Google occasionally updates their search algorithms to serve users with better results. Two of the most popular updates they’ve released so far are the Panda and the Penguin updates. The hype on a few other updates died rather quickly despite their impact. One of such ‘lesser known’ updates of Google that many businesses with search engine optimization practices neglected was the Pigeon update which was released sometime around 2014. It was named ‘Pigeon’ by the good people at SearchEngineLand.

The update was aimed at changing local search results. It does this by granting better visibility to businesses with great organic presence in traditional search. This way, even small businesses can show up in search results regardless of their brand popularity. Reputed companies in the search engine marketing Dubai sector can implement solid strategies to leverage the update to benefit client businesses. 

The changes due to the Pigeon update

Google essentially augmented its local search capabilities. They enhanced ranking signals for Google Maps and Google Search, to provide better local search results to users based on the proximity to the physical location of a business. 

However, despite drastically improving local search, it was speculated that a few more Pigeon updates followed which rectified some glitches with the initially launched version. Expedia started showing up in the hotel carousel like it were a hotel. Many businesses manipulated glitches to spam exact-match keywords to rank their pages higher in search results.

Before Pigeon, the user experience with the search results on Google Maps was significantly different. Now it’s more uniform in appearance. It also impacted local user-driven directories like Yelp, treating them more favorably and ranking them higher. The end-users on the other hand got the results they were looking for in fewer steps and fewer clicks.

Conclusion

For businesses based in Dubai, an internet marketing expert who knows a thing or two about Google’s updates can actually help them appear more in local search results regardless of their size. The results may not be quick. But with some specific guidelines, you can rest assured that the Pigeon update is there to make your business more visible when leveraged the right way.