According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, Google is facing a new search bill that could result in increased penalties for search engine providers. The bill was first introduced in June of 2018 and has been met with resistance from Google and other search engines who say it will force them to make changes they don’t want to make. But how would this new legislation impact local SEO? In this post, we’ll explain what’s going on in Washington and how marketers should prepare for any potential impact on their business model.
The new search bill would impact local listings, and it’s crucial that marketers start planning accordingly.
The new search bill is a big deal, and the impact it will have on local listings is even bigger. Local SEO marketers need to start planning for these changes now.
Here’s what you need to know:
- The new search bill will impact local listings.
- It will also impact local rankings and SERPs.
- Finally, it may change how full-listings are displayed as well!
What Is The New Search Bill And How Could It Impact Local SEO?
The new search bill is a law that requires search engines to remove certain listings from their search results and it impacts local SEO. The bill requires Google, Bing, and Yahoo! to remove all paid ads if they are found to violate local business disclosure laws.
The main purpose of the new search bill is to help prevent misleading or fraudulent online advertisements. In other words, it helps prevent businesses from trying to trick consumers into thinking they’re buying something from a legitimate company when in reality they are buying from someone with no ties whatsoever to that product or service (for example: fake reviews).
What Google Has To Say About The New Search Bill
To date, Google has not made any changes to its search algorithm or local search listings. As you might expect, it will be very interested in how the new law affects its users.
Google has also not yet changed its local search rankings—and we don’t expect them to anytime soon. The company’s internal processes are very long and involved, so changes like this can take a while before they’re visible on your end-user experience (if they ever become visible at all).
None of this means that Google won’t eventually make some tweaks—but if you’re concerned about how these new laws will affect your business’ search ranking or visibility, now would be a good time to check whether there are any updates coming for your industry or location that could have an effect on what people see when they perform searches online.
How Can Small Business Owners Prepare For The New Search Bill?
- Make sure your business is compliant.
- Keep your information up to date.
- Make sure you have a website, and that it’s mobile-friendly.
- Be listed in the right places (and not in places you don’t want to be).
- Use the right keywords for what you do!
Why You Shouldn’t Panic But Should Prepare
You don’t need to panic. The new search bill will have a big impact on local SEO, but it’s not going to mean the end of your business. In fact, if you prepare for the change now, you’ll be able to take advantage of the opportunities it presents and use them as leverage against your competitors.
The first thing you should do is make sure that your business appears in full listings across all major search engines. You should also ensure that all listings for your business include accurate information about:
- Your physical address (if applicable)
- Your website address (if applicable)
Search engines need to adapt to changing laws and regulations, and the new search bill is just the latest example.
It can be easy to lose sight of the fact that search engines are still companies, and like any other company, they need to adapt their business models in order to remain profitable. The new search bill is just the latest example of this.
Search engines have been around for more than 20 years now, and throughout that time they’ve been subject to changing laws and regulations—some of which were enacted specifically in response to concerns about how these companies operate. In other words: When it comes down to it, search engine optimization (SEO) professionals like us should expect this type of thing from time-to-time. In fact, we should expect it all the time!
That said: The new search bill isn’t a surprise. It was pretty much inevitable given previous iterations of similar legislation passed by other countries around the world over recent years…including some very large ones like China with huge populations (and thus tons more eyeballs). But there’s one thing you shouldn’t do when dealing with an issue like this: freak out about what might happen because things could get tough if you don’t comply with every aspect of these new rules/regulations/laws…especially since there hasn’t even been any official word from Google yet regarding how exactly things will change once everything goes into effect next year (not until 2020 at earliest).
Conclusion
While the new search bill will definitely affect local SEO, it’s important to remember that this isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s an opportunity for marketers to improve their strategies and create better content. While you may be nervous about what these changes mean for your business, rest assured that they’ll ultimately lead to an improved user experience on Google Local Pages.