It seems that Google has released another algorithm update over the weekend, and in this instance it´s to do with local search. Search Engine Land has decided to name it the “Pigeon” update and, as far as Business 2 Community is concerned, this dubbed name is likely to stick.
So is this a significant update? According to the article I read – yes. It will provide more fine-tuned and relevant local search results that are connected to organic search results within the Google Maps feature, otherwise known as Google Places.
This could prove vital for local businesses and SEOs because it seems that the two sets of search queries will now have a closer link. When businesses begin to build their authority in an organic way, their local results are likely to see an improvement, too.
What are the key features of “Pigeon”? One of them is that it will improve distance and location ranking parameters, spelling correction and Knowledge Graph. All of these should advance search results for relevant queries.
While this update is not really designed to fight spam, it will include hundreds of search ranking signals that are used at the moment in web search. This will mean much more accurate local results for Google Maps and Places.
It´s only been a couple of days, but SEOs are already witnessing changes in client rankings. “Pigeon” is currently only deployed in the US, but it´s likely to spread over here very soon. We´ll keep you updated of any developments as new information comes in.