LSA15: Major Algorithmic & UI Trends at Google (What Do They Mean?)

Local Search at Google: The Long View of

Major Algorithmic and UX Trends

DAVID MIHM

DIRECTOR OF LOCAL STRATEGY, MOZ

LOCAL SEARCH ASSOCIATION

LOS ANGELES, CA

APRIL 20 2015

What local search means to Google1

Key algorithmic updates

Long-haul Local tactics

What I’ll Be Talking About

Local Search at Google: The Long View

Recap5

Key search experience updates3

Traditional vision of local search

Google’s vision of local search

frequency + engagement + purchase intent =

Mobile.

25% 75%50%

“ $ ?” “ ?”

The foundation for all of this is

ALREADY HERE.

Key algorithmic updates

Image Credits

http://searchengineland.com/google-panda-4-0-go-press-release-sites-192789

http://searchengineland.com/google-releases-first-penguin-update-year-206169

http://searchengineland.com/did-hummingbird-just-kill-your-local-seo-strategy-175276

http://searchengineland.com/pigeon-search-engine-lands-name-new-google-local-search-update-197932

February 2011

Thin content

High ad-to-content ratio

April 2012

Low quality links

Keyword stuffing

August 2013

Conversational search

Brand favoritism

Un-blending

July 2014

Vertical pack loss

Brand-location

User as centroid

Image Credits

http://searchengineland.com/google-panda-4-0-go-press-release-sites-192789

http://searchengineland.com/google-releases-first-penguin-update-year-206169

http://searchengineland.com/did-hummingbird-just-kill-your-local-seo-strategy-175276

http://searchengineland.com/pigeon-search-engine-lands-name-new-google-local-search-update-197932

February 2011

Thin content

High ad-to-content ratio

April 2012

Low quality links

Keyword stuffing

August 2013

Conversational search

Brand favoritism

Un-blending

July 2014

Vertical pack loss

Brand-location

User as centroid

http://moz.com/blog/understand-and-rock-the-google-venice-update

Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/67611651@N03/15210054312/

August 2012

Better location detection

Localized organic results

More relevant pack results

April 2015

Mobile optimization becomes essential (?)http://screenwerk.com/2015/04/14/mopocalypse-is-right-around-the-corner/

A closer look at Pigeon

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

Web ranking

signals

Knowledge Graph

Distance : location

Mozcast

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

Many of these are

real estate related

Lots of gains among branded

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

Distance : Location

“Convenience Store”

Tighter radius to location of search

for generic phrases.

Wider radius to location of search

for geomodified phrases.

“Convenience Store Portland”

The Brand Effect

Photo credit: P. Slawinski

http://pslawinski.smugmug.com/

1.Search results in search results

2.Well-optimized regional-vertical directories

3.Less blending

http://moz.com/blog/local-hummingbird-results

“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…

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

…and this…

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

…and this…

(From my

December 2013

…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.

Key search experience updates

Knowledge Graph

August 2013

Somewhat recent

http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/22/local-authoritative-onebox-im-feeling-lucky-or-not/ December 2007 (!)

March 2009Image courtesy Mike Blumenthal, blumenthals.com

http://searchengineland.com/google-glass-diary-part-4-local-search-navigation-160785 Evolution of the Auth. OneBox

Sentiment

October 2009

Hat tip: Michael Cottam

October 2010

May 2013

June 2014 (?)

Transaction

July 2011

June 2012

October 2013

Closing the Loop

June 2009

June 2010 Patent Filed

February 2014

November 2014

Image courtesy Mike Blumenthal, blumenthals.com

December 2014

May 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/to-revive-wallet-google-tries-to-wrangle-unruly-partners-1424392928

“ $ ?” “ ?”

www.inc.com/dennis-crowley/founders-forum-evolution-predictive-personalized-technology.html

How do you survive

in the world of

predictive, card-

driven search?

Long-haul Local tactics

Help Google generate knowledge

cards for your locations

Site Architecture

Structured Data

Optimize your knowledge cards

for CTR and conversion

Photos and Snippets

Reviews

Barnacle onto publishers

Brand Tactics

Site Architecture• Crawlable, traditional directories

• Unique page for each location

HomeStores

• Optimize for conversions

• Title: “Brand – Keyword(s) in City, ST”• Full “NAP” for each location in Schema• Rich content

Domino’s Pizza – Delivery, … Chicago, IL

Domino’s Pizza – Chicago, ILDomino’s Pizza

1415 W Irving Park Rd

Chicago, IL 60613

(773) 871-3030

Get Driving

Directions

Welcome to Domino’s Chicago Northside!

Open Daily

1030 am – 130 am

PLACE AN ORDER

(From the Manager)

Domino’s Pizza – Chicago, IL

Domino’s Pizza

Chicago, IL 60613

(773) 871-3030

Get Driving

Directions

Open Daily

1030 am – 130 am

PLACE AN ORDER

(From the Manager)

Domino’s Pizza – Chicago, IL

Domino’s Pizza

Chicago, IL 60613

(773) 871-3030

Get Driving

Directions

Open Daily

1030 am – 130 am

PLACE AN ORDER

(From the Manager)

Help Google generate knowledge cards

Structured Data

Google My Business

https://www.google.com/local/manage/

Google My Business

is only part of the

equation.

Source: Google Patent Application 60658214

“Generating Structured Information”

Structured Data

What this:

really looks like…

Interesting Post-Pigeon Data Point

Optimize your knowledge cards for CTR and conversion

http://www.localseoguide.com/new-google-mobile-local-results/

Photos

Reviews: (Another) Interesting Post-Pigeon Data Point

Optimize your knowledge cards for CTR and conversion

h/t Will Scott and Justin Sanger for the term “Barnacle” in Local

Help Google generate knowledge

cards for your locations

Site Architecture

Structured Data

Optimize your knowledge cards

for CTR and conversion

Photos and Snippets

Reviews

Brand Tactics Publisher TacticsSite architecture

Milk internal link equity for all it’s worth

Develop a Google Now strategy

Will also help with personalized search

Diversify your product offering

Alternative traffic acquisition

Google Display Network

Loyalty

Hard work

Site Architecture

Diversify Your Product Offering: One Idea

Alternative Traffic Acquisition

Build Loyalty

Work Hard.

RecapProximity is shifting dramatically towards searcher.

Content, authority can pull-in geomodifying searchers

where the radius is wider.

RecapBrand signals are on the rise.

This rewards national brands with strong Local SEO.

1. Site architecture

2. Structured data

(Branded anchor text, Branded searches, Clickthrough rate)

RecapReviews continue to grow in importance.

Google seems to be using review content to assess

categorical relevance.

RecapGoogle is thinking way before the website.

Rankings and on-site conversions are now just

directional indicators of success.

Need a a broader overall business impact assessment

than web analytics provides.

RecapPublishers are currently enjoying an “Indian Summer”

of organic search traffic before a “Permanent Winter”

of Knowledge Card results.

Partnering with Google on Now is your best option.

Diversify your product offering and wean yourself off of

Google organic referrals as quickly as possible.

https://medium.com/backchannel/how-google-search-dealt-with-mobile-33bc09852dc9

THE Must-Read of 2015

Thank you!

davidm@moz.com

moz.com/local

Ongoing Resources

Moz.com/blog

LSA15: Major Algorithmic & UI Trends at Google (What Do They Mean?)

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