Last Monday we talked on this blog that, through the Bright Local RankFlux tool, we had detected signs of a possible update to Google’s local search algorithm. Yesterday 12/16, Google confirmed via Twitter that the November 2021 Local Search Update had concluded. An important update of the local search algorithm that had started on November 30 with a major peak around December 8.
In its message Google explained that the November 2021 Local Search Update involved a rebalancing of several factors that they consider important when generating local search results. And, as a reference, they offered the document How to improve local positioning in Google.
November 2021 Local Search Update
The first thing to note about this update to the local search algorithm is that it is the largest update of its kind that Google has carried out in five years. In terms of impact, while major updates affect local results, they rarely have the kind of impact that this November 2021 Local Search Update has produced. An update to the local search algorithm took place in 2019 which later turned out to be a bug (and was reversed). So we can say that nothing so dramatic has ever occurred in the world of local search.
Also called Vacinity Update, it receives this name because its greatest impact is determined by proximity. In 2016 Google already developed an update of the local algorithm that increased the proximity factor. But in recent years, more and more businesses have managed to avoid this proximity factor by positioning themselves far from their headquarters. Apparently, the November 2021 Local Search Update arrives to close this cycle, tightening the proximity factor.
We have also seen that this update has devalued the impact of keywords on the business name. Companies with keyword-rich names that dominated an entire market – and that never should have – are seeing big drops.
Another important factor affects map packages and affects their design change. In the United States, the new Google map is now square instead of rectangular. So they have been reduced, but, in turn, they show a wider variety of businesses.