In 2013, Google launched an update, known as ‘Hummingbird’, which aimed to accommodate the types of search phrase used by those searching on a mobile device. Possibly for a quick fact check during a conversation, possibly when in a rush to find a restaurant and meet friends, or possibly for social media purposes, Hummingbird is designed to provide better results for phrase-based, conversational search terms, typical of people on the move, says Fiorelli, writing for Moz (2013).
Hummingbird introduced the the concept of meaning to Google search, and helps the user identify what and who they were looking for based on semantic terms (Sullivan, 2013) – in short, Google was learning to understand the language of the user, rather than the user needing to search by keywords.
Post-Hummingbird, many businesses did not notice a change, however this may well be because Google announced the update over a month after implementation, claiming there had only been positive developments to the algorithm (Sullivan, 2013).
So, with Google trying to understand us all better, where does Pigeon fit in?
Google Pigeon was introduced in the UK in January 2015, after a successful roll-out in the US late 2014.
‘Pigeon’ (nicknamed so because of the update’s focus on local business) updates Hummingbird and has arguably had a bigger effect on business-related search than any update in the past few years.
Alford (2015) outlines how Pigeon has optimised Google after Hummingbird:
A crucial development is the new preference for ‘Mobile-Friendly’ websites, as the crawlers prefer to scan one page rather than many. Ensuring even if there are many pages, that they link back to one optimised for mobile, is more important than ever.
Secondly, social media and chatter become more important, as long as these link back to your main site and are identifiable. Current posts, pictures, links and content updating, for example in a bar across the home page, is useful to link between your site and your social pages.
Thirdly, listings directories become important, including Google+ and Yelp. Many businesses that were showing up in the 7-pack of map listings at the top of the page prior to Pigeon, became lost after the update. Not only setting up the pages, but ensuring genuine customers place reviews seems to have an effect on ranking under Pigeon.
Pigeon also seems to have negated the impact of Google’s ‘paid-for’ advertising appearing before the search term, particularly when the search term includes Yelp. Soucy (2014) cites before and post-update screen-grabs for the same business, which clearly shows the Yelp listing has leaped to the top of the page (and conversely the paid-for term has been pushed down):
In conclusion, Google Search still plays a key role in a business’ online offering, and a consistent digital marketing strategy must now take into account the updates afforded by Hummingbird and Pigeon. A successful strategy is likely to include traditional white-hat organic links, as well as up to date and relevant content, such as blogging and images. Furthermore, social links will be included, and the most effective sites will be optimised for mobile search, which it appears, is where Google believes the future of Search is heading.
Alford, E. (2015) ‘Expert tips for cracking pigeon and winning local’, Search Engine Watch, [Online] Available at: <searchenginewatch.com/sew/news/2396574/expert-tips-for-cracking-pigeon-and-winning-local> [Accessed 5th March, 2015]
Fiorelli, G. (2013) ‘Hummingbird Unleashed’, Moz Blogs, [Online] Available at: <moz.com/blog/hummingbird-unleashed> [Accessed March 5th, 2015]
Soucy, L. (2014) ‘Google Pigeon: The new local algorithm explained’, iProspect, [Online] Available at: <http://www.iprospect.com/en/ca/blog/google-pigeon-new-local-algorithm-explained/> [Accessed 5th March, 2015]
Sullivan, D. (2013) ‘FAQ: All about the new Google “Hummingbird” algorithm’, Search Engine Land, [Online] Available at: <searchengineland.com/google-hummingbird-172816> [Accessed 5th March, 2015]