Vicinity local search update
Local ranking change that increased the weight of proximity, reducing visibility for businesses far from the searcher.
What changed
Google confirmed in mid-December 2021 that a local search ranking update had rolled out between 30 November and 8 December. Practitioners observed that proximity to the searcher became a much stronger factor, shrinking the effective radius over which a business could rank and reducing the benefit of keyword-stuffed business names. The industry named it Vicinity; Google acknowledged the update but did not publish detailed guidance.
Timing
Announced on 16 December 2021, with rollout beginning 30 November 2021. Google declared it complete on 8 December 2021, 8 days later. Rankings typically remain unstable for the whole rollout window, so measurements taken inside it are not a reliable read on the outcome.