In September 2016, a significant but unannounced change rolled through Google’s local search results. It was given the nickname Possum by the SEO community, and it brought some notable shifts to which businesses appeared in the local pack (the map-based results that show up for searches with a local intent).
What the local pack actually is
When you search for something like “accountant in Chorley” or “restaurant in Lancaster,” Google often displays a set of three business listings near the top of the results, accompanied by a map. This is known as the local pack, and appearing in it can be enormously valuable for a local business. The clicks and calls that come through local pack listings are often highly motivated, and people searching with that kind of intent are typically ready to act.
Before Possum, several frustrating patterns had emerged in how these results worked. Possum addressed a number of them.
What Possum actually changed
One of the most significant changes Possum introduced was a stronger emphasis on the location of the person searching. Results became more sensitive to exactly where the searcher was situated, sometimes varying noticeably depending on which part of a town or city the search was conducted from. Businesses on the edge of a town centre, for example, might suddenly appear for searches conducted nearby that they hadn’t been appearing for before.
Possum also changed how Google handled businesses with addresses just outside a city or town boundary. Previously, a business located on the outskirts of Preston, for instance, might have struggled to appear in results for Preston searches. Possum made the filtering less rigid, giving more businesses a fair chance of appearing in relevant local results based on proximity rather than strict administrative boundaries.
Another notable change related to filtering. Google had been applying a filter to local results to avoid showing multiple very similar businesses in the same pack. Possum refined this filter, which meant that in some cases businesses which had previously been filtered out began appearing again.
The relationship between local and organic results
One interesting aspect of Possum was that it demonstrated the local pack and the standard organic search results could diverge. A business might rank strongly in organic results for a local search term but appear inconsistently or not at all in the local pack, and vice versa. The two systems, while related, operate with some independence.
This is worth understanding because it means local SEO and general SEO, while complementary, both require specific attention. Doing well in one does not guarantee doing well in the other.
What this means for your business
For Lancashire businesses targeting local customers, Possum reinforced several things that remain relevant today. Your Google Business Profile needs to be accurate, complete, and actively maintained. Your listed address, service area, and business categories all influence how and where you appear in local results.
Location signals matter, and so does the competitive landscape in your specific area. If you’ve ever noticed your local search visibility varying depending on where a customer is searching from, Possum is part of the reason why. Understanding that dynamic helps you think more clearly about how to approach your local SEO strategy.
