The team released their monthly recap of the tweaks they implemented for the search engine; one of which was codenamed Venice. It had a significant impact in improving location-specific results displayed for each user which may have served as a foundation for Google’s current services focusing on helping entrepreneurs reach clients in nearby areas.
Venice is part of the monthly changes announced by Google; specifically for the 40-pack updates in February 2012. This particular update involved improvements to ranking for local search results and enhanced the triggering of Local Universal results by using the primary results ranking system as a signal.
Other updates include:
Venice had a significant impact on boosting the importance of local search for SEO. It may have been the foundation for Google My Business, which allows business owners to list their company on the search engine to display first-hand information that they want their customers to see. This service has a tremendous impact in helping entrepreneurs expand their reach to the clients closest to them geographically.
Local SEO continues to be relevant today. It’s essential because not everyone has the same reach as national brands. With local search, you can gain leverage in your particular area and get the customers near you. It’s all about putting your business on the map and making it easy for potential buyers to discover your company. This tactic is so crucial that even if users don’t include a geo-modifier, they can still get localized results.
Here are a few ways to improve your local SEO rankings: