How to Local Business Rankings up Despite Google Algorithm Updates
The 1st of September 2016 saw online markets running around like headless chickens trying to figure out what had happened to their local listings and Google rankings. The reason behind this chaotic behavior was an update from Google called Possum. Although it was never officially announced, the update caused the markets to drop or rise radically. According to MozCast, the Google algorithm reached a fiery 108 degrees on the 1st.
What is the importance of Local Business Listings?
For any business owner, the number one priority is customers. But if the company hasn’t gained enough popularity, the customers will always go elsewhere. Creating a local listing helps bring a company get on the map and make itself known. In its essence, a business listing is nothing more than a profile that entails an address, a phone number, a name, and other such details. Some of the best free business listings come in the shape of Google+, Bing, Yellow Pages, Yelp, and Yahoo.
What happened to my listing from September 1st?
As discussed earlier, the Possum update released on the 1st of September literally shook the online world to its core. A recent study unveiled that a massive 64% of all local Search Engine Results Page or SERP’s were affected by the major update. These companies did not follow the protocol from Google and thus suffered the most. Not only did it affect local listings, but it had an adverse effect on organic results as well.
While Google constantly releases updates throughout the year (about 1000+), users believe that they should have announced the Possum update so that they could prepare themselves.
The latest update to hit Google users is called Penguin 4.0 which arrived on the 23rd of September. The Penguin update comes after 2 years of tweaking and researching and brings a minor change. Earlier than that, Google released an Image/Universal Drop update on the 13th. It was another major update that shot the temperature up to a very hot 111 degrees. There was a massive SERPs drop with regard to image results that was measured at 50%.
Here is where Sayles Industries comes in and promises to keep their clients safe from any major change. They do so by keeping their work up-to-date and within the “rules” from Google. They are a leading SEO company that has always delivered amazing results.
What changes can I expect from recent Google Updates?
With such a huge update, the changes cannot be minutely discussed. The most important changes come in the form of:
- Descriptions removed for Google My Business
- No support for added categories
- Metrics removed for Google+
- Google My Business Insights added
- Removal business listing from Google Maps
- Drop in SERPs & organic rankings
- Generalization of address to just city, state
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Local business reviews get better support
If you are one of the MANY business owners that have faced issues after the update and fall under the 64% mentioned earlier, it might be a good time to change your SEO “expert”. Sayles Industries, on the other hand, always delivers and goes above and beyond for every client. So, if your listing or ranking has been severely affected by the Possum update or you are just looking for a way to boost your current website rankings, give us a call today.