Paddling Through Google’s Venice Update

Just last February of this year, Google made a lot of improvements in its system. 40 changes were reportedly rolled out, most of which were subtle but were notably crucial in improving the way end users utilize the search engine. Among the updates made, however, one that most SEO gurus think has flown under the radar, but is actually vital because of the new ranking opportunities it presents, is that of the Venice update.

In conjunction with the statement released by Google in its official blog, codename “Venice” is aimed at delivering localized search results for user queries that Google perceives appropriate. The system is now capable of detecting queries and documents that are local to the user. In short, Google will try its hardest in order to provide you with localized organic results based on the location you are currently in, regardless if you have a geo-targeted search query.

What’s with Venice Update?

To understand Venice update further, here is a look at how it works. Before Google made the Venice update, if you search for a local UK product or service without using a city modifier, the results that would be delivered to you are organic listings or national sellers that are relevant in the UK. You would not find LOCAL results unless you add a city to your search. For instance, you would have had to search for “Manchester hotel” or “Oxford hotel” in order to get the results you are after. However, this has changed significantly after Venice was introduced.

Take the search query “solicitors” for example. With the system update, the results that will be delivered to you are a mix of national results and local pages or sites that are set to your current location. You must take note, however, that the localized results are delivered on queries that Google thinks deserves a local emphasis. As such, if you search for “White House” or “Las Vegas,” you will get the same results regardless where your location is set.

What Venice Can Do for Your Business

If you own a local business, the Venice update opens up numerous opportunities for you to make your online presence felt. You can expect your website to show up in organic search listings for generic search queries along with the big guns within the industry. Such a result, of course, would be delivered as long as the end user is within local vicinity. In short, this is definitely a great time for you to capitalize on Venice to get more local traffic, which can then translate to more sales.

Capitalizing in on Venice Update

SEO experts have not totally figured out what exactly triggers a page one local organic in the said update. Perhaps it is based on a combination of two or more traditional organic factors. However, you can always explore your options to localize your SEO. That means, focus more on geo-targeted keywords. For instance, rather than targeting “solicitors,” opt to target “Manchester solicitors.”

Equally important is for you to ensure that all of your local listing are both standardized and optimized across the Internet. You would want to provide more accurate, optimized, and engaging details for the type of business that you have in different listings and directories. Doing so will allow end users to easily find you.

Also, do not forget to make adjustments on your link profile. As much as possible, the anchor texts for your inbound links should include your business’s location. For instance, if an article is written about your business, allowing for the link in the content to read “Manchester solicitor” than “click here” would be more beneficial for your local search ranking.

The full impact of Google’s Venice update is still not fully understood. However, the methods mentioned above can be of great help to improve your site’s local performance.

The article was written by Robert Kirk who runs a Website Design and Search Engine Optimisation company in Scotland, UK.