A pigeon is more than just an annoying bird which leaves a deposit on your windshield. ‘Pigeon’ is the unofficial name for the latest round of changes to the Google algorithm. This change is focused on improving search results for local businesses and rewards positive customer reviews.
In this episode, Lorraine and Jarred take a deeper dive into what the Google ‘Pigeon’ update means for your small local business. Did you know that frequently Google reviews used to beat out Yelp in the search results? All of the rules for review sites changed on July 24th, but you can still take advantage of other local SEO tools like the ‘Places Carousel’ and the ‘Local 6 Pack’ to draw in customers.
Show Highlights
- Consistency in your citations is absolutely critical. Everywhere your company is listed it needs to be listed the same. Slight variations in your address won’t confuse a real human being, but it can confuse Google as it tries to connect each listing to your business
- Your local Yelp results likely won’t show any imagery in the search results. Make sure to upload great pictures of your business to your Google Plus page to take advantage of the ‘Google Carousel’ instead.
- Ask customers for reviews! Whether positive or negative, the more reviews you have on review sites and directories, the more likely you’ll show up in local search.
If you want to know more about other Google changes, you can listen to our podcasts about Panda and Penguin
On the subject of reviews, this is a snippet of Lorraine’s presentation from Mixwest 2014:
More than a Few Words is a marketing podcast for small business owners