It was in 2017 that Google released its latest algorithm update called Google hawk.
This algorithm aims mainly the local search and shows its effects on non-local organic search efforts.
If you’re a business which aims the local area, then Google hawk is to be completely understood.
Let’s break down into the details and update of Google hawk in this article.
What is Google Hawk update?
The history behind hawk:
Google hawk update can be mentioned as an algorithm update which was developed to enhance the geo-filtering which was followed by Google for organic local search results. The brick and mortar business has made the local SEO as a requirement.
Almost all consumers these days hunt for products online on the way. Such aspects and many other surveys brought to a conclusion that local search is a competent source required for respectable leads. On the other way, this is also mentioned to be a competitive landscape.
When the local search snack pack is considered, only the top three results are displayed in the Google displays.
Suppose when a business has numerous listings, then all of those would participate in the snack pack and the other businesses would get sunk.
About Possum algorithm:
When multiple listings occurred, Google handled it by filtering them. For example when a business had a similar contact number and address in multiple listings. The listings with similar data are noticed by the algorithm, but in the search result, only one result would be listed.
By this way, a single business does not get the opportunity to take over the results. By this way, spam was taken control effectively.
Google was great at its services where they battled against duplicate listings. In the year 2016, the Possum Google algorithm update was released.
Issues with Possum:
The results were filtered in a varied manner with Possum update and they were on the basis of geography.
Here is a simple and clear example, suppose there are many businesses at the same locality but you do not have business with many listings. This can also be the same office with many small firms and each business holds its own contact number and website.
In the pre possum, it would have been better if they added the suite number. But in post possum, it would list only one in the result. The others were evaded from appearing in the result with the local filter. The result found was that the filter was with radius and not address specific.
The businesses were filtered though they were present on the same block with varied corners. So this happened for any group of business for a specific locality and faced the same problem of being filtered out. With Possum getting ranked in the local Google search engine was really hard.
The entry of Google hawk:
Google then took about a year to rectify the issues that caused by Possum update. It was in 2017, that Google released “hawk”. With Google hawk, the radius of the filter was tweaked.
The update on tweak was perfect enough so that the local SEO community was attracted.
There are few updates which put the filter’s radius at about 50 feet. This means that if the business and its competitor are at about fifty feet away it would never get filtered in the filter.
Hence hawk assists Google in certain filters that take place. Businesses which were within the same industry and geographically close had more chances to get filtered in the local search engine.
This is because Google came to the conclusion that they were duplicates. Hotels and restaurants that provided similar businesses in the same locality were most commonly affected.
How Google hawk update affected local organic search:
The latest Google algorithm which was updated on 22nd February 2017 was Google Hawk.
The release of Google Hawk affected the local SEO results by the way they were filtered. This resulted in evading any duplicate businesses in the normal as well as local organic search.
With the Possum update, there have been few changes provided and updated with the hawk.
The effect on local organic search was that filtering was done on businesses which provided similar products or services and resided on addresses in close proximity.
The result was that there was very strict filtering of business and ones which hold better organic search rank was provided a greater advantage than the others. The reality is that after Google Hawk update, the filtering process has enhanced a lot.
After hawk, the filtering has become less stringent and lot more organizations are made visible presently.
Also, organizations present in the same address are also not affected. After the entry of the hawk update, it narrowed the search in a way that businesses in the close distance do not get filtered.
The special aspect about hawk update:
The amazing aspect of Google hawk is that there is no negative outcome than on.
Businesses which shared the same building or street along with their contestants can continue to go along and grab the opportunity.
By this way, they can go in for bidding for same search terms as they gain higher chances for top ranking. Just because a business is listed near the contestant or competitor It cannot be filtered and it has higher ranking pages and is more relevant.
It is to make a note that only local search results were affected by the hawk. It is advised to develop a local SEO campaign which would take up this specific update and make sure that the listings go to a higher rank.
Hence businesses which are similar need not have to panic about getting listed in the ranking. Google hawk would take care and help the listings to get their desired rank in listings.
The users are to read through the guidelines and follow the same for their listings to reach a higher rank. Apart from Possum, the hawk has been advantageous in many ways and beneficial too. Thus companies need not have to worry about getting filtered due to proximity or ranking.