Have you noticed a considerable change in your rankings of local search results lately? If so, you were not alone in this, as many were affected by the algorithm update rolled by Google last year. On September 1, 2016, search engine giant – Google silently released a new algorithm update that impacted the local search results by leaps and bounds. It’s nicknamed as “Possum” by the SEO community. Unlike other updates of Google, possum algorithm update attacked on the local business listings that have the same physical addresses to prevent duplicates. Now, we are going to tell you the things that you must know about Google’s possum updates. So, stay tuned to our blog.
#1 It Becomes Easier For Business to Rank Locally That Are Located Outside Of City Limits
Before the arrival of a possum algorithm update, businesses that were located outside of the city ranks poor in local search results, no matter how much SEO they’ve done for it. For instance, if a plumber was located very close to Las Vegas, but outside of the designated radius of the city, then it used to be difficult for a plumber to appear in local search results for “plumber in Las Vegas” or “Las Vegas Plumber”. But, after the possum algorithm update, it becomes easier for business to rank locally even if they are located outside of city limits.
#2 Possum Filters Results Based on Address Instead of Domain Name or Phone Number
Earlier, some businesses have sundry listings for the same site because that time Google filters out duplicate entries based on the phone number or domain name. But, now Google’s possum algorithm update goes deeper and filters out based on the physical address of the listing.
#3 Possum Update Is Sensitive to Even Slight Keyword Changes
You might not know that even a slight variation in keywords can produce completely different search results. For instance, if a user searches something like “plumber Las Vegas” can produce different results than for a search term” plumber in Las Vegas, Nevada” or “Nevada plumber”.
#4 Location of a Searcher Matters a Lot
Before Google’s Possum algorithm update, local search results purely depend on the search terms. But, now Google considers the IP address of a searcher to show more accurate results in the local 3-pack.