Friday, August 21Digital Marketing Journals

Local Search

AI Assistants Are Choosing Local Businesses For Your Customers
19Aug By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
AI Search, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

AI Assistants Are Choosing Local Businesses For Your Customers

AI assistants can now handle the comparison work local customers used to do themselves. Local search used to leave that work to the customer: someone typed a query, got a list of options, opened a few, and chose. Ask an assistant for a business recommendation now, and it returns a short list it has already selected. Google describes AI Mode as particularly helpful for questions that need exploration, reasoning, or complex comparisons, the kind it says might previously have taken several searches. In organic search, a business could check its ranking and know roughly where it stood. Google’s generative AI performance report shows how often links to your site appeared in its AI features. What the report doesn’t show is the query that led to each impression, or what happens on other assistant...
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Modern Local SEO & AI Visibility: How To Get Into AI Results
15Aug By Heather CampbellNo Comments
AI Search, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Webinar

Modern Local SEO & AI Visibility: How To Get Into AI Results

Keyword research has a new purpose, and it’s getting local businesses into AI results. Why are some local businesses surfacing in AI recommendations while better-ranked competitors aren’t? Why isn’t my local client showing up in AI recommendations? How do I get keyword research to work for AI search results? AI recommendations for local businesses run on trust signal activity, such as keyword-rich, consistent engagement that on-page SEO alone doesn’t generate. How To Turn Keyword Research Into AI Visibility & Recommendations In this on-demand session, Jeff Schwerdt, CEO of Reviewly.ai, shared a practical approach to deploying keyword research into local AI trust signals. He covered where AI is pulling keyword-rich signals from, how to build and place them correctly by signal type, and ...
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Multi-Location SEO: How To Win Google & AI Search Visibility At Scale
11Aug By Steve WiidemanNo Comments
Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Multi-Location SEO: How To Win Google & AI Search Visibility At Scale

Multi-location brands are currently reviewing their Google Search Console click traffic, comparing 2026 to 2025, and trying to convince themselves and key stakeholders that AI Overviews are responsible for a year-over-year drop in non-branded clicks. Today, visibility is distributed across a multitude of destinations, including features in Google Maps such as “Ask Maps,” AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Apple Maps, and social search. The challenge for multi-location brands is that while more locations create more opportunities, they also create more complexity. This is why enterprise and franchise brands require a completely different approach than single-location businesses. Building on fundamentals, we’re going to explore how we leverage AI to improve our data, landing...
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Reviews, Reputation & Listings: The Local Signals AI Now Reads
7Aug By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Reviews, Reputation & Listings: The Local Signals AI Now Reads

For years, you could gauge local visibility by checking the map pack and a page of organic results. These have always mattered, but now, the same business details that feed them are also powering AI assistants. Instead of presenting a page full of options, an assistant responds with just a few names. This change emphasizes how crucial it is to keep a strong foundation. What was once just a minor listing mistake that affected rankings could now entirely stop a business from being included in the AI’s response. The basic details like your name, address, phone number, hours, reviews, and mentions from other sources are important in helping customers find your business easily. AI systems depend on getting the right information about your business, understanding what you offer, and gathering da...
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AI Overviews Now Answer Most Local Searches – How To Get Your Business Cited
30Jul By Adam HeitzmanNo Comments
Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

AI Overviews Now Answer Most Local Searches – How To Get Your Business Cited

If your local search traffic has felt off lately, you’re not imagining it. Fewer clicks. Fewer calls. Customers finding answers and moving on without ever hitting your site. That’s not a seasonal dip or a technical issue. That’s AI Overviews doing exactly what Google designed them to do. Local SEO used to be predictable. Optimize your Google Business Profile, build citations, stack localized keywords, and protect your Map Pack spot. That system worked for years. In 2026, it’s not enough. Working across 15+ client markets at our agency, spanning home services, legal, fitness, healthcare, and financial verticals, we’re seeing businesses rank well in the traditional local pack while being completely invisible in AI-generated answers for the exact same queries. Those two things used to be the ...
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Emergency Brand Audit: What AI Says About Your Locations
26Jul By Loren BakerNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Webinar

