--- title: "November 2021 local search update (Vicinity): dates and what changed" url: https://seomadman.com/updates/november-2021-local-search-update section: updates language: en published: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z author: Adam Hafez topics: ["Local SEO"] --- # November 2021 local search update (Vicinity): dates and what changed ## The short answer Google's November 2021 local search update ran from 30 November to 8 December 2021, a global change Google confirmed on Twitter only on 16 December. Google said it rebalanced various factors used to generate local results. Joy Hawkins of Sterling Sky named it Vicinity, because proximity seemed to weigh more heavily. Google never used that name. ## Key takeaways - Google said the update began on 30 November 2021 and ran through 8 December 2021. - Google confirmed it on 16 December 2021, after it had finished, and Danny Sullivan said it was global. - Google described it as a rebalancing of various factors it considers in generating local results. - Joy Hawkins of Sterling Sky named it the Vicinity update; the name is not Google's. - Google said its general guidance for businesses stayed the same, pointing to its local ranking help page. ## What Google changed Google said little about the content of the update. Its Search Central account posted on 16 December 2021 that "it involved a rebalancing of various factors we consider in generating local search results." Google did not say which factors. It added that "general guidance for businesses remains the same" and linked to its help page on local ranking. Google never used the name Vicinity. Search Engine Roundtable reported that Joy Hawkins of the local SEO agency Sterling Sky named it the Vicinity update, and that she believed it was "mainly about proximity," making distance weigh more heavily and possibly devaluing keywords in business names. That is her analysis, not Google's. ## When it rolled out Google said the update "began Nov 30 and ran through Dec 8." It confirmed the update only on 16 December 2021, after local SEOs had reported ranking changes and asked Google about them. Google's Danny Sullivan said the update was global, and acknowledged on Twitter that not announcing it at the time "was a miss in this case." The window overlapped other changes. The November 2021 core update finished on 30 November, and the December 2021 product reviews update began on 1 December. Search Engine Land also noted a redesign of the local pack interface around the same time. ## What is known about its impact Google published no impact figures: no share of local queries affected and no numbers on businesses that gained or lost visibility. Industry reports described large movements in map pack rankings, but those are third-party observations, not Google data. ## What site owners should do Google's local ranking help page is the guidance it pointed to, and it is current today. It says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking, and that local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. - Keep your Business Profile complete and accurate: name, address, category and hours. - Verify your locations. - Collect and respond to reviews; Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help. - Distance is outside your control, so compete on relevance and prominence. ## How to check whether it affected you This is now historical. Search Console keeps 16 months of data, so use archived analytics exports or rank tracking from late 2021. Compare local visibility for the week before 30 November 2021 with a week after 8 December, allowing for the overlapping core and product reviews updates. The [Google Algorithm Updates timeline](/updates) lists them. ## Related updates - The [Possum update (2016)](/updates/possum-update-2016) was the previous widely reported local ranking change. - The [openness local ranking change (2023)](/updates/openness-local-update-2023) was the next local change Google confirmed. - The [November 2021 core update](/updates/november-2021-core-update) finished the day this update began. ## Frequently asked questions ### When did the November 2021 local search update run? Google said it began on 30 November 2021 and ran through 8 December 2021. Google confirmed it on 16 December 2021, a week after it had finished. ### Why is it called the Vicinity update? Local search consultant Joy Hawkins of Sterling Sky named it Vicinity, according to Search Engine Roundtable, because she believed the update mainly changed how heavily proximity was weighted. Google called it only the November 2021 local search update. ### Was the November 2021 local search update global? Yes. Google's Danny Sullivan said on Twitter that it was global, answering questions after Google's confirmation on 16 December 2021. ### What did Google say businesses should do? Google said its general guidance for businesses remained the same and linked to its local ranking help page, which says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. ## Sources 1. [Google Search Central on the November 2021 local search update](https://twitter.com/googlesearchc/status/1471546117125029889) - Google Search Central on X (primary) 2. [Google November 2021 Google Local Search Update Confirmed](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-november-2021-google-local-search-update-confirmed-32610.html) - Search Engine Roundtable 3. [Google also had a local search update from November 30 through December 8](https://searchengineland.com/google-also-had-a-local-search-update-from-november-30-through-december-8-377481) - Search Engine Land 4. [Tips to improve your local ranking on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091) - Google Business Profile Help (primary)