Improve Your Local Rankings!

Google Pigeon is a new algorithm update that targets local business search results, tweaking how they appear and where business directories sit in the rankings. The Pigeon update was created in an effort to make local search results more clear and accurate. Whether or not this change is here to stay, what we currently have is a Google platform that is putting less emphasis on location and more on site value. While the change has not given a distinct advantage to national chains over small businesses, we can say with certainty- ranking as a local business just got a lot harder!

Pigeon has dropped the rankings of local businesses in favor of business directories, making it much more difficult for local businesses to pull in traffic. This is not due to a wrongdoing by the local business, but rather should be looked at as a promotion of business directories. Prior to the algorithm change, local business packs appeared in more than 12% of queries. Now, they only appear in 3%.

This may be nothing more than Google conducting tests as Pigeon has been active for one week and has already seen at least one change. In the face of these new restrictions, there are a few things you can do to promote your business.

1: Start up a Pay-Per-Click campaign to boost traffic to your site.

2: Run a search for your keywords and industry. Make sure your business information is correct on all business directories (Yelp, Urban Spoon, Etc.)and upload a few compelling photos.

3: Make sure you have a Google+ page for your business. (Google+ showing up above Yelp in Yelp-related searches is what sparked the algorithm change.) Be certain all of your business information is listed correctly, especially your address.

4: Pay attention to where your business is appearing other than organic results. If you’re showing up low on the first page but second in the pack, you should focus on the metric that put you there.

5: Set up tracking an analytics with the Google analytics URL tracking parameters. Additionally, work on traditional SEO metrics, such as compelling content and quality back-links.