Local search expert, Joy Hawkins reported that the local pack algorithm update from a year ago, which was nicknamed the Possum update has been rolled back or toned down a lot on August 22, 2017.
She tracks the local results very carefully and clients she has that were impacted by the Possum update a year ago, over the past couple weeks saw a reversal and are now ranking well. She shared a chart from Bright Local of the clients rebound:
She also shared before and after screen shots of the local packs:
Joy said that while a lot of businesses hurt by this update are now seeing positive results, it "doesn’t completely help everyone that was filtered." "This is going to make a lot of people very happy (and unfiltered)," Joy added in the Local Search Forums thread.
I have not seen many forum chatter at all around any local algorithm update over the past couple weeks, so nice find Joy!
Did you notice local ranking changes?
Forum discussion at Local Search Forums.
