozek]

Hearing rumblings of a 7-pack decline of 60%.... Seriously considering just going the ppc route, sure seems a lot easier!

I hear ya! Although, as someone who's done PPC for even longer than local SEO, I can say that PPC is every bit as tough.

 

[Lloyd Silver]

If there's a 60% decline in keywords resulting in the display of a local pack, why would Google want that outcome?

It doesn't seem to benefit anybody and particularly hurts those searching who are expecting to see more local results when searching for local-related keywords.

I understand the theory that Google makes these changes to beef up their ad revenue, but I just don't buy that when viewed with a manipulative frame of reference.

Is it possible that there are unintended consequences of the algorithm change? And that we'll see additional changes over the next week or two?

 

[Phil Rozek]

If there's a 60% decline in keywords resulting in the display of a local pack, why would Google want that outcome?

It doesn't seem to benefit anybody and particularly hurts those searching who are expecting to see more local results when searching for local-related keywords.

I understand the theory that Google makes these changes to beef up their ad revenue, but I just don't buy that when viewed with a manipulative frame of reference.

Is it possible that there are unintended consequences of the algorithm change? And that we'll see additional changes over the next week or two?

Google seems to make changes like this for multiple reasons at once. They can shore up ad revenue and attempt to make the search results better - and anger a lot of us! - in one stroke.

 

[Linda Buquet]

UPDATE: RE the Seattle Chiro results I've been screenshot tracking in post #5.

Checked Seattle Chiro results again today and they were TOTALLY different again.

Checked location settings and decided to GEO to Seattle for accuracy and double check. (But in the past that didn't matter.)

Then results changed again and are same as 7/25 right after the update.

IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY... In the past if I searched Seattle Chiropractor, as long as city was in the query I'd get the same results, no matter where my search location was set. In other words, location would be set to LA or Dallas, did not matter. I'd change location to Seattle and rankings would still be exactly the same. It would usually have no affect.

Now search location settings appear to have a dramatic affect. I can see wildly different SERPs by changing the city. So it appears location settings have to be set right to get an accurate reading.

So I'm thinking that 7/26 result was so different because I maybe didn't set to Seattle. Again, in the past it did not really seem to matter where I had location set to.

 

[Majestic1]

Another item I noticed but forgot to add to my last post, is I love searching for xyz phoenix and I see 2 or 3 listings from the same company, but their different locations.

So for example:

xyz search phoenix and I have seen 2 or 3 listings from the same company but I see their phoenix address, scottsdale, tempe... Or 2 of the citys for the same service based company.

That is just awesome and you have to congratulate Google for really screwing things up on their updates. a Multi Billion dollar company that can not get it right when they make updates. Reminds me of Microsoft updates.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I've not seen that before. Can you share the exact search?

 

[Majestic1]

Re: Major Google Local Algo Update - Google "Pigeon" Update Shakes it Up!

Termite control with your IP/Search Tools set as phoenix. also bail bonds with IP/Search Tools set as phoenix is the same way..

---------- Post Merged at 11:58 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:56 AM ----------

Another note is seeing different cities showing up in the search when I specifically put in Phoenix, denver, las vegas etc..

 

[Linda Buquet]

Let's be sure comparing apples to apples though. Need to be looking at same query, not reverse order or with state or using in or near.

So for phoenix bail bonds I only see one Mesa listing.

phoenix Termite control I only see one Scottsdale listing at very last spot.

But I'm not noticing what you said here:

"xyz search phoenix and I have seen 2 or 3 listings from the same company but I see their phoenix address, scottsdale, tempe... Or 2 of the citys for the same service based company. "

 

[dorothea]

The listing I'm managing for a flower shop in Melbourne hasn't been impacted so far. I wonder IF and WHEN this update is going to impact listings in Germany and other countries.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi dorothea,

Thanks for sharing that it has not hit there yet. So far it's US only. Unknown if or when it will roll out worldwide.

If you want to check your rankings with the new algo, trying searching for your city and keyword using Google.com instead of .au or .de and I think you'll see sort of a simulated ranking order change.

That exercise would be just sort of for grins. Don't worry too much, because they could tweak the algo before it fully rolls out, so changes could be different once it actually hits there.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I have seen a lot of major changes with this algo update. Some good and some very bad. There are also a lot of new anomalies I noticed as well including:

Not Displaying Local Results:
DUI Lawyers
Realtors

New Results: I am seeing results that never ranked pop up all of the sudden.

Spammy Listings: I am seeing a lot of spammy listings show up. Specifically where users don't have their G+ page pointed to their website, bur rather to a major industry site instead.

You can read more of my preliminary analysis from last night. Please forgive any misspellings, etc. here: July 2014 Local Search Update Preliminary Analysis | Ethical SEO Consulting

Just finally made time to read your post Casey. Really interesting analysis! Thanks for sharing!

 

[camcamcz]

I don't know if they are just testing this new algo or what's going on but I have been monitoring some keywords today and the last time I checked (2 minutes ago) everything is back to what it looked like before this update. Hmmmm....

edit: Just searched again and it went back tot he new algo. Very strange.

 

[Linda Buquet]

You may have hit a different data center for a few or was a glitch?

Plus FYI results will totally change if location settings change. Didn't use to be like that for a City + KW search.

But I've seen some stuff that makes me wonder how much of this is still in flux.

 

[HurricaneK8]

Getting report in now it has hit Canada

Real estate term maps are disappearing, which is not good for businesses that focus on real estate agents (e.g. OURS).