Google has confirmed that an update affecting local search results has fully rolled out, a process that began in early November.
In a tweet from Google SearchLiaison, it was mentioned that neural matching is now being utilized as part of the process of generating local search results. Neural matching allows better understanding of how words are related to concepts.
In what has been called the November 2019 Local Search Update, Google is now applying neural matching to local search results. To explain neural matching, Google describes it as a super-synonym system. This means neural matching allows Google to better understand the meaning behind queries and match them to the most relevant local businesses – even if the keywords in the query are not specifically included in the business name and description.
“The use of neural matching means that Google can do a better job going beyond the exact words in business name or description to understand conceptually how it might be related to the words searchers use and their intents.”
In other words, some business listings might now be surfaced for queries they wouldn’t have shown up for prior to this update. Hopefully, that proves to be a good thing.
Google notes that, although the update has finished rolling out, local search results as they are displayed now are not set in stone. Like regular web search, results can change over time.
Google has not stated to what extent local search results will be impacted by this update, though it has confirmed this is a global launch across all countries and languages.
