Technology giant Google recently updated its search algorithm which is geared to impact the local search results. The update will provide Google users with more precise and relevant local search results for Google Maps and Places. A Search Engine Land report calls it the Pigeon Update, a funny way to put across the point that it affects local search results (And pigeons tend to fly back home!).
The report has also stated that Google wants the Pigeon update to tie deeper with their web search capabilities. Google has also informed that this updated local search algorithm boosts their distance and location ranking parameters to improve the search results.
Deemed as a significant update, only users of the US English language will see changes in their search results at the moment. When the algorithm will roll out for other languages as well, till that it is only a guessing game at present.
While Google has not released any official reports on the impact of this update, many users and bloggers are already talking about the algorithm affecting their search queries. The results have been mixed with some users reporting improvements for their ranking while others complaining about the search results.
The update is not specifically geared to combat spam, but it is a more fundamental change which will sway search results for local businesses. With organic search now having an impact on local search, higher ranked pages will benefit from this move. It will be interesting to see how this new change evolves in the future.