Google Possum is an update on Google’s search algorithm that was launched in 2016. This is not an official name; rather, it was coined by the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) industry due to the perception that some websites, post update, had “played possum”. That is, they seemed to have disappeared from local searches when, in fact, they had not. According to Search Engine Land, Google did not officially declare something about Possum, but the SEO community had noticed the massive shake-up in local search results.
The main purpose of Possum was to diversify local search results and also prevent spam from ranking well. This update had a significant effect on Google’s local search results, which considered the searcher’s location more than before. It was a crucial change for companies relying heavily on the “Google My Business” tool for local search engine optimization.
For instance, previously if businesses were located outside the physical city limits, they had a hard time ranking for any keywords that included the city name. But with Possum, the geographical location of the internet searcher became more important. Websites of businesses located near the searcher’s location would rank higher in the search results.
In addition, businesses with a shared address also noticed a significant difference in search rankings. For example, if multiple dentists were sharing the same address or if there were several pizza shops in the same area, only one or two might have shown up in search results pre-Possum. But after the Possum update, more businesses at the same address began to appear in local search results.
Furthermore, Google Possum also placed greater emphasis on the variety of results, ensuring no single business dominated the entire search listing. This was done by placing businesses with similar names, categories, and addresses into a filter, effectively making it impossible to have multiple listings for the same business.
In terms of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies, the Google Possum update meant businesses had to have a local SEO strategy in place, had to diversify their keywords, and ensure their Google My Business page was fully optimized with the correct business address and contact information.
Sources:
1. https://searchengineland.com/everything-need-know-googles-possum-algorithm-update-258900
2. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-algorithm-history/possum-update/
3. https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/what-is-google-possum/
