August 22, 2017: The day the ‘Hawk’ Google local algorithm update swooped in

Have you noticed a recent shift in Google's local search results? Columnist Joy Hawkins shares everything you need to know about the 'Hawk' update, which seems to have killed some of the changes we saw with Possum.

I recently reported on an algorithm update impacting the local results that happened on August 22, 2017. This was a strictly-local update, from what I can tell so far, which means that it had no impact on the non-local organic results.

What changed?

The update, which I have dubbed “Hawk,” was a change to the way the local filter works. To get some history here, Google actively filters out listings from the local results that are similar to other listings that rank already. Basically, Google picks the most relevant listing of the bunch and filters the rest. It’s very similar to what they do organically with duplicate content. (Note: Google is typically loath to confirm algorithm updates, usually only saying that it rolls out several updates every day, so these observations are based on an analysis of how local results have changed rather than on any official announcement or acknowledgment.)

The filter has existed for a long time to help ensure that multiple listings for the same company don’t monopolize the search results. In September 2016, the Possum algorithm update made a significant change to the way the filter works. Instead of just filtering out listings that shared the same phone number or website, Google started filtering out listings that were physically located near each other.

This was very problematic for businesses. It meant that if another business in your industry was in the same building as you — or even down the street from you — that could cause you to get filtered out of local search results. Yep, that means your competitors could (inadvertently) bump your listing!

On August 22, 2017, Google refined the proximity filter to make it stricter. It still appears to be filtering out businesses in the same building, but it is not filtering out as many businesses that are close by.

Who this helped

Here is an example of a business I was tracking that benefited from this update. Weber Orthodontics got filtered after the Possum algorithm update for the term “orthodontist wheaton il” due to the fact that they had a competitor down the street — 325 feet from where they were located. This competitor had a higher organic ranking and stronger relevance to that keyword, so they were included in the results, and Weber was filtered out.

Here is a before-and-after screen shot that shows how the local results changed as a result of the Hawk update; notice how Weber was completely missing from the results a few months ago.

I was able to nail down the exact date this happened because I have a robust tracking plan with BrightLocal that scans daily and takes screen shots. After studying multiple, completely unrelated cases, I was able to confirm that all cases had this same pattern on August 22.

Another example was this set of four hotels in Killeen, Texas. Previously, two of the four were filtered.

Now, following the Hawk update, all four are showing.

Who is still filtered?

Naturally, this update didn’t help everyone. Although it tightened the distance needed to filter a similar listing, it didn’t remove it completely. I’m still seeing listings that share an address or building being filtered out of local search results. I also see the filtering problem persisting for a business that is in a different building that’s around 50 feet away from a competitor.

Below, you can see that the local results for “personal injury attorney palmdale” — an example I shared in my Possum article — are still filtering out many attorney listings using the same virtual office address. (All the listings in red share the same address as the listing in green and are filtered 

Why ‘Hawk?’

The local search community settled on the name “Hawk” for this algorithm update, because hawks eat possums. This is one of the few times where I don’t see any negative outcomes as a result of this update and just wish Google hadn’t taken a year to realize the proximity filter was way too broad.

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Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

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Google: No comment on possibility of a Feb. 7 algorithm update

Did your rankings in Google get better or worse over the past week? Many webmasters and SEOs are noticing some significant changes in Google's search rankings algorithm.

Last Tuesday, Feb. 7, there seems to have been a Google algorithm change that adjusted how many sites rank — both for good and bad. I’ve been tracking the update since Feb. 8, and over time, more and more webmasters and SEOs have been taking notice of the ranking changes at Google.

This seems to be unrelated to the unconfirmed link algorithm change from earlier in February. This new update seems to be more related to Panda, based on such things as content and site quality, versus link factors.

Google has not confirmed the update and would not comment on what webmasters and SEOs have been noticing over the past week in the search results. So we cannot confirm if this was a content quality shift, link quality change or something else. But what we can say is that webmasters and SEOs are very busy noticing these ranking changes, through looking at ranking reports or their traffic from Google in their analytics, or using tracking tools that track visibility and other means.

The automated tracking tools from Mozcast, RankRanger, Accuranker and others also all showed evidence of an algorithm update on Feb. 7.

