Google update changed to 64% of local search results

In the local SEO community, Google's recent "Possum" update has been talked about being very big. Joy Hawkins, who regularly tracked search results in the local business, says that a clear difference was reflected in local SEO since September 1 when the update was done.

Study shows Google's Possum update changed 64% of local SERPs
http://searchengineland.com/study-shows-googles-possum-update-changed-64-local-serps-261761


"Possum"Although the update did not become a big topic for the SEO community as a whole, Hawkins thought that this was" Because this update was not an organic search, it mainly affected local search results, " It seems to be.

Local search results are those displayed when searching for specific areas.


Such as MozCast and AlgorooSERPAlthough you can track tracking services like tracking seamlessly, it seems that alteration of algorithms by "Possum" update seems to cause a big change on charts displayed by these services as aggregation results not. The reason is that it is displayed in the local search result3 packsIt seems to be because SERP does not display in most search queries.

Still, Hawkins, who wanted to know how much change has occurred in the local SEO due to the update, says three packs displayed in the local search result and "More places "And I continued to examine the search results (Local Finder) displayed there finely every day.


Mr. Hawkins was tracking whether changes in the local search results occurred with 1307 different business types and words displayed as the search results of 14,242, whereas on August 31, one day before Possum update is done On September 7th I noticed that a big difference occurred.

The graph below summarizes the differences. 9% of the 14,242 words surveyed were now displayed in the Local Finder even though they were excluded from the local search before updating. Also, 11% of words increased the position of the local search results by 3 or more, 15% of the words raised the position by 1 or 2, 36% of the words did not change the position, 15% of the words The ranking was lowered by 1 or 2, and 14% of words lowered the ranking by 3 or more. In other words, it means that the whole 64% of the words were influenced somewhat by the update.


For example, the following image is a screen shot of Local Finder displayed when searching "Personal Injury Lawyer Las Vegas (Los Angeles Legal Vegas)". On the left side is the Local Finder as of August 31, and the right side is the Local Finder after Possum update. The red arrow indicates that the position of the search result is lowered, the green arrow indicates that the position of the search result is raised, the red frame line is the one that is no longer displayed on the Local Finder, the green frame line is It shows what was newly displayed.


Mr. Hawkins wrote that it took several months to find these changes and further continued to investigate what elements would affect the position of search results for local SEO is. Although SERP continues to change day by day without updating algorithms, what matters is commenting that it is important to pay attention when major changes occur.