Emergency Brand Audit: What AI Says About Your Locations

A 3.3-star car wash just won the AI answer. When Annie Jackson, Director of Revenue Operations and Growth at GatherUp, asked Google for a no-touch car wash that fits an SUV in Norfolk, VA, Google returned a 3.3-star business and answered the clearance and hours questions above the star rating itself. Query match outranked rating. That example frames the session Jackson presented with Jason Wertham, Vice President of Review Defense Operations at GatherUp: AI tools assemble their description of each location from reviews, listings, and public web mentions, then repeat that description to customers who never reach your website. Jackson and Wertham walked through the four-prompt emergency audit they run to surface what ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Ask Maps say about a multi-location brand...
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The New Google Business Profile Playbook for AI Local Search
22Jul By CallRailNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

The New Google Business Profile Playbook for AI Local Search

You probably set up your Google Business Profile a while back, filled in your address, picked your categories, maybe chased down a few reviews, and then called it done. Totally understandable. That was enough, once. But here’s what’s changed: If you haven’t meaningfully touched that profile in months, you’re losing visibility to competitors who figured out something you haven’t yet. Google transformed GBP from a directory listing into a live engagement surface, and businesses that treat it like the former are quietly bleeding map pack rankings they don’t even know they’ve lost. This applies to every local business. Retailers, yes, but also law firms, dental practices, restaurants, gyms, plumbers, and salons. If your GBP isn’t actively signaling to Google that you’re open for business and e...
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Apple Maps Ads Ban Home Services, Crypto ATMs, Bail Bonds
18Jul By Brooke OsmundsonNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Apple Maps Ads Ban Home Services, Crypto ATMs, Bail Bonds

Apple Maps ads haven’t officially launched yet, but advertisers now have a clearer view of who can participate. The newly published Apple Advertising Services policy prohibits the broad category of home services businesses, including plumbing, electrical, locksmith, HVAC, pest control, roofing, and general contracting. Apple hasn’t disclosed a launch date beyond “this summer” in the U.S. and Canada, but the published documentation and Maps-specific ad policies suggest the rollout is getting close. Here’s what’s changing, why it matters for local advertisers, and what to watch before launch. Apple Adds New Policies For Maps Advertisers Apple’s updated advertising policy took effect on July 14, 2026. It includes a new section covering ads that appear specifically within Apple Maps. The most ...
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Google Business Profiles Showing Empty Review Dashboards
14Jul By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Business Profiles Showing Empty Review Dashboards

Google Business Profile owners are seeing a message in their review dashboards that reads “You have no reviews yet,” even when their public listings still show hundreds of reviews. Complaint threads began to rise in the Google Business Profile Community forum on July 9, as people reported that the reply panel shows zero reviews, while the listing above it displays the public review count. In one case flagged by Amy Toman, a volunteer Google Product Expert, the listing showed 916 reviews at the top and “no reviews yet” in the reply section directly below. In the cases reported so far, the public review count has stayed the same even when the dashboard panel shows none. Google hasn’t confirmed the cause, and it isn’t affecting every profile under management. The Bigger Pattern This is the se...
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Local Marketing Is Complex: What the Data Says & What To Do
10Jul By Sara VordermeierNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Sponsored Posts

Local Marketing Is Complex: What the Data Says & What To Do

This post was sponsored by Uberall. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Should I add more AI tools to manage local listings and reviews, or is that making it worse? Who should own AI search visibility across all our locations? The ideal multi-location marketing world is one where agentic AI fixes duplicate listings, responds to customer reviews, analyzes sentiment, and spots optimization opportunities before the marketer can say “GBP.” However, what multi-location brand CMOs actually have, in today’s far less ideal world, is layers of disjointed AI and marketing tooling creating an unclean and unclear infrastructure. This lack of infrastructure makes it nearly impossible to track overall ROI. In This Guide An Uberall survey last year revealed that only around 1...
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61% of CMOs Say Local Marketing Is Too Complex: Here’s the Fix
6Jul By Sara VordermeierNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Sponsored Posts

