Newsletter #19

Whitespark Local Insider

Whitespark's Monthly Local Search Newsletter

Local InsiderSeptember 2016

Notice anything suspicious with the local 3-pack rankings lately? Perhaps you were even worried that your Google My Business (GMB) listing "disappeared" completely from the pack. Well, the good news is that your listing is still there. The bad news is it might be getting filtered.

Google has appeared to have rolled out a new update to their local algorithm that has been coined by

some of our favourite local SEO's as the "Possum" update

(September 1, 2016). So how does this new algo change impact businesses?

believes this is the biggest local update since Pigeon in 2014. Based on her analysis of dozens of ranking reports over the past few weeks, she believes that the "Possum" update is designed to

diversify local results and reduce/stop spammy listings from ranking well

. Perhaps Google is starting to tackle the major spam problem in GMB, or perhaps they're just taking their local algorithm to the next level in their pursuit to provide the best and most relevant results to users...

One very important element of this update that Joy points out is to "[k]eep in mind, this filter is not the same as a penalty. Google isn’t removing the listing or preventing it from ranking for anything at all. Instead, it works much like the organic filter, which picks the “best” and most relevant listing and filters others that are too similar."

We strongly suggest you read Joy's article

Everything you need to know about Google’s ‘Possum’ algorithm update

. She breaks down the specifics of the changes in the pack results and includes some awesome examples to help you dive deeper into understanding the changes that are being observed.

One observation that we have also been seeing more over the past few months is the impact of "proximity" of the searcher. The searcher's location impacts the results, this is nothing new; however, it does speak to a larger picture when you're considering your local rankings and when your local listing is triggered in the local pack. Rankings vary greatly across cities, you can't expect your local rank tracking to be exactly what your client, boss, or cat sees. It just ain’t going to happen like that no mo'.

Example - 1 Keyword ("Plumbers"), 3 Searchers, 3 Different Locations, 3 Different Local-Packs:

Darren

Nick

Heather

Things to Keep in Mind:

It has only been a few weeks since the update, at this point it's mostly speculation, but with more analysis, any potential announcements from Google, and continuing the conversation there will be more information to take action (if necessary).
This update appears to still be in the testing stage, which means there will be likely more tweaks and changes over the weeks to come.
While this update is still in the testing phase, it does appear to be a "quality" focused/intended change within the local algorithm, an attempt to potentially start weeding out the spam listings and return relevant results.
At this point businesses that are operating in the same building and offering a similar service (think multiple criminal law offices in the same building) are more strongly competing against one another in the pack results. How this will play out for these types of businesses' rankings is yet to be determined. At this point it could be detrimental to be in the same office as a competitor.

While the dust is still settling on this update, perhaps the best advice we can offer is:

Have a good GMB listing.

Don’t have a bad GMB listing.

It never hurts to give your listing(s) a once over to make sure it’s within

Google’s guidelines

. Is your business name spammed with keywords? Do you have multiple GMB listings using the same URL? And so on...

Cheers,

Team Whitespark

MozCon 2016 Highlights

Whitespark enjoyed another awesome year at MozCon. This conference is truly like no other and we were so excited to take part in the event for a second year in a row. There is so much fun to be had, fantastic people to meet and discuss ideas with, and the presentations are always top-notch.This is Roger & our very own Whitespark Local Search Hero - SparkMan (just two pals saving the SEO world and stuff).We've rounded up our favourite highlights of the event for those of you who were not able to attend.Notes From Attendees Kelvin Claveria - All (and I do mean ALL) my notes from #MozCon 2016 Ruth Sturm - MozCon 2016: Marketing is Empathy Frederic Chanut - Mozcon 2016 Recap (Includes Slidedecks) BeanstalkIM - Live Blogging of MozCon 2016 PresentationsSpeaker Related Content Kick Point (Dana DiTomaso & Team) - Social Media User Experience (SMUX) Your Market Deserves Better Cara Harshman - Resources to Evolve Your A/B Testing Skills Justine Jordan - MozCon Slides & Resources (Her talk was, The Hidden Talents of Email: Creating Customer-Centric Messages)

THANK YOU

, and

(aka Turd-ferguson) for taking part in our SEOPARDY game for our Whitespark-MozCrawl. You're the best of the best!

Around The Web

Video: Local U Advanced Speaker Series – Darren Shaw on Enterprise Level Citations & Local Ranking

Local U Advanced speaker series featuring Whitespark's own Darren Shaw, with Mike Blumenthal and Mike Ramsey discussing citations and their semantic relevance to local search ranking.

Why Every Website (Not Just Local Sites) Should Invest in Local Links and Citation

Local links and local citations may seem unnecessary for non-local websites; however, there are strong underlying benefits to gaining local votes of confidence that could prove invaluable for everyone. In this Whiteboard Friday, Rand discusses why all sites should consider chasing local links and citations and some ways to discover opportunities in your niche.

Is Google Doubling Down on Local? Yes. Now What?

Are we going to start seeing Google finally committing to Local? Does the near future hold the necessary financial and front page support from Google that local needs to really succeed? Mike Blumenthal believe that yes it appears so.

Google adds ‘Reviews from the web’ to critic reviews in local search results

In August Google introduced best-of lists and critic reviews for local search. Now, in an effort to bring more useful content about places to local searches, they are adding "Reviews from the web," this feature brings user generated content from third party sites in to the knowledge panel and prominent placement in mobile results.

Effectiveness of Scholarship Link Building

When it comes to link building, scholarships have become very popular over the years. As a result, however, this area of link building has become saturated . This in-depth study by Nifty Law has some important insights and conclusions on the relevance and value of scholarship link building in 2016. A great read for anyone who has engaged in this strategy.

Local SEO for State-Level Search Terms

There are few local SEO campaigns that result in generating new business across an entire state. If you've implemented a good local SEO program you can achieve rankings and customers in your city. With a great local SEO campaign you can even see results from neighboring cities. But it is rare to attract business from across an entire state. In this article Phil Rozek shares his observations on how businesses can expand the net on their local visibility.

Why Data Attributes Power the Long Tail of Local Search

Attributes are descriptive data elements that set a business apart from the competition (ex. free parking), and help provide context about a location that can influence consumers to make decisions based on their need in the moment. Attributes also give search platforms (Google, Yelp, etc.) the information necessary to use your business as a possible answer to a query. Gib Olander highlights recent developments that shine a spotlight on the growing importance of attributes in local search.

3 Ways to Find Answer Box Opportunities

Have you heard 0 is the new 1, so how do you get this oh so coveted SERP position? Maryna Samokhina has 3 ways to help you uncover opportunities for your business.