Possum Update

Definition

Possum (named informally by the SEO community, not officially by Google) refers to a major unconfirmed algorithm update that affected local search results in September 2016. Key changes attributed to Possum: (1) **Address filtering** — businesses sharing the same physical address were more aggressively filtered from local pack results to prevent duplicate-location manipulation; businesses operating from shared office spaces, virtual offices, or co-working spaces were particularly affected. (2) **Affiliation filtering** — businesses with the same owner or closely affiliated businesses were filtered more aggressively, limiting how many closely related businesses could appear in local packs for the same query. (3) **Search location sensitivity increased** — local pack results became more sensitive to the searcher\'s precise location, with results varying more depending on whether the searcher was downtown vs. suburban. (4) **Previously filtered businesses gained visibility** — some businesses that had been incorrectly filtered out before Possum reappeared after the update, as the filtering algorithm became more precise. Possum primarily affected the 3-pack (local map pack) and local organic results rather than general organic rankings.

Why it matters for SEO

Possum is relevant for businesses using virtual offices or shared addresses for Google Business Profile optimisation. After Possum, businesses sharing an address with many other businesses (virtual office buildings, UPS stores used as business addresses) are more likely to be filtered from local pack results — limiting the local SEO value of virtual office address strategies. Businesses affected by address-based filtering may not appear in local packs even with strong local signals. The fix typically involves using a genuine physical business address and ensuring the GBP address exactly matches the website\'s LocalBusiness structured data and NAP citations.

How DeepSEOAnalysis checks this

DeepSEOAnalysis checks LocalBusiness structured data on the audited page — specifically whether address information (streetAddress, addressLocality, addressRegion, postalCode) is present, complete, and formatted consistently with what would appear on the Google Business Profile. Address inconsistencies between website structured data and GBP are a local SEO risk that Possum-era filtering makes more consequential.