61% of CMOs Say Local Marketing Is Too Complex: Here’s the Fix

This post was sponsored by Uberall. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Who should own AI search visibility across all our locations? Should I add more AI tools to manage local listings and reviews, or is that making it worse? When 99% of senior marketers say they want an AI orchestration layer, the question is who leads it. The ideal multi-location marketing world is one where agentic AI fixes duplicate listings, responds to customer reviews, analyzes sentiment, and spots optimization opportunities before the marketer can say “GBP.” However, what multi-location brand CMOs actually have, in today’s far less ideal world, is layers of disjointed AI and marketing tooling creating an unclean and unclear infrastructure. This lack of infrastructure makes it nearly impos...
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Google Analytics Is Adding Google Business Profile Data
28Jun By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Tools

Google Analytics Is Adding Google Business Profile Data

Google has published documentation for a native link between Google Business Profile and Google Analytics, bringing local metrics like calls and direction requests into Analytics reports. The link may not appear in every Analytics account yet. What Shows Up In Analytics Once a profile is linked, a Google Business Profile section appears in your reports. It includes seven metrics: interactions, website clicks, calls, directions, messages, bookings, and menus. You create the link in the Analytics Admin panel, under Product links. What The Link Doesn’t Do If you link more than one profile, Analytics combines the metrics across all of them. You can’t segment or filter by an individual location. The metrics also can’t be used in explorations, comparisons, or filters, and the integration doesn’t...
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Google Ask Maps Updates – How They Impact Your Business Profile
24Jun By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Google Ask Maps Updates – How They Impact Your Business Profile

Many businesses see their Google Business Profile as a listing to verify and then leave untouched. Google’s new Ask Maps feature treats it as a conversational dataset for generating helpful answers about a business. The questions Ask Maps answers are what make change meaningful. When someone asks for a 24-hour locksmith who can get into a car right now, they get an immediate answer. That’s one question with multiple conditions taken into account. Showing up as one of the answers depends on having accurate and up-to-date business data. While Google hasn’t said how it chooses businesses to recommend in Ask Maps, it’s clear that the data it pulls from is increasingly important. What Google Says About Ask Maps Google calls Ask Maps a helpful tool for asking detailed, real-world questions and r...
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How To Build: AI Trust Signal Strategy & Boost Local SEO Reviews
20Jun By Jeff SchwerdtNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Sponsored Posts

How To Build: AI Trust Signal Strategy & Boost Local SEO Reviews

This post was sponsored by Reviewly.ai. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Does keyword research still matter for SEO in 2026? Are Google reviews required for a local business to show up in AI results? How do I get my clients’ businesses recommended by AI like Gemini, Claude, and Google AI Overviews? With Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity now answering questions that used to require clicking through ten blue links, the way businesses get discovered has shifted. When these tools decide which businesses to recommend, they lean heavily on one local SEO trust signal above all others: reviews. That means your review generation strategy is no longer just a reputation play. It’s a visibility play. If AI can’t find fresh, consistent, positive reviews about you...
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The Review Gap: Finding Client Opportunities In Competitor Feedback
16Jun By Celeste GonzalezNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, SEO Strategy

The Review Gap: Finding Client Opportunities In Competitor Feedback

SEOs all know how important reviews are as a local SEO ranking factor and decision maker for users. But how many SEOs are actually using the review content to help with their roadmapping and content updates? Reviews are typically looked at as a reputation task, and the focus is on the quantitative data (number of reviews, star rating, review velocity). The work that’s done with reviews is more reactive, where we make sure reviews are responded to, or we notice that reviews are missing, so we figure out what happened there. While all of that is important, SEOs often forget they are sitting on a goldmine of information that comes directly from users: the review text. Reviews are where customers who felt very strongly one way or another left their feedback and experience out for the business ...
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Google Is Adding Business Profile Tools To The Gemini App
12Jun By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

Google Is Adding Business Profile Tools To The Gemini App

Google is adding business features to the Gemini app, including a direct connection to Google Business Profile and Business notebooks. The company announced the updates at its Google for Brazil event. Both features will begin rolling out globally this month, excluding the EEA and UK. Business Profile features in Gemini are being released gradually and may not appear for every eligible user yet. Once a profile is connected, Gemini can pull from the reviews, customer questions, and performance data attached to it. Connecting Business Profiles To Gemini The Business Profile connection arrives in the coming weeks, Google says, and works with a single tap. Vishnu Sivaji, senior director for the Gemini app, wrote: “Once connected, Gemini becomes an AI assistant that actually knows your business,...
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How Reviews Drive Business Results Beyond Marketing
4Jun By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
Digital Marketing, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How Reviews Drive Business Results Beyond Marketing

