Want to know what’s going on with local search rankings? The most recent update to Google’s search algorithm is being called “Possum,” and it was implemented on the first of September. The name was coined by SEO expert Phil Rozek, after many local businesses thought that their Google business listings were gone. They still existed, he said, but they were playing possum. They’d been filtered out of the search results for one reason or another.

What was the Google Possum update?

The biggest changes during this update came to the three pack and to the local finder (the results you see when on Google Maps). There were likely also adjustments to the organic search results, hoping to diversify those rankings and to crack down harder on spam. This was objectively the largest update since 2014’s Pigeon update, specifically because it changed how Google filters local results. Specifically, it:

1. Changed how businesses outside of city limits rank

Businesses that are technically outside of the limits of a city have actually been given a boost in rankings, which is a big deal for businesses that consider themselves a part of a specific city but fall outside of its limits according to Google Maps. While they don’t fall inside the city limits technically, they do fall inside the cultural limits of the city. In the past, they might have shown up in irrelevant search results, simply because of where they were on the map. Businesses that fall into this category have since seen a spike in relevant search rankings. This means that if you felt you have been penalized for trying to rank in a city your business is not actually in, you may no longer have to worry about this much longer. This is especially good news for businesses that have mailing addresses in certain cities but which have been cut out of that city or area’s rankings because of how the physical city limits are delineated on Google. Some businesses that were fighting this kind of uphill battle have seen their rankings jump ten points over the last month.

2. Adjusted how businesses are filtered

In the past businesses were filtered based on domains and phone numbers. This meant that doctor’s office could list all of its providers, at different phone numbers and dominate the local search rankings. Switching to a system where listings are filtered based on their affiliation and address means that one business with multiple providers can no longer completely take over the entire search page. Google understands that no user wants to see a bunch of different listings from the same business. In general, listings that have the same affiliation and address are going to be filtered, showing only one of the relevant listings, instead of two or more. This indicates that the algorithm is taking a more complex look at Google My Business listings. This could actually be negative for owners who have branches on the same block or in the same general area, even if those two businesses have different addresses. Looking at affiliation might mean that Google is going to limit some owners to just one listing, even if they have two or three disparate listings.

3. Put an emphasis on searcher location

Google has been taking steps to put an emphasis on the location of the searcher more and more in recent years, and Possum is yet another step in that direction. Rankings are going to depend heavily on where the person is searching from, meaning that someone searching from one county will see vastly different rankings from what someone in another county is seeing. All this means is that it is going to be more important than ever before to make sure that you have the right searcher location set when you are tracking your ranking. There are lots of different tools that allow you to do this.

4. Changed how keyword variations are seen

This update has brought along with a wider variety in the results, based on how the keyword is phrased. For example, “doctor’s office Philadelphia” might get a different set of results (or, at the very least, a different set of rankings) than if you searched “Philadelphia doctor’s office.” Results that are being filtered for one keyword might not be filtered for another. One of the biggest factors seems to be the state abbreviation. A listing might be filtered if the searcher does not use it and then shows up again if they do use it.

5. Separated local filters from organic filters

The local and organic filters seem to have a larger divide between them than ever before. For example if you had previously been filtered in the organic search rankings, you would also likely be filtered out of the local search rankings. Since the beginning of the month, however, it appears that many people who have been filtered organically are no longer being filtered locally. They have been getting high ranks for competitive local terms, while still not showing up in the organic search results. For example, if you are being filtered because you have multiple sites for the same company that are too similar and you have seen a serious dip in local rankings for those websites as well, you might now be seeing a spike, even though your organic listing is being filtered. They are just not as connected as they were once considered to be.

Conclusion

We are still going to see a lot of fluctuation when it comes to Google’s local search and organic search after this update. Some of these changes are great news for businesses that have been filtered from local results, while some are going to see more of their links being filtered where they were visible before. It seems that the goal of this update was to prevent one business from being able to take over the search results entirely and to make sure the results are as diversified as possible.

Because an emphasis has been put on the location of the searcher and businesses that were once filtered out of a certain search because they were outside city limits are now included in results, it seems that more than ever before, Google is working to bring their searchers the most relevant results for their specific area.

It is likely that Google is still split testing a lot of these changes to see what works best for their searchers. Some businesses have seen very significant spikes in rank while others have seen no changes at all, even if they should be seeing changes, based on what is happening to other search results. What does this mean? It means you shouldn’t scramble to change your keywords or adjust your local ranking strategy until we start to see things settle. While the filters do seem to be steady for now, they could revert back.

This update, unlike other updates in the past, is mostly good for local businesses, especially those that have been struggling to get visibility in the previous paradigm.