dissecting the pigeon update by david mihm

1 1 © SEOmoz, Inc. 2014

David Mihm @davidmihm

davidm@moz.com Dissecting the Pigeon Update

David Mihm davidm@moz.com / @davidmihm October 1 2014

2 2 © SEOmoz, Inc. 2014

David Mihm @davidmihm

davidm@moz.com Dissecting the Pigeon Update

David Mihm davidm@moz.com / @davidmihm October 1 2014

3 3 © SEOmoz, Inc. 2014 © SEOmoz, Inc. 2014

Dissecting the Pigeon Update

What Google Said!1

What Mozcast Says!What the Experts Say!Recap!

What Google Said

What Google Said 1

Google told us that the new local search algorithm ties deeper into their web search capabilities, including the hundreds of ranking signals they use in web search along with search features such as Knowledge Graph, spelling correction, synonyms and more. In addition, Google said that this new algorithm improves their distance and location ranking parameters.

http://searchengineland.com/google-makes-significant-changes-local-search-ranking-algorithm-197778

TL;DR Web ranking signals

Knowledge Graph

Distance : location

Web Ranking Factors: Supporting Evidence 1

What Google Said: Supporting Evidence 1

Hello, .png file!!

Hello, “This domain may be for sale!”!

Hello, lapsed and hijacked domain!!

Knowledge Graph

Distance : location

Knowledge Graph: It’s clear there was an update, but…

Knowledge Graph: “Supporting” Evidence 1

Knowledge Graph

Distance : location

Distance/Location: Supporting Evidence 1

“Convenience Store”

Tighter radius to location of search for generic phrases.

“Convenience Store Portland”

Wider radius to location of search for geomodified phrases.

Knowledge Graph

Distance : location

What Mozcast Says

What Mozcast Says 2

Mozcast: Change in Pack Frequency by Listing # 7/23 – 7/29

What Mozcast Says 2

Mozcast: Change in Pack Frequency by Listing # 7/23 – 7/29

23% drop in total # of results showing packs (Carousel and OneBox #’s relatively unaffected)

What Mozcast Says 2

Mozcast: 7/23/14 vs 9/11/14 Breakdown of Changes Among Branded and Geo-Modified Terms

Terms that GAINED Packs/Carousels

Terms that GAINED Local AOBs

Terms that SWITCHED from Packs/Carousels to Local AOBs

Terms whose Packs CHANGED numbers

Terms that SWITCHED from Local AOBs to Packs/Carousels

Terms that LOST Local AOBs

Terms that LOST Packs/Carousels

What Mozcast Says 2

Mozcast: 7/23/14 vs 9/11/14 Breakdown of Changes Among Branded and Geo-Modified Terms

(Knowledge Graph adjustments)

TLDR; Fairly even breakdown of gains and losses on these terms.

What Mozcast Says 2

Mozcast: 7/23/14 vs 9/11/14 Breakdown of Changes Among Geo-Modified Terms

ß Many of these are real estate related

What Mozcast Says 2

Mozcast: 7/23/14 vs 9/11/14 Breakdown of Changes Among Branded Terms

ß Lots of gains among branded terms

What Mozcast Says 2

Mozcast: 7/23/14 vs 9/11/14 Generic terms that GAINED Local Authoritative OneBoxes

What Mozcast Says 2

My Read on Mozcast Changes 1)  Clear shift in brand/geography

interaction (Knowledge Graph) 2)  Certain categories (real estate) lost

a number of pack results

What the Experts Say

What the Experts Say 3

*Note: across both pack and localized organic results.

2014 LSRF: Factors INCREASING in importance since Pigeon

Big Winners Domain Authority

Proximity to Searcher Quality of Inbound Links

2014 LSRF: Factors DECREASING in importance since Pigeon

Big Losers Proximity to Centroid

Physical Address in City of Search Verified GMB Pages

Quantity of Structured Citations Proximity to Other Businesses in Industry

83 factors were mentioned 36 of those were mentioned in both increasing AND decreasing

What I See

Photo credit: P. Slawinski http://pslawinski.smugmug.com/!

1. Search results in search results 2. Well-optimized regional-vertical directories 3. Less blending

“Brands are how you sort out the cesspool of the Internet.” --Eric Schmidt, Oct. 2008

“This is what you’re left with when you try to do that in Local.” --David Mihm, Oct. 2014

"Père-Lachaise - Divison 90 - Lahovary 09" by Antonin Mercié. Wikimedia Commons.

{ pigeon poo }

Why does this…

http://searchengineland.com/expedia-becomes-new-york-city-hotel-googles-pigeon-local-update-198339

…and this…

http://blumenthals.com/blog/2014/07/31/google-pigeon-poo/

…and this…

…happen?

BRAND preference.

Web signals, i.e. links, have NEVER been good at identifying worthy local businesses. Directories’ internal links are more powerful than all but a handful of inbound links to local businesses.

Why local visibility is so important 1

(From my December 2013 post)

Chris Silver Smith http://searchengineland.com/optimizing-business-internet-yellow-pages-directories-202414

But what about the pack results of small businesses?

Image courtesy of michaelwall.co.uk

2009 2014

Image courtesy of michaelwall.co.uk

2009 2014

“Brand” in Local surfaces spam because a)  The brand signals for local SMBs are not strong

enough (and the ones that are are exact-match keywords).

b)  Non-citation, non-review ranking factors reward exact-match keywords in business titles and URLs.

What I See: An Amplification of Hummingbird 4

What can we learn from the early Pigeon Poo?

- Brand is HUGE (Avvo, ZocDoc, Expedia).

http://blumenthals.com/blog/2014/07/31/google-pigeon-poo/

C’mon, Google!

Recap!Brand signals are on the rise.

This rewards 1.  Directories

(Consider barnacling for success) 2.  National brands with strong Local SEO 3.  Branded anchor text 4.  Branded searches 5.  Clickthrough rate

Recap!Proximity is shifting dramatically towards searcher.

Content, authority can pull-in geomodifying searchers where the radius is wider.

Recap!Study—don’t complain about—the crazy Authoritative OneBoxes.

These are valuable learning opportunities, and the algorithm will mature.

GMB SIGNALS

SEARCHER CENTROID

BEHAVIORAL

ON-PAGE REVIEWS

CITATIONS

Algorithmic Evolution!

2008 – 10 Pack Introduction

2012 – Stability Post-Venice

2014 – Pigeon

GMB SIGNALS

SEARCHER CENTROID

BEHAVIORAL

ON-PAGE REVIEWS

CITATIONS

Algorithmic Evolution!

2008 – 10 Pack Introduction

2012 – Stability Post-Venice

2014 – Pigeon

2015+ – My Prediction

Miriam Ellis I don't really feel any factors have actually become less important. The main difference as I see it is that you may be getting less mileage than you formerly did from good practices, particularly in those results that have narrowed to smaller packs or have shifted to favoring directories over individual websites. So, work that got you high visibility in 2013 may be getting you a little less of it in 2014.

Thank you!

davidm@moz.com moz.com/local!

Ongoing Resources!Moz.com/blog

LocalU.org!

dissecting the pigeon update by david mihm

david mihm davidmihmdavidm moz

web search capabilities

web ranking factors

modified terms seomoz

web search

supporting evidence 1

pack frequency

ranking signals

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