Get Prepared for Google Pigeon
Google’s latest algorithm, dubbed Pigeon by a Search Engine blog website, was released in the US on 24th July and will be rolling out to the UK and the rest of the world very shortly. It concentrates on improving local search results and features a ‘carousel’ of business results for searches like ‘pubs in Manchester’, at the top of the page.
The staggered release of this update is great news for businesses in the UK, as it gives us time to prepare for the new changes that could potentially increase organic reach by 5-10%.
Here are some simple steps you can do to get your business ready.
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Use well-known directories
Get yourself listed on a directory like Yell, Yelp and tripadvisor – whichever is appropriate for your type of business. These well known directories will help you be amongst the top search results for local businesses.
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Google My Business
If you have a physical location that you want to share (some home businesses don’t want their home listed on google, so if that’s you ignore this one) register with what used to be Google Place and is now Google My Business https://www.google.co.uk/business/. If you’ve previously registered on Google Places, you don’t need to re-register but it’s worth logging in to check all your details are correct.
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Add your local regions
Make sure your location is listed on your website and social media accounts. If you’re in a small village or town but want to reach more of the region, try including that region as well. For example, Hebden Bridge is part of Calderdale which is part of West Yorkshire.