Most business owners assume that higher star ratings are linked to better business outcomes. A peer-reviewed study tested that assumption directly. Researchers Eddie Inyang and Juliana White surveyed 251 U.S. small-business owners on online reputation management, Google star ratings, and business performance. Notably, Google star ratings alone didn’t predict performance. What was associated with performance was the practice of ORM. Active reputation management correlated with better business results. Not the stars, but their behind-the-scenes work. What The Research Found The study, published in the Journal of Small Business Strategy, tested six hypotheses regarding ORM and small-business performance using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Five were supported. Customer or...
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How To: Optimize Your Small Business For AI Search
27May By Loren BakerNo Comments
Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Webinar

How To: Optimize Your Small Business For AI Search

Your next customer is searching right now. Will they find you? Waiting to show up alongside your competitors on Google Maps? Customers are finding local businesses through AI assistants, voice search, social platforms, and review sites. You should be in these places, too. 👆 Get the exact steps to show up where your next customer is already searching. Register above to watch the full session. Stop Being Invisible: Get Your Small Business Found Across Every Channel Your Customers Are Using This small business marketing webinar gives you a clear, channel-by-channel system for building the kind of online presence that earns trust before the first call. Watch Kelli Henthorn and Kevin White, Small Business Experts at Thryv, as they share a step-by-step framework for optimizing your Googl...
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How To Build Local Pages That Win In AI Search
19May By Loren BakerNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Webinar

How To Build Local Pages That Win In AI Search

Local AI search rewards better pages. Learn exactly how to build them. Are your location-based pages showing up when AI-powered search answers local queries? Is structured data, listings, reviews driving (or undermining) your brand’s visibility across locations? 👆 Register above to learn the right way to build local intent pages that get cited in AI answers. How Local AI Visibility Works: Search Results, Listings & AI-generated Answers This on-demand session delivers a practical framework for strengthening your local SEO foundation so your brand surfaces consistently across traditional search results, listings, and AI-generated answers. You’ll Learn: How AI Search Discovers Individual Locations: Understand exactly how AI-powered search pulls from your site, listings, schema, a...
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How To Remove Negative Reviews That AI Overviews Cites
15May By Nicholas LonskiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, SEO Strategy, Sponsored Posts

How To Remove Negative Reviews That AI Overviews Cites

This post was sponsored by Erase.com. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Why does AI pull a 2023 Reddit thread into a 2026 comparison query?What makes AI cite some complaints about my brand and skip others?How do I get AI to stop citing old complaints in unrelated queries? Four signals decide what AI exposes, and once you know them, you can work them. Q1 2026 analysis surfaces four consistent patterns in what AI engines cite: recency plus volume, specificity that names features, platform authority (Reddit, major review sites), and recurrence across sources. The complaints that hit all four are the ones that show up unprompted in queries where users were looking for solutions, not problems. The fix isn’t a single takedown request; it’s a four-step audit-and-rebuil...
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90-Day GEO Playbook for Local Search: How To Show Up For AI
11May By UberallNo Comments
Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, SEO Strategy, Sponsored Posts

90-Day GEO Playbook for Local Search: How To Show Up For AI

This post was sponsored by Uberall. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Local consumers have stopped searching the way we built our marketing around. This significant change in buyer habits has been quietly happening in the last 18 to 24 months. According to recent Uberall research into AI search behavior, an estimated $750 billion in consumer spend is already shifting toward AI-powered search. Roughly 60% of all searches now end without a single click to a website. And in a finding that should stop every marketer cold, or at least those working for multi-location businesses, 68% of brands are missing entirely from the recommendations AI engines generate in their category. That problem goes beyond channels. It’s a fast-moving visibility problem that risks affectin...
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How To Remove Negative Reviews That AI Overviews Cites
7May By Nicholas LonskiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, SEO Strategy, Sponsored Posts

