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Introducing Pigeon: A new Google algorithm [@SmartInsights alert]

Author's avatar By Susanne Colwyn 28 Jul, 2014
Essential Essential topic

A Google update affecting local searches

Value/Importance: [rating=5] (for local marketers)

Recommended link: SearchEngineLand announcement

Well, Pigeon would seem a logical follow-on from Google’s Hummingbird update. There seems to be an avian connection and it could change the search “pecking order” (sorry)…

Google-pigeon-algorithm

Note that while Hummingbird, like Panda and Panda and Penguin, were terms coined by Google, this isn’t an official term. Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Journal has introduced the term to explain it on the Search Engine Land article above since Google haven’t given a defined name yet.

What do marketers need to know about Google Pigeon?

  • This algorithm update will only be relevant if your business targets local searches for a product or service in a location, for example through a store or office
  • It’s a major change which Google told search Engine Land, links:

“deeper into their web search capabilities, including the hundreds of ranking signals they use in web search along with search features such as Knowledge Graph, spelling correction, synonyms and more.” It also has better accuracy over distance and location rankings".

  • It affects searches in Google Maps and in Google web search which are related to a location either including a location name or implied by the type of product as in the example below
  • It’s currently only rolling out in the US English. We will alert you when it is released in other countriesIn the meantime, see this article for examples of the types of changes that can be expected.
Author's avatar

By Susanne Colwyn

Susanne is a Marketing Consultant and Trainer, with over 20 years marketing experience in the public and private sector. She's passionate about supporting companies with practical result driven marketing, to help focus companies on evaluating and driving their marketing forward. Experienced in Integrated Strategic Marketing Planning, Data Segmentation, Customer Relationship Management Systems, Customer Insight and reviewing internal systems, data and processes, to maximise conversion strategies and the customer experience. You can connect with her via her LinkedIn or follow her @Qtymarketing.

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