Google Venice Update: How Local Search & SEO Changed
Google had posted long back in the year 2012 citing as close to more than thirty changes in their algorithms of search during last month. Among the updates projects with named codes like Rich snippets (worldwide expansion) and Nesehorn (flight queries affected) another vital update that transformed search local forever is Venice. Fundamentally, search engines have and will always be a system for document retrieval which aims at satisfying user needs and search intent. As per the Venice update has shown Google has understood that users wanted results for search relating to services and products with a geographical proximity closer to them. This was possible by increasing volume and frequency of the hybrid local results. Here is how the update changed SEO and local search.
-
Local Intent
Before the update called Venice, Google had been using Google places as one of the prime features within results of the search for showing localized content to users. However, with the Venice update, the traditional results with “10 blue link” began catering to local intent. The local intent is clearly defined as queries that have got to do with X in this town or X is near him but some of the queries can have intent local even though they are not clear. During the times’ bygone users were capable of making queries without search intent that is dominant but were common multiple. On this Google always returned an optimization that was SERP based. However, with Venice search engines include results of the search based on set physical location or the IP address.
-
Opening Doors
The update of Venice has also opened lot many doors to smaller brands and enterprises thus giving opportunities to them to rank for shirt tailed phrases of search and bigger marquee. Typically, big budgets with larger brands and advanced campaigns of the SEO were capable of monopolizing spots of the top ranks for keywords with high-value.
-
Gaining Foothold
All thanks to the update of Venice where along with optimization of local search that is correct, smaller businesses and brands could easily compete with keywords with the bigger volume of search if they could possess local intent or had one. Having specific areas landing pages along with microsites have become all the more significant with this update. It has also become through with the usage of a combination that is correct and includes location summed up with targeted keyword and many other factors of the SEO. This way has been gaining a foothold on the first page without necessarily even having a physical location of brick and mortar. With this update big firm national homepages were in completion with of localized pages of small enterprises on Google’s first page.
-
Not Stopping Spam And Local SEO After Update
The update by Venice gave an enhanced focus to the local SEO and spam tactics used by a few for gaining higher ranks was still working. Examples include doorway pages and location stuffing. Thus, on lots of local queries of niche, spam is performing and still working well. With the Update, local SEO continues to adapt and evolve for both improving on demoting tactics of the spam and user quality. Hence, Google My Business was replaced and rolled out followed by Map Pack later. This uses the same variables as the local SEO but weighing is differently done.
Possum and Pigeon Updates
Thus, the various ways Venice affected SEP and local search have already been discussed in great detail above. However, in the recent times Google is known to have taken further steps for improving results appearing in the Map Pack for various users. It has also well targeted for spam and targeting duplication of any kind.