This update seems to have been somewhat significant, which is why we reached out to Google for a comment. If we hear more from Google, we will update you. But for now, this is all based on the conversation and chatter that I track closely within the industry.

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Unconfirmed Google algorithm update may be better at discounting links and spam

Did Google update their Penguin algorithm? Did Google block private blog network links? Something happened. We bring you our theories.

Google may have made some tweaks to their algorithms this week on how they target link spam and other forms of spam. Google would not confirm or deny there was an algorithm change, but based on the signals I am tracking, there appears to have been an algorithm update that has hit those who undergo more aggressive link building.

The update seems to have happened around February 1, 2017. It may have been a tweak to how Google Penguin detects and discounts spammy links, or it may be a totally new algorithm — we are unsure. But many of the folks within the “black hat” SEO community seem to be noticing this and complaining that their tactics are not working as well.

Some are saying that their PBNs, private blog networks, are not working as well. Some are saying Google is slower at picking up new links. Some think Google hit their sites with penalties.

The vast majority of the Google search results tracking tools, such as MozCast, Algoroo, RankRanger and many others, are showing significant turbulence around February 1.

This is all despite many of the more “white hat” SEO communities not really noticing or complaining about ranking changes in Google.

If we had to guess, I’d say this is an algorithm update around how Google discredits spammy links, maybe updating the Penguin algorithm or something else.

We should note that Google did launch an algorithm update specifically for Google Japan and Japanese content this morning, but that is unrelated to this link update.

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PPC + SEO = match made in marketing heaven

Are your SEO and PPC teams working in silos? Columnist Julian Connors discusses several ways SEO and PPC can combine efforts to improve their strategies and drive more conversions.

It has been quite a year for the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

We’ve seen numerous algorithm updates, including a final Penguin update and the introduction of Possum. We also saw major changes to the way ads are displayed on desktop SERPs. Google continues to tweak how online consumers receive content through organic and paid listings.

In order to meet the demands of today’s search landscape and connect with more qualified consumers, strategists need to create campaigns that treat SEO and PPC as a unified silo, as opposed to separate disciplines.

Google’s never-ending quest for SERP perfection

The ongoing adjustments to the SERP layout are meant to help Google better align with consumer objectives by improving the content quality and relevance of listings.

While this certainly allows Google to become a better service provider for online consumers, it also presents new challenges for SEO strategists. Each adjustment requires strategists to develop new methods for ranking within prime search listings.

Integrating SEO with PPC

Developing digital marketing campaigns that combine SEO with PPC is not only necessary for achieving prime listing positions, it’s now the only way to maximize traffic and conversion opportunities.

As the former Organic Search Manager for Procter & Gamble’s Home Care division, I was responsible for developing comprehensive, complex digital campaigns that focused on consumer behavior alignment and conversion optimization.

When our team made the effort to combine both SEO and PPC strategies/data, we were able to identify a multitude of critical data points dedicated to consumer behavior, intentions and location/geography.

This level of precision allowed us to:

• modify our organic keyword strategy so that we could create and optimize new content to rank within specific geographic locations, applying exact phrases used by our target audience to align with their intentions;
• adjust our PPC budgets so that we were only running ads within the most popular markets and effective time frames; and
• align our PPC ads with P&G’s offline marketing schedule to maximize awareness and conversions.

Overall, these actions resulted in:

• 30-percent increase in organic traffic
• 25-percent increase in paid clicks
• 35-percent savings in ad spend
• 20-percent increase in quarterly profits

Sharing information to create one rockstar team

Most digital marketing agencies are built with SEO and PPC sitting on opposite sides of the building.

Both teams work tirelessly, developing keyword strategies, creating unique content and employing a number of tactics that focus on attracting online consumers. Even though each team uses different systems and tactics to drive conversions, there is a tremendous amount of critical data that can be used to create a synergistic and harmonious relationship, bolstering results for everyone.

Check out the following ways that SEO and PPC can combine efforts to improve their strategies, as well as to drive conversions like never before.

Share keyword data to increase the intelligence of your campaigns

Keywords are the foundation for any successful SEO or PPC campaign.

