Published on January 24th, 2018 | by Shishir K

How does Google’s Local Search Algorithm Work?

Every algorithm works on the basis of what has been input and after logically calculating it shows the output. Just like that, Google search algorithm also works the same. ‘The index’ is what user inputs and then what comes out as a search result is the output which is based on the sentence or keyword entered for the search. The reason behind this concept of Google search algorithm is to present the most relevant data and best search results to the user.

For example: When we type something in the Google search box we see many predictions related to what we are looking. We see those predictions just because of the Google search algorithm which always tries to take the user to the closest of what he/she is searching for. After this, this algorithm presents the data on the basis of the ranking system. There are more than 200 factors for the ranking system which presents the searched data accordingly.

Source: SEO.com

There are different updates of the search algorithm which was released time to time to help the Google search engine so that it can display the best results.

1. Panda

This update came in February 2011, the main objective of Panda was to eliminate different websites with a poor and less informative content from the better ranking positions of Google search result. The elimination of these poor websites could be based on anything but the Panda more specifically look for:

Copied content
Less content
Useless information
Lack of information

This is the most commonly known fact that the websites can only find a better ranking position in the Google search results if the content/information is more fresh and unique.

Source: earnonblog.com

2. Penguin

This Google algorithm update was released in April 2012, the aim of Penguin is to lower down the search engine rankings of the targeted websites which are not following the Google’s webmaster guidelines and using the black-hat SEO techniques. This includes:

Selling links
Link exchange
Link directories
Link farming

To find a better position in the Google search engine rankings it is important to avoid these penalizing tricks mentioned above.

3. Hummingbird

Compare to the Panda and the Penguin, this Hummingbird algorithm was less highlighted. Announced in 2013, Hummingbird focuses more deeply towards the context of the queries than the individual keywords entered by the users. The only motive of this algorithm is to make the search results look smarter by working on the meaning of phrases entered for the search.

4. Pigeon

The pigeon was introduced in July 2014, the target of this algorithm is to improve the ranking of the local search results. This updates use the location of the users and provide them the most accurate search result with help of their current location.

These are some of the most commonly known updates which tell us the basic working techniques of search engine optimization.

To understand the SEO better let’s have a look at the advantages a website can get by using SEO techniques:

Companies can see the increment in the organic traffic on their website.
It can be used as the most cost-effective marketing strategy for a longer term.
It helps in building up the links which improve the social engagement rate of the website.
With a strong online visibility, it improves the brand awareness level.
With the addition of mobile-friendly update for its SEO algorithm, Google makes almost all websites user-friendly.
It helps in bypassing the competition.

Source: 6SDigital.com

SEO is turning out as a must-have technique for any type of business website. Many startups are applying SEO and other various techniques by themselves and some of them prefer outsourcing the service to grow their business on digital marketing ground. There several service providers like Tribe Local who can provide one of the finest services for their clients and helps them to compete well.

The main objective of adopting the search engine optimization technique is to work on the visibility of the website. These days when staying at the top of Google search results is the only target of every website, it is important to understand that the visibility should be better than ever. And that is the only reason why this technique needs to be mastered. Thus, it is not only important to understand how it works but also highly recommended for any type of modern business. Websites may find it very difficult to remain in the competition without using the SEO or without understanding how it works. There are more 3 billion people who are using the internet almost daily, and it is obvious to say that it will keep growing every year. Therefore, it is really important to correctly work on the optimization side of the website which is the only way to find potential click for your business.

Tags: algorithm, google, how, local, search, work

About the Author

Shishir K Shishir is an ex-startup entrepreneur currently working on kickstarting inbound marketing for a Silicon Valley startup. Cracked the code of generating 750K monthly traffic in 10 months by using creative content.