Ranking high on Google is essential for business visibility, but recent changes could impact your organic presence. While it’s not an official algorithm update, it is affecting many local businesses. Known as the Google Diversity Update, this change limits how often the same business appears on a search results page to promote diversity in rankings.
If a business already ranks well in the local pack, its organic ranking may be pushed down to give other businesses more visibility. This is not a penalty but a restructuring of Google’s search results. These changes began in August 2024 and became more noticeable in late 2024 and early 2025.
Who Is Most Impacted?
While this update affects a wide range of industries, businesses that have traditionally dominated both local and organic rankings are seeing the most impact. Industries that rely heavily on Google Business Profile (GBP) for lead generation and visibility may experience changes, including:
- Home services (plumbers, electricians, HVAC, etc.)
- Senior care
- Physical therapy clinics
- Law firms
How This Update Affects Your Business
Businesses that rank prominently in the local pack may notice a drop in organic rankings in standard search results. This could lead to a decrease in organic traffic and fewer website visits. The shift is especially noticeable in mobile search results, meaning rankings may differ depending on the device used to search.
How We’re Tracking This Update
We monitor Google’s changes to ensure our clients maintain strong search visibility. If our team optimizes your Google Business Profile, we adjust as needed to align with Google’s evolving search behavior.
How to Regain Your Organic Rankings
Research suggests there are strategies to help regain organic visibility when a business is impacted, including:
- Adjusting the GBP website link: Instead of linking your GBP to your highest-ranking page, testing a related but lower-ranking page may help distribute rankings more effectively.
- Tracking performance with UTM codes: This allows for better monitoring of traffic sources and helps measure the effectiveness of GBP link adjustments.
- Ensuring relevance of linked pages: The page linked to GBP must remain optimized for local search to maintain relevance.
- Testing and refining strategies: Many businesses see rankings recover within two weeks when the right adjustments are made, making it possible to fine-tune your approach over time.
Tip: Only adjust your strategy if you’ve been affected. There’s no need to make any modifications otherwise.
Stay Ahead of Google’s Changes
Google’s ranking factors are always evolving, but with the right strategy, businesses can continue to perform well. At CI Web Group, we stay ahead of updates like this to make sure your online presence remains strong.
Noticed a change in your rankings? Contact us today!
