--- title: "Hawk update (2017): the unconfirmed local filter change" url: https://seomadman.com/updates/hawk-update-2017 section: updates language: en published: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z author: Adam Hafez topics: ["Local SEO"] --- # Hawk update (2017): the unconfirmed local filter change ## The short answer Google never confirmed the Hawk update. It is the name local SEO specialists gave to a change in local results that Joy Hawkins observed on 22 August 2017. She reported that Google tightened the proximity filter from the 2016 Possum update, so fewer nearby similar businesses were hidden. Google's documented local ranking factors apply today. ## Key takeaways - Google never confirmed the Hawk update; the name and details come from local SEO practitioners. - Joy Hawkins dated the change to 22 August 2017 from daily local rank tracking and screenshots. - She reported that Google narrowed the distance at which similar nearby listings were filtered. - The local search community chose the name Hawk because hawks eat possums, a nod to Possum. - Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. ## What was reported Google never confirmed this update, and never named it. Local search consultant Joy Hawkins reported it in Search Engine Land on 8 September 2017, noting that her observations were "based on an analysis of how local results have changed rather than on any official announcement." She wrote that she had "dubbed" the update Hawk, and that the local search community "settled on the name 'Hawk' for this algorithm update, because hawks eat possums." The name points back to the 2016 Possum update. Google filters local listings that look similar to ones already ranking, and Hawkins reported that Possum had started filtering businesses simply because they were physically near a similar business. Her reported observations about Hawk, which Google did not confirm, were: - The proximity filter became stricter, so fewer nearby businesses were filtered out. - Listings that shared an address or building were still being filtered. - The change affected local results only, with no impact on regular organic results. ## When it rolled out There is no Google date. Hawkins dated the change to 22 August 2017, and said she could pin it down because her rank tracking took daily screenshots, and several unrelated cases changed on that day. That is the date used here. No end date exists. ## What is known about its impact Nothing from Google. With no confirmation, there are no Google figures on how many searches or businesses were affected. Hawkins gave examples of individual businesses that reappeared in local results after being filtered since Possum, but those are case studies, not measurements. ## What site owners should do Google's current local ranking guidance applies, whatever Hawk was. Google says local results are based mainly on three factors: - **Relevance:** how well a Business Profile matches the search. Provide complete, detailed business information. - **Distance:** how far the business is from the searcher, or from the location Google infers. - **Prominence:** how well-known the business is, including links to its website and the number of reviews and ratings. Google also says "there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking." If a listing vanishes from local results for some searches, check whether a similar business shares its address or sits very close by before assuming a penalty. ## How to check whether it affected you This is historical. Search Console keeps only 16 months of data and never covered local pack rankings, so use archived local rank tracking or Google My Business insights from August and September 2017, if you kept them. The [Google Algorithm Updates timeline](/updates) lists the confirmed updates around it. ## Related updates - The [Possum update](/updates/possum-update-2016) introduced the proximity filtering Hawk adjusted. - The [Pigeon update](/updates/pigeon-update-2014) was an earlier major local search change. - The [November 2021 local search update](/updates/november-2021-local-search-update) was a later local change. ## Frequently asked questions ### Did Google confirm the Hawk update? No. Google never announced or confirmed it. Joy Hawkins, who reported it in Search Engine Land, said her observations came from analyzing how local results changed, not from any Google announcement. ### Why is it called Hawk? Hawkins wrote that the local search community settled on the name Hawk because hawks eat possums. The change appeared to undo part of the 2016 Possum update. ### What did the Hawk update change? Hawkins reported that Google made its local proximity filter stricter, so fewer similar businesses close to each other were filtered out. Listings sharing an address or building were often still filtered. ### How do I rank in local results today? Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. It recommends complete, accurate Business Profile information and says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. ## Sources 1. [August 22, 2017: The day the 'Hawk' Google local algorithm update swooped in](https://searchengineland.com/august-22-2017-hawk-google-local-algorithm-update-282269) - Search Engine Land 2. [Tips to improve your local ranking on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091) - Google Business Profile Help (primary)