Google Pigeon: What Does it Mean for Your Exporting Business?

Staying true to form in terms of timely SEO updates, Google Pigeon is the latest optimisation that has been implemented since July 2014. What makes this algorithmic change so important (and potentially beneficial) to exporting companies within Ireland and the United Kingdom? Let’s have a brief overview of what the update encompasses before relating it to this industry.

A Local Relevance – More local leads !

We should first be clear that the main intention of Pigeon is to provide accurate and relevant local search results to the individual (or customer) who is looking for a business. As an exporting company, it is likely that you are aware of the regions (national and international) that you wish to target. In other words, Pigeon will provide an exporting company with the added benefit of setting up local listings in targeted countries. By offering more accurate search results, companies will better define their audience.

However, this is only part of the benefits of Google Pigeon. A common theory about Pigeon is that while the volume of traffic may have dropped, the clicks generated would deliver more targeted traffic leading to higher conversions. Has your website traffic dropped ?

Relevant Directory Results

By adding your presence to local search directories such as Yelp, Google Places and Yellowpages.com, your company will enjoy more inbound hits than in the past. Why is this the case? Pigeon has placed a greater relevance on local directory results. Although this may slightly detract from the rankings of standalone websites, exporting companies can still enjoy much more exposure by making use of this local search function. In simplest terms, customers will be able to find the product or service they are searching for much easier when your  business is listed in such localised directories.

Google My Business

Google My Business listings can appear in 3 places in the search results for Google: in Google Maps, in Google+ and within the organic Google web results. You should have an optimised Google My Business listing. You should also be optimizing your on-site content for your local area (include city/state in title tags, H1s, content, alt tags, etc.) Search your important keywords and see which directories are ranking well. Make sure you’re listed on those directories, and make sure your listings are completely filled out and optimised. Considering that the world of exporting is more competitive than ever before, it only makes sense to take advantage of this new set of SEO updates!

Is your business listed in the right search directories to gain maximum exposure, and is your Google My Business profile fully optimised?

Emarkable can help with these proven ways to bring new and qualified visitors to your site.

Contact us today – Call the team on (01) 808 1301 or email us at info@emarkable.ie

Richard Coen

With over 21 years of experience in Digital Marketing, 31 years in sales and 25 years in business development, Richard assists companies to develop key growth strategies on a local or international basis. He can assist marketers to achieve balance in their approach to key areas affected by the growth in digital marketing.