Google’s search algorithm is constantly changing, and their most recent update is called Possum. Most of Possum’s changes took place in the local search results. Here are 3 things you need to know to keep up with the changes.
- If your business is located just outside of city limits, you may see a shift in search results in your favor. Previously, when searches had a city name included (Dentist Rapid City), your dental office that was just outside the city limits would not rank high in the search results. With the Possum update, Google created an opportunity to reward good search results with a blurred city line. This only applies to the 3-pack local results found underneath the map on desktop.
- You can be filtered out of search results if you have multiple listings that share contact information. For example, if you share a phone number, web domain, or address with another business, (often found in doctor’s offices and law firms) all duplicates will be filtered out, leaving the search result with only one. This makes it important for the main office to rank well in search results.
- Physical search location is incredibly important. We have seen this in the past, but if you are searching for “Rapid City Restaurant” while you are physically in Texas, you will get different results than if you are doing the same search in Rapid City.
Overall, we will still give you the same advice to improve your search rankings. Build quality links and perform well on mobile devices. If you need any help improving your results, contact us at Midwest Marketing. We’re here to help!
