BrightLocal has unveiled a new free tool called "Local RankFlux," which is set to notify marketers about shifts in local search rankings across different industries.
This tool is exclusively targeted at the Google local algorithm, tracking 26 industry verticals. It allows users to compare ranking fluctuations in specific industries against the overall sample.
Tracking over 14,000 keywords: Local RankFlux monitors approximately 560 keywords per industry vertical across 20 cities. It charts the ranking position of each business in the top 20 search results and compares it to the previous day’s position to determine daily changes.
Changes in higher SERP positions (e.g., 1 – 2) are given more weight and considered more significant than changes in lower rankings (e.g., 19 – 20). Local RankFlux multiplies the change in position by the weighting to create a total daily fluctuation score. This score is then averaged based on the number of keywords that returned meaningful results, producing scores for "All Industries" and each individual industry.
Scores above 6 suggest an update: BrightLocal notes that scores between 0 – 3 indicate no significant changes, despite regular, daily fluctuations. Scores between 3 and 6 suggest minor algorithm changes, while scores of 6 to 10 point to a local algorithm update. For instance, a spike to an industry average of 6.1 on August 8 suggests a meaningful algorithm change.
In early August, Google implemented a core algorithm update. The last significant local impact was in August of last year, with the possibility of another in June 2019 after a core update. In August 2018, SterlingSky’s Joy Hawkins highlighted how her small business clients were affected by the core algorithm update.
Why we should care: This free tool offers local SEOs a way to verify against broader industry benchmarks and confirm local algorithm updates. Early users have praised the tool. Take a look and share your feedback on whether it aligns with your observations.
