August 22, 2017: The day the ‘Hawk’ Google local algorithm update swooped in
Have you noticed a recent shift in Google's local search results? Columnist Joy Hawkins shares everything you need to know about the 'Hawk' update, which seems to have killed some of the changes we saw with Possum.
What changed?
The update, which I have dubbed "Hawk," changed how the local filter works. To get some history here, Google actively filters out listings from the local results similar to other listings that already rank. Basically, Google picks the most relevant listing of the bunch and filters the rest. It's very similar to what they do organically with duplicate content. (Note: Google is typically loath to confirm algorithm updates, usually only saying that it rolls out several updates daily, so these observations are based on an analysis of how local results have changed rather than on any official announcement or acknowledgment.)
The filter has existed for a long time to help ensure that multiple listings for the same company don't monopolize the search results. In September 2016, the Possum algorithm update made a significant change to the way the filter works. Instead of filtering out listings that shared the same phone number or website, Google started filtering out listings that were physically located near each other.
This was very problematic for businesses. It meant that if another company in your industry was in the same building as you — or even down the street from you — that could cause you to get filtered out of local search results. Yep, that means your competitors could (inadvertently) bump your listing!
On August 22, 2017, Google refined the proximity filter to make it stricter. It still appears to be filtering out businesses in the same building, but it needs to be filtering out as many companies that are close by.
Who this helped
Here is an example of a business I tracked that benefited from this update. Weber Orthodontics got filtered after the Possum algorithm update for the term "orthodontist wheaton il" because they had a competitor down the street — 325 feet from where they were located. This competitor had a higher organic ranking and more vital relevance to that keyword, so they were included in the results, and Weber was filtered out.
What changed?
The update, which I have dubbed "Hawk," changed how the local filter works. To get some history here, Google actively filters out listings from the local results similar to other listings that already rank. Basically, Google picks the most relevant listing of the bunch and filters the rest. It's very similar to what they do organically with duplicate content. (Note: Google is typically loath to confirm algorithm updates, usually only saying that it rolls out several updates daily, so these observations are based on an analysis of how local results have changed rather than on any official announcement or acknowledgment.)
The filter has existed for a long time to help ensure that multiple listings for the same company don't monopolize the search results. In September 2016, the Possum algorithm update made a significant change to the way the filter works. Instead of filtering out listings that shared the same phone number or website, Google started filtering out listings that were physically located near each other.
This was very problematic for businesses. It meant that if another company in your industry was in the same building as you — or even down the street from you — that could cause you to get filtered out of local search results. Yep, that means your competitors could (inadvertently) bump your listing!
On August 22, 2017, Google refined the proximity filter to make it stricter. It still appears to be filtering out businesses in the same building, but it needs to be filtering out as many companies that are close by.
Who this helped
Here is an example of a business I tracked that benefited from this update. Weber Orthodontics got filtered after the Possum algorithm update for the term "orthodontist wheaton il" because they had a competitor down the street — 325 feet from where they were located. This competitor had a higher organic ranking and more vital relevance to that keyword, so they were included in the results, and Weber was filtered out.
Here is a before-and-after screenshot showing how the local results changed due to the Hawk update; notice how Weber was utterly missing from the results a few months ago.
Source: Searchengineland.com
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