#Rank tracker search algo update update

#Rank tracker search algo update update

Local search expert Claire Carlile said, “I’m excited to think that this update has dialled down the impact of keyword stuffing in business names.

This is likely to be a win for the businesses who have consistently followed Google’s guidelines on keyword stuffing, and for those who have invested their time in fighting name spam. The Sterling Sky data revealed that businesses using keywords (inappropriately) in their name have now largely seen a drop in search rankings. When it comes to adding keywords into the business name of a Google Business Profile (GBP) listing, research from Sterling Sky found that the update has decreased the potential advantage of doing so. In terms of the benefit to businesses, this gives them a greater chance to rank well in relevant local searches, as they’ll be competing less with businesses that are further away. Through the Vicinity update, Google now appears to be clamping down on this, which will naturally make local search results more relevant to the user. This update is named after the fact that it seems to primarily target proximity as a ranking factor.Īlthough proximity has long been an important signal for local search results, it’s also been the case that businesses can optimize to successfully rank far from their actual business location. Google Search Central December 16, 2021 General guidance for businesses remains the same as covered here: It involved a rebalancing of various factors we consider in generating local search results. Our November 2021 local search update has concluded. Google confirmed the update in a tweet on December 16th: This is the largest change to the local algorithm since Possum in 2016 and has caused widespread ranking disruption. Rolling out between November 30th and December 8th, this update has been named ‘Vicinity’ by Sterling Sky. Many local businesses have noticed huge fluctuations in their local search rankings over the last few weeks, with Google now confirming an important update to the local algorithm.