To date, ornithologists have identified 250 species of pigeons. For us, all of them may be just 250 species of pigeons, but each has its own name and characteristics. And it is interesting to know that the naming of some of them is related to a specific feature that it has. Carrier Pigeon or Homing Pigeon is the real name of a species of pigeon that has a special ability to navigate and orient.
Maybe that’s why if someone throws seeds for pigeons behind their window, they come behind the same window every day. That is, they recognize that window and do not get lost, and they become familiar and local pigeons. So it can be said that the mail pigeons do not lose the address, but they know all the addresses in their neighborhood.
So what does what I said about mail pigeons have to do with Google’s SEO and zoo and Google’s algorithms? What is the relationship between mail pigeons and SEO? The short answer is that they are very relevant. I must also say that this connection is very, very important and decisive for store SEOs and local and small businesses.
This connection is an algorithm called the pigeon algorithm. Google Pigeons (Google Pigeon Algorithm) was introduced to the world in the 2013 Google update, and from the very beginning, its impact on search results was quite obvious. (Of course, Google did not choose the name of the pigeon for this algorithm. I will explain more about this later.)
What is Google Pigeon Algorithm? What does the pigeon algorithm do and why is it important? What kind of algorithm is Google Pigeon? Is it an algorithm that punishes sites? Why should your site be optimized for Google Pigeon? In this content, I will introduce you to Google pigeons and answer the questions that were asked about the pigeon algorithm.
Table of Contents
What is Google Pigeon Algorithm?
Google uses various algorithms to find the best and most accurate results for users to search. Some time later, after using each algorithm, he tries to improve it. Algorithms are different and each does a specific job. Some Google algorithms penalize site rankings and others penalize sites.
For example, Google’s Hummingbird algorithm has nothing to do with punishing sites or tweaking their rankings. The hummingbird has the task of trying to understand what the user means by searching for a particular phrase and show him the most relevant results. The pigeon algorithm works a bit like a hummingbird. Google Pigeon Algorithm does not penalize sites, but it does affect search results and make them more accurate and tailored to the user’s needs and wants.
Google Pigeon Algorithm is responsible for showing the user the closest results, in terms of distance and geographical location (location). For example, you are looking for a restaurant in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Toronto. When you search for “Richmondhill Street Restaurant”, what is the use of Google showing you the best restaurants in Toronto ?? !! You are looking for a restaurant on Richmondhill Street. This is where the Pigeon Algorithm comes in and manipulates the search results to show you exactly the restaurants on Richmondhill Street in a triple pack with a map.
What does the pigeon algorithm do?
Google’s August 2013 update had the biggest impact on Local Search Results and the type of ranking of local businesses on the Google results page. It is said that this update has been one of the most effective updates of Google search algorithms. But the interesting thing is that this update did not have a name. Pigeon is the name given to it by SEO experts based on what this algorithm does.
This update tried to link the geographical location (location) to the search results and show both to the user. This algorithm upgraded Google’s location and distance ranking parameters. It can be said that this update has been done only for the purpose of making the results of spatial and local search results more accurate and practical.
Therefore, the main work of the pigeon algorithm is related to local and spatial searches. Make no mistake, if you search for “Toronto” the pigeon algorithm has nothing to do with your search results. But if you search for “Toronto restaurants” or “Toronto downtown restaurants”, the pigeon algorithm will definitely help you to find restaurants located in that particular place.
What is the impact of Google Pigeon Update on local and small businesses?
It can be said that Google’s algorithm works perfectly for small and local businesses. Imagine you are looking for a language class. Well, you definitely know the names of the prestigious and famous schools in your city. But you may not know that there is a school within 20 minutes of your stay. You have not even heard the name of the school yet! Why, when you search for a language school in Toronto or the name of the area where you live, should those famous schools be shown to you first? The pigeon algorithm comes and shows you the school near your home based on the location of the search engine. This also happens in Google Maps. If the user searches for a specific location, all the options within a certain radius are displayed to him.
So the Google Pigeon update has made it possible for small and local businesses to compete fairly with large and well-known businesses.
What is the impact of Google Pigeon Update on Local SEO?
From what has been said, it is clear that the pigeon algorithm is primarily related to and influences SEO. But note that these effects are both positive and negative. That is, there are things that businesses can control and things that they cannot. Because Google is the ultimate decision maker.
Google has limited local search results with the Pigeon Algorithm. This means that small and local businesses and any business that the customer / user may reach by searching for a place / location are in close competition to be in those three outcomes.
This makes it very difficult for businesses. This means that in addition to SEO, they must also have the necessary criteria for local SEO (local SEO). Of course, in addition to local SEO becoming more important, the Google Pigeon Update has other implications, especially for the way local search results are displayed:
Impact of Pigeon Algorithm on the Appearance and User Experience of SERPs
If you had previously searched for the same phrase in Pigeon Algorithm and updated Google Local Search Algorithms, the map would not have been displayed. There was no additional information such as contact number and rating and working hours on the search results page or SERP. So, with the Pigeon update, Google has made the results more accurate for the user and the appearance of the results more beautiful and useful.
Impact of Pigeon Algorithm on Local Pack
Prior to Pigeon Update, a weekly pack of SERP results was displayed to the user. The seven options that were possible were not too close to where the user intended. Google is gradually reducing the number of results in this pack. First he made it a fifth and from 2015 onwards it became a triple.
Does the pigeon algorithm have a negative effect on local SEO?
Unfortunately yes! The benefits of the Google Pigeon Update for the user and local and small businesses are not all. Businesses have no control over Google’s final decision, especially after the pigeon algorithm. As I said, distance and location criteria are very important for Google’s local search algorithms and pigeon algorithm.
But no one knows how Google calculates this distance and position in different searches based on the location of the searcher. For example, users often search like this: Cafes near me. In these cases, Google may select only the results to be displayed to the east of the searcher.
The second negative effect is that the pigeon algorithm is not yet intelligent enough to distinguish between legal and authorized and illegal businesses. For this reason, examples of illegal or suspicious businesses being included in the choices of that three-pack are reported. For this reason, Google has repeatedly asked users to report any business that violates Google’s Guidelines for Businesses.
How to optimize the site for the pigeon algorithm?
What can be done to put our business and our site in that trio? Let me remind you a very important point: Updating Google Pigeon does not mean shutting down other Google ranking criteria and algorithms. Google rarely officially announces what it does in rankings or which criteria are more important to it. A set of various criteria are involved in ranking sites, to which a new criterion is added with each update. The SEO expert must optimize the site for all these criteria.
So:
- Continue white hat SEO. A site that does not have valid links and has a low-ranking domain can not have a place on the first page. So local SEO alone will not get you to the first page.
- Produce original and varied content about the area or neighborhood or place where your business is located. Use keywords that put your business next to the name of your neighborhood or area (e.g., Richmondhill Language School). In the content production strategy and program, a section should be dedicated specifically to local content production (about location and geographical location).
- Strictly follow all local SEO criteria and standards. The first step is to create a Google profile for your business so that Google has information about your business. The second step is to follow the comprehensive local SEO guide.