Assessing the Vicinity update and its local impact

In December, Google announced it was making changes to its local search and the local search pack. The change was called Vicinity.

The primary reason for the change was to focus more on local search results for users. Read more about it here: Google confirms local search update.

So, how has it performed?

BrightLocal took a look at that with an extensive review: Vicinity Update & GBP Name Spam: What Was the Real Impact?.

One of the key elements in understanding this review was laid out by BrightLocal

• Keyword Rich: The registered business name is either exactly the same as the GBP name, or both the GBP name and registered business name feature legitimate keywords. For example, ‘locksmith’ in ‘SupaLock Locksmiths’.
• Keyword Spam: The registered business name is either not the same as the GBP name or features keywords that are not included in the registered business name. For example, the registered business name is ‘Platinum Braces’ but the GBP name is listed as ‘Diamond Braces Orthodontist: Braces & Invisalign’.
• No Keywords: Neither the registered business name or the GBP name feature any keywords within them. For example, this would include businesses with names like ‘Lighthouse’ or ‘Exponia Development’.

Now with that understanding, here were the key takeaways, according to BrightLocal's review:

• Keyword spam and keyword rich Google Business Profile names moved an average of 5.5 and 7.9 places down in search results, respectively, while business names with no keywords moved up an average of 4.1 places.
• Google Business Profile names with no keywords ranked for 2 more new keywords following the Vicinity update and saw more of their keyword rankings move up in search results (0.8 places).
• Google Business Profile names with 31 or more characters moved an average of 9 places down in search results.

Here are some excerpts from the review:

• "... the data clearly suggests that the Vicinity update favored businesses that didn’t have any type of keywords in its GBP name—whether genuine or spammy. This, therefore, shows that, while Google’s update may have intended to crack down on keyword spammers, it also appears to have unfairly punished GBP businesses with legitimate keywords in their names."
• "Keyword rich GBP names, on the other hand, were not only found to be the most negatively impacted by the overall change of ranking keywords, but they were also shown to rank for fewer new keywords after the update as well."
• "GBP names with 10 characters or fewer were found to actually move up in rankings following the Vicinity update, again suggesting that Google’s update focused on favoring shorter GBP names with few to no keywords."

BrightLocal does offer tips on how to adjust:

• Consider removing keywords from your GBP name.
• Keep your GBP name short.
• Continually monitor and optimize your GBP listing.
• Focus on your primary location.