For PPC strategists, keywords are used to facilitate creative relationships with consumers who are located further down the conversion funnel.

In the world of SEO, keywords are used to dictate the information architecture of a website, as well as its content strategy.

Both teams conduct keyword research in order to identify terms that align with their target audience’s online behavior, project traffic growth and drive qualified conversions.

Because more consumers are using long-tail phrases and complete sentences when searching than ever before, keyword data must be shared across both teams in order to offer coordinated messages that keep brands top-of-mind and solicit qualified conversions.

Set shared goals and combine metrics

Using the information both teams collect doesn’t just offer more accuracy around consumer behavior; it can also be used to support your brand’s inbound marketing campaigns.

Teams that combine their PPC data with organic user engagement metrics (e.g., average session duration, bounce rate, pages per session) are able to gain unique insight around how consumers are interacting with certain digital properties, as well as how they behave once they leave your site.

The metrics your SEO and PPC teams review in order to establish their key performance indicators (KPIs) should be almost identical. When this happens, you are able to apply this information to other marketing channels like PR, social media or email marketing.

Remove silos to improve production

Approaching SEO and PPC as two separate silos isolates critical information and diminishes the productivity level of even the most well-executed online campaigns.

It almost never makes sense to keep these two disciplines apart, as the teams can offer each other particular points of information that are vital for identifying and fulfilling conversion opportunities.

Use data that informs cross-channel decisions and justifies action

When it comes to gathering enough actionable data to develop robust, intelligent strategies, extracting information from one specific field, like SEO or PPC, is not enough.

Although the quality of your organic data may provide insight on how to create functional plans, the amount of verified information organic search can capture may not be sufficient to justify real action.

Conversely, information that’s gathered from the search engines themselves as a result of paid search activity is both valuable and based on a substantial sample size that allows you to move forward confidently.

If your organization treats SEO and PPC as two distinct entities, try to make sure that your efforts are aligned through shared:

• reporting;
• objectives; and
• communication portals.

The goal of merging both disciplines together is not to have the same people performing the same type of work. Instead, it is meant to increase internal awareness of key conversion opportunities.

Action & impact: how to maximize SERP visibility

Now that we have covered the principles that allow your SEO and PPC teams to work together efficiently, use the following tactics to own as much real estate within Google SERPs as possible.

Landing page optimization

Optimizing your landing pages to drive qualified traffic and conversions is a fundamental component of any digital marketing campaign. SEO strategists can provide their PPC counterparts with critical information around consumer intentions, objectives and demands to reduce bounce rate andincrease click-through-rates (CTR).

PPC strategists can then use their insights around consumer online activity to perpetuate paid ads that only appear in front of the most qualified consumers possible. By doing this, both teams are able to support each other in ways that improve user experience, maximize relevant traffic and reduce wasted ad spend.

Approach SEO & PPC holistically

Running paid ad campaigns that 1) offer precise messages and 2) are located next to your organic listings on Google can increase overall CTR and lead to a higher return on your investment.

While managing the online campaign of Sonos in 2015, our team ran paid ads alongside keywords that the electronics company already ranked for organically. This type of positioning was extremely effective for creating the sense that we were more prominent than our competitors and thus, more credible.

Because of this, total revenue through organic and paid channels increased by 37 percent year over year.

Understand seasonality

Share seasonal data and information relating to other offline variables to learn how to approach and optimize for specific times throughout the year when consumer activity peaks.

Use this information to create a calendar of events that guides you on how to:

• create organic content that aligns with specific consumers within specific locations;
• run paid ads that contain unique messaging based on location and intention;
• maximize brand awareness during peak activity points like the holiday shopping season; and
• increase consumer reaction and conversions during seasonal low points.

Get in front of the competition

SEO and PPC strategists should work together as a cohesive unit to share key points of information that highlight how and what the competition is doing from a digital perspective.

Create monitoring systems that identify your competitors in terms of:

• positioning within SERPs;
• pricing;
• key message points/branding initiatives; and
• primary and secondary keyword terms.

Use this information to adjust your ad spend, to improve CTR and to outrank your opponents by taking up more real estate within SERPs.

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