How To Remove Negative Reviews That AI Overviews Cites

This post was sponsored by Erase.com. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Why is my brand appearing in AI comparisons I didn’t ask to be in?How do I find out what AI tools are saying about my brand?What’s the difference between traditional reputation management and AI reputation management? Any issues with your brand’s reputation are what AI decides to show searchers, unprompted. Throughout Q1 2026, we’ve seen a behavioral shift in how prospects discover brand reputation issues. AI-assisted research tools now autonomously surface negative content, such as reviews, complaints, forum threads, social media discussions, inside comparison queries, without users deliberately searching for problems. When someone asks ChatGPT “which CRM should I choose,” these AI engines ...
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Why Dynamic GBP Profiles Are The New Local Ranking Factor
5Apr By Adam HeitzmanNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Why Dynamic GBP Profiles Are The New Local Ranking Factor

You probably set up your Google Business Profile a while back, filled in your address, picked your categories, maybe chased down a few reviews, and then called it done. Totally understandable. That was enough, once. But here’s what’s changed: If you haven’t meaningfully touched that profile in months, you’re losing visibility to competitors who figured out something you haven’t yet. Google transformed GBP from a directory listing into a live engagement surface, and businesses that treat it like the former are quietly bleeding map pack rankings they don’t even know they’ve lost. This applies to every local business. Retailers, yes, but also law firms, dental practices, restaurants, gyms, plumbers, and salons. If your GBP isn’t actively signaling to Google that you’re open for business and e...
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Google Maps Launches AI Conversational Search With Ask Maps
24Mar By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Maps Launches AI Conversational Search With Ask Maps

Google Maps is launching Ask Maps, a conversational feature powered by Gemini that lets users ask complex questions about locations and receive AI-generated suggestions on a personalized map. The feature is now rolling out in the U.S. and India on Android and iOS, with a desktop version coming soon. What Ask Maps Does Ask Maps lets you type natural-language questions directly into Google Maps and receive AI-generated answers. Google’s examples include queries like “Is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?” and “My phone is dying, where can I charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee?” See an example provided by Google below: The feature uses Google’s database of over 300 million places and reviews from 500 million contributors to generate...
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Google Discover Core Update Data: Local Publishers Lost Reach
16Mar By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Discover Core Update Data: Local Publishers Lost Reach

An analysis from Discover tracking tool DiscoverSnoop adds to the post-update data available on Google’s Discover core update, confirming some patterns identified in earlier NewzDash analysis while contradicting others. The DiscoverSnoop report compared article counts and audience scores for publishers in the week before the update began (January 26 to February 1) against the week after it completed (March 2 to March 8). That post-completion window differs from NewzDash’s earlier scorecard, which measured a mid-rollout window. For transparency, DiscoverSnoop is a commercial Discover analytics platform. The report is based on its own tracking data. Who Lost Visibility Some publishers lost more than 20% of their article placements in the Discover feed while also seeing audience scores declin...
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90 Days. 1 Plan. Improved Local Search Visibility
4Mar By Heather CampbellNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Webinar

90 Days. 1 Plan. Improved Local Search Visibility

AI is rapidly rewriting how consumers discover, evaluate, and choose local brands, and multi-location businesses are already feeling the impact. How do AI agents decide which local brands get surfaced, recommended, or excluded? Which location-level signals influence AI-driven discovery and selection? And how can enterprise teams operationalize GEO across hundreds or thousands of locations? Watch on-demand and learn how to make every location AI-ready in the next 90 days. A Practical GEO Playbook for Multi-Location Brands Discovery is no longer “search → compare → decide.” It’s rapidly transforming into “intent → AI agent → action.” AI systems now aggregate signals across maps, reviews, content, location data, engagement, and brand trust before your potential shopper ever clicks. Watch on-d...
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Why Your Business’s Google Visibility in 2026 Depends on AEO
20Feb By Heather CampbellNo Comments
Digital Marketing, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO Strategy, Webinar

Why Your Business’s Google Visibility in 2026 Depends on AEO

In 2026, AI assistants will decide which local businesses get recommended, and which ones disappear. When a customer asks an AI assistant, “Who’s the best plumber near me?” does your business get named? If Google Gemini or ChatGPT had to recommend one local business today, would yours make the cut? Watch webinar on-demand to find out exactly what AI assistants look for and how to fix the gaps that are costing you customers. AI-powered search is no longer experimental. Consumers are already using tools like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Siri to choose who to call, book, and trust. Often without ever clicking on a website.  Most small businesses are invisible to AI because their information is incomplete, inconsistent, or structured in ways AI cannot confidently use.  That means lost calls, lo...
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How Will AI Mode Impact Local SEO?
22Dec By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How Will AI Mode Impact Local SEO?

