Google may have also pushed out a local search and map algorithm and ranking update over the past week or so. There has been some recent chatter and the Bright Local RankFlux tool has been off the charts for the past few weeks.
In fact, that tool has been showing major ranking fluctuations for about four weeks, since about November 10th or so. So much so, I've even asked BrightLocal if the tool is working properly , which I did not hear back on yet but there have been some bugs with the tool in the past month, which they said they are working to resolve.
This is what the tool is showing:
In any event, there is chatter about a local ranking update in the Local Search Forums that are more recent, as of a week or so. Here is some of that chatter:
I was hoping to see if anyone else has been seeing changes in the local pack over the past week?My team and I have been seeing tons of new businesses, that were not in the local pack before, all ranking ahead of others. And the only thing they have in common is a high level of reviews.
Yeah, I'm seeing some major differences in a few that I just spot checked. It looks like changes happened around December 6th so they might not stick. Some of them are drastically different.
Nothing major, but yes, I do see some changes that appear only a few days old. (And those are only for a couple of clients, both of whom are lawyers.)
And some on Twitter:
Yup. I have also noticed major fluctuation in the ranking during this last week.
— Syed M. Amir Hassan (@SyedMAmirHassa1) December 8, 2021
Been in top 3 on all my targets for 5 years. Now none. One pharse dropped to #7.
— Rob (@Rob99870) December 8, 2021
Yes and I can’t figure how some of the business got promoted. Very strange shift.
— Joe (@theJoeShmow) December 9, 2021
It might be related to the core update that ended on November 30th? Google did say that core updates may impact some local rankings - maybe?
Have you seen local changes in your rankings in the past week or so?
Forum discussion at Local Search Forums.
Update from BrightLocal:
We can confirm that all scores that aren’t 0 or 10 are legitimate flux. We’re in the process of removing the anomalous data from charts. In short, yes, there has been a great deal of fluctuation in local rankings lately! 2/2
— BrightLocal (@brightlocal) December 9, 2021
Update 2: Google confirmed this update weeks later!
Our November 2021 local search update has concluded. It began Nov 30 and ran through Dec 8. It involved a rebalancing of various factors we consider in generating local search results. General guidance for businesses remains the same as covered here: https://t.co/uyXFfmUEIR
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) December 16, 2021
