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Recent local rankings shakeup was not due to an update!

Recent local rankings shakeup was not due to an update!
by
October 4, 2022
in Local SEO, ON-PAGE SEO
241

On the afternoon of September 23, 2022, many business owners and SEO experts were left scratching their heads when Google rolled out a fix for a bug that had caused a drop in local rankings for a number of businesses. The incident left many wondering what had caused the sudden drop and how they could avoid it in the future. In this article, we’ll explore the mystery behind the Google local rankings drop and explain what steps businesses can take to avoid a similar situation in the future.

Understanding Local Rankings

Before we dive into the mystery of the local rankings drop, it’s important to first understand how Google’s local search algorithm works. Local rankings are determined by a number of factors, including the relevance, distance, and prominence of a business’s listing. Relevance refers to how well a business’s listing matches a user’s search query, while distance refers to the proximity of the business to the user’s location. Finally, prominence refers to how well-known and reputable a business is, based on factors like reviews, links, and other online mentions.

The Mysterious Drop

On September 23, many businesses noticed a sudden drop in their local rankings, with some dropping several spots or even disappearing from the search results entirely. At first, many business owners and SEO experts assumed that the drop was due to some kind of algorithm update or penalty. However, Google quickly released a statement revealing that the drop was actually caused by a bug in the local search algorithm.

According to Google, the bug was caused by a “perplexity and burstiness” issue in the algorithm, which caused some listings to be excluded from the search results. This issue affected a relatively small number of businesses, but for those who were affected, the impact was significant.

The Fix

Thankfully, Google was quick to address the issue and rolled out a fix on the same day that the drop was noticed. In a statement, Google explained that the fix had been applied to the algorithm and that businesses should begin to see their rankings return to normal over the coming days.

A local search expert uploaded a post on Twitter about this.

ranking drops

Referred to as the “Kansas” bug, it has been dropping some service area businesses in the middle of the USA — in Independence, Kansas in Google Maps / Google My Business.

Preventing Future Drops

While the local rankings drop was caused by a bug in the algorithm, there are steps that businesses can take to prevent similar drops from happening in the future. Here are a few tips:

1. Keep Your Information Up-to-Date

Make sure that your business’s listing is accurate and up-to-date, with correct information about your address, phone number, and hours of operation. This will help ensure that your listing is relevant to users who are searching for businesses like yours.

2. Encourage Reviews

Reviews are an important factor in local rankings, so it’s important to encourage your customers to leave reviews for your business. Make it easy for them by including links to your review pages on your website and in your email communications.

3. Build Quality Links

Links from reputable websites can help improve your business’s prominence and reputation, which can in turn improve your local rankings. Focus on building quality links from relevant sources, such as local business directories and industry websites.

4. Monitor Your Rankings

Keep an eye on your business’s local rankings to ensure that you catch any drops or fluctuations as soon as they happen. Use a tool like Google Analytics or a third-party ranking tracker to monitor your rankings and get alerts when there are changes.

Conclusion

The mystery of the Google local rankings drop may have left many business owners and SEO experts scratching their heads, but the cause was ultimately a relatively simple bug in the algorithm. While there’s no way to completely prevent issues like this from happening in the future, by following the tips outlined above, businesses can take steps to minimize the impact of drops and ensure that their listings remain visible and relevant to potential customers.

If your business was affected by the local rankings drop, don’t panic. It’s likely that your rankings will return to normal soon, now that Google has rolled out a fix for the issue. However, it’s still important to take steps to ensure that your business’s listing is as strong and relevant as possible, to minimize the impact of any future drops.

By keeping your information up-to-date, encouraging reviews, building quality links, and monitoring your rankings, you can help ensure that your business remains visible and competitive in local search results.

So, while the local rankings drop may have caused some confusion and frustration, it’s ultimately a reminder of the importance of staying on top of your business’s online presence and keeping your listing strong and relevant. By doing so, you can help ensure that your business is well-positioned to succeed in local search and attract new customers.

FAQ

  1. What caused the local rankings drop on September 23, 2022?
    Google revealed that the drop was caused by a “perplexity and burstiness” issue in the local search algorithm.
  2. How long will it take for my rankings to return to normal?
    Google stated that businesses should begin to see their rankings return to normal over the coming days.
  3. Can I prevent future drops in local rankings?
    While there’s no way to completely prevent drops from happening, businesses can take steps to minimize the impact by keeping their information up-to-date, encouraging reviews, building quality links, and monitoring their rankings.
  4. Should I be worried if my business was affected by the local rankings drop?
    No need to worry. As long as you take the necessary steps to keep your listing strong and relevant, your rankings should return to normal soon.
  5. How important are local rankings for my business?
    Local rankings are crucial for businesses that rely on local customers. By appearing at the top of local search results, you can attract new customers and increase your visibility in your community.
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