Rosie Murphy

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In December 2021, Google confirmed a significant update to the local search algorithm had recently been rolled out. According to Google, the update—which had already been spotted by SEO experts and nicknamed Vicinity—involved “a rebalancing” of local search ranking factors. As the search results began to settle, it soon became clear that this update primarily targeted two things: Proximity as a ranking factor; and Keyword stuffing in GBP business name.

Many local businesses have noticed huge fluctuations in their local search rankings over the last few weeks, with Google now confirming an important update to the local algorithm. Rolling out between November 30th and December 8th, this update has been named ‘Vicinity’ by Sterling Sky. This is the largest change to the local algorithm since Possum in 2016 and has caused widespread ranking disruption.