2016 was a great year for local Search. Many companies have started using local search engine optimization techniques to take advantage of Google’s 3 pack local search results. Local search Engine Optimization Technique is one of the most popular trends in the SEO industry since the mobile revolution.
The update, which SEO teams have dubbed Possum, has transformed local results. To give you an idea of the scale, nearly 65% of the local SERPs were affected by the update, compared to the Google Penguin update, which covered only 3% of websites.
Unlike Penguin, Possum is not a punishment for companies trying to pass suspicious practices to Google’s algorithm. Instead, this change is a fundamental shock in the way local listings are presented. This is the main reason why many businesses are affected and virtually guarantees that yours will be affected as well.
When it was launched?
The google possum update was introduced by Google on September 1, 2016.
Objectives of Possum Update
Google always comes up with new & better updates for its users that can help them in doing their work in a more efficient way. Therefore, Google launched Possum for improving the experiences of its users. The google possum update released with some really important objectives that can help the users to improve their all-over experience. The main experience of the sum is that it gives results established on collaboration. It means that your results are more filtered on the search engine pages.
• The ranking of those businesses which are located outside the city can be increased. The Google Possum was that it can intensify the space which is creating a huge gap between regional & organic filters.
• That special update of Google empowers the significance to the location of the user.
• Last but not the least objective of Possum was to provide factual deviations for keywords that disclose various effects on search engine pages.
Above are the main objectives of the google possum update. It was released for improving the search engine results of businesses on SERP. Now you should need to know about the main issues which are responsible for the Google possum update. We will tell you everything about it. Just stay here and keep reading.
Focused issues of Possum Update
Do you know what were the main issues? Perhaps you don’t know No worry. We are here to tell you everything. It can be classified with the following points.
• The main issue was those businesses that are outside the city limits. Like a business that is located outside the Noida city but it is not showing on the Google maps.
• Furthermore, Some businesses are located on the same address & due to this only one of those was a show on SERP but the other one is not.
• When two different businesses are running in the same building then it was difficult for the search engine to show both in SERP
•Moreover, Some companies owned more than one business that creates difficulty for the search engine to show the results of both of them.
After knowing all the issues of possum. The next step is to know How we can recover from it? For knowing this You should go on. Go ahead. We are going to describe it.
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Benefits of Possum Update
It’s easier to rank companies that Situated at the border of city
In the past, local SEO professionals had regrets for having difficulty ranking clients in a specific city if their business address was outside the city limits.
For example, if a dentist is located very close to the Chicago border, but still outside of Chicago, this poor dentist will have a hard time qualifying in the local 3 pack for a search term as a “Chicago dentist” “.
This did not seem right for many small business owners because, after all, businesses near a city often have customers living there. It is therefore logical that they can achieve them through the results of local research.
But for a moment, Google did not move. Businesses simply could not be ranked in the local results if their address was not within the city limits.
The Google algorithm uses a proximity test to determine if the company is qualified for ranking. Thus, if a company is close to a city, it can be classified with the name of that city.
In other words, the update really makes business classification easier. This is a change from many of the algorithm updates we have seen in the past that tend to lower lists in search engine results pages (SERPs).
The location is important
The new Possum update makes local search results dependent on the location of the search engine.
In the past, search results were more focused on search terms. Google now uses the IP address of the person doing the search to provide more accurate results in the local package 3.
It is important to understand that if you perform some sort of local SEO for another company. Your quality control team must prove your work as a user in the region of the company and not just prove it by searching on Google for the name of the company and its location.
In addition, the further a user moves away from a specific location, the further the Google map moves away. When the map zooms out, business listings in the enlarged version of the map may fall.
Filtration Based on Address
Google does not like to show its users the same list again and again in the search results. This is especially true in local search.
Some companies, however, have multiple listings for the same site.
For example, a doctor’s office often employs several doctors, each with their own practice. Some law firms may have multiple departments, each with a unique Google My Business (GMB) page.
Previously, Google filtered out duplicate entries based on the phone number or domain name. From now on, Possum goes even further and filters them according to the physical address of the list.
Thus, for the above examples, a local researcher would see only a doctor’s name from that office and a legal department’s list of that law practice.
It should be noted, however, that the other lists are not completely eliminated. They are simply pushed further down the rankings.
Recovery From Possum Update
So the first thing which comes to our mind is how we can recover from it? So we are not going to take you too much time. And we are going ahead. So, there is nothing that doesn’t have a solution. Every problem has its solution. But it’s not that easy but not impossible as well.
• However, The first thing you should know is that Google always gives the most useful information to the users so you must develop your business as per the guidelines of Google.
• Thereafter, Make sure that you develop your business page in an efficient manner that can help you in increasing the rank of your webpage.
• At the same time, Create huge traffic for your business on the search engine pages so that Google will show your location on Google maps.
So it was an update for improving the search engine results of all the businesses which are doing there work whether in a city or outside a city.
Even more, This update was to enhance the search engine ranking of all the businesses. I hope you like this article. Thanks for reading.