In organic search, disruption has always been the norm, but the integration of AI into Google Search – with AI Overviews and now AI Mode – is not an incremental change; it is a fundamental restructuring. For marketers overseeing single or multi-location SEO strategies, the transition from the traditional blue-link environment to a conversational, synthesized search experience carries important stakes. The initial manifestation of this shift, the AI Overview (AIO), which claims the premium “Position 0” real estate on a search engine results page (SERP), provided the initial shockwave. However, the long-term competitive reality is defined by AI Mode, a full conversational ecosystem where users can engage in multi-stage dialogue with AI. This interactive mode anticipates a user’s entire “info...
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Google Maps Lets Users Post Reviews With Nicknames
6Dec By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Maps Lets Users Post Reviews With Nicknames

Google Maps now lets users leave business reviews under a custom nickname instead of their real name. The feature is part of a four-feature Maps update and is rolling out globally on Android, iOS, and desktop. Local SEO agency Whitespark was among the first to document the change in detail, describing it as one of the more notable shifts to Google’s review system in years. What Changed Google’s support documentation outlines the new setting. Users can enable a custom display name and picture for posting through their Maps or Google profile. Once enabled, that identity appears on reviews, photos, videos, and Q&A posts across Maps. The feature works retroactively. If you edit your nickname later, past contributions update to show the new name. Whitespark notes that people have long creat...
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The New Role of Local Search in Customer Experience
20Nov By Pranav DesaiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, SEO Strategy, Sponsored Posts

The New Role of Local Search in Customer Experience

Ask yourself the following: Do you reply to reviews? Do you engage? Do you make the interaction feel personal? Do you follow through on your promises? Do you keep information consistent across every platform? Do you share fresh updates (ex: photos, posts, or promotions) that show you’re active? Do you provide transparent details like pricing, wait times, or insurance accepted? If you answered no to any of the aforementioned, it’s time to switch to a brand experience mentality. That shift shows up clearly in the data. Six in ten people say they at least sometimes click on Google’s AI-generated overviews, which means discovery is no longer only about traditional rankings. It’s about whether your brand shows up well when search engines pull together information in context. Reputation follow...
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Google Adds AI Shopping Tools Across Search, Gemini
16Nov By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Adds AI Shopping Tools Across Search, Gemini

Google is rolling out AI shopping updates across Search and the Gemini app, introducing conversational shopping and agentic features that automate price tracking and local inventory checks. The updates begin rolling out today in the United States. What’s New AI Mode Shopping Upgrade AI Mode in Search now pairs Gemini models with Google’s Shopping Graph to handle conversational shopping queries, so you can describe products in natural language instead of relying on keywords and filters. See an example below: Image Credit: Google Vidhya Srinivasan, Vice President and General Manager of Ads & Commerce at Google, said during a press briefing that AI Mode shoppers are asking questions that are 23 times longer than traditional searches. Results are tailored to the type of query. Visual shopp...
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How To Do A Complete Local SEO Audit: 11-Point Checklist
4Nov By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How To Do A Complete Local SEO Audit: 11-Point Checklist

Local SEO includes several specific tasks geared to establishing the relevance and authority of a business within a targeted geographic area. Search engines and large language models (LLMs) like Google Gemini and ChatGPT reference many different data points to determine who will be surfaced in their respective result sets, which include AI Overviews and AI Mode in Google, featured snippets, local map packs, image or video carousels, and other emerging search formats. So, how can you identify and prioritize optimizations with the greatest potential to deliver converting traffic to your website or your business door from traditional organic local SEO or AI search? Below, we’ll walk through an evaluation of each key facet of your local search presence and uncover your best opportunities to im...
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Google Business Profile Tests Cross-Location Posts
23Oct By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Business Profile Tests Cross-Location Posts

Google Business Profile appears to be testing a feature that lets managers share the same update across multiple locations from a single dialog. Tim Capper reported seeing the option. After publishing an update, a “Copy post” dialog appears with the prompt: “Copy the update to other profiles you manage.” You can now post an update across multiple Google Business Profiles After posting this pop up appears if you want to add to other profiles, nice ! pic.twitter.com/tlXHlrxYie — Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) October 16, 2025 The interface displays a list of business locations with checkboxes so you can choose which profiles receive the same update. We’ve asked Google for comment on availability and eligibility requirements and will update this article if we receive a response. What’s New From wh...
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Microsoft Launches New Bing Places For Business
7Oct By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Microsoft Launches New Bing Places For Business

Microsoft has rolled out a redesigned Bing Places for Business platform, moving business listing management to bing.com/forbusiness and introducing a new recommendation tool with streamlined import workflows. The platform lets businesses create and manage listings across Bing Search and Bing Maps at no cost. Consolidating the experience under the Bing.com domain is meant to make the product easier to find and use. Why Did Microsoft Rebuild It? Microsoft says the redesign follows months of research with business owners who reported difficulty discovering the product, navigating the interface, and importing locations at scale. Microsoft wrote: “Before we wrote a single line of code, we spent months listening to business owners about their challenges and goals.” Here’s what Microsoft added af...
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Microsoft Launches New Bing Places For Business
7Oct By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Microsoft Launches New Bing Places For Business

Microsoft has rolled out a redesigned Bing Places for Business platform, moving business listing management to bing.com/forbusiness and introducing a new recommendation tool with streamlined import workflows. The platform lets businesses create and manage listings across Bing Search and Bing Maps at no cost. Consolidating the experience under the Bing.com domain is meant to make the product easier to find and use. Why Did Microsoft Rebuild It? Microsoft says the redesign follows months of research with business owners who reported difficulty discovering the product, navigating the interface, and importing locations at scale. Microsoft wrote: “Before we wrote a single line of code, we spent months listening to business owners about their challenges and goals.” Here’s what Microsoft added af...
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Review Signals Gain Influence In Top Google Local Rankings
24Sep By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
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Review Signals Gain Influence In Top Google Local Rankings

A new analysis from Search Atlas quantifies the interaction between proximity and reviews in local rankings. Proximity drives visibility overall, while review signals become stronger differentiators in the highest positions. This study examines 3,269 businesses across the food, health, law, and beauty sectors. It shows that for positions 1–21, proximity influences 55% of decisions, while review count accounts for 19%. In the top ten, proximity’s influence decreases to 36%, but review count increases to 26%, with review keyword relevance reaching 22%. Search Atlas writes: Proximity is the top driver of local visibility. The study also notes: Proximity does not always dominate in elite positions. What It Means You’ll have a better chance of achieving top results by focusing on earning more r...
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New Strategies To Gain Local Search Visibility
31Aug By DACNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Sponsored Posts

New Strategies To Gain Local Search Visibility

This post was sponsored by DAC. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. The new reality of Search and brand discovery requires an Enterprise-to-Local strategy. Traditional keyword-driven search engine results pages (SERPs) are being disrupted by AI-driven experiences that anticipate, summarize, and even act on users’ needs. As generative AI tools like Google’s AI Overviews and platforms such as Perplexity become more prominent in the Search journey, the marketer’s task expands: It’s no longer just about ranking well on Google but being visible wherever decisions begin. For multilocation businesses, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. AI is flattening the competitive playing field, restructuring what influences purchasing decisions, and automating former...
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Local SEO ‘Best Practices’ Aren’t Universal: Yext Study
15Aug By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

Local SEO ‘Best Practices’ Aren’t Universal: Yext Study

A new Yext analysis of 8.7 million Google search results suggests many common local SEO tactics don’t perform the same across industries and regions. The dataset, drawn from the company’s Scout Index, focuses on what correlates with visibility in Google’s Local Pack, not just overall map presence. What Yext Found Review Management Emerges As The Strongest Signal The clearest pattern is around reviews. Yext states “Review engagement dominates,” calling it “the most consistent driver of Local Pack visibility across all industries and regions.” Within the study’s feature rankings, review signals top the list, including review count, new reviews per month, and owner responses. Businesses with many positive reviews and prompt owner responses tend to outperform competitors. Industry Differences ...
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Google Search Can Now Call Local Businesses Using AI
26Jul By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
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Google Search Can Now Call Local Businesses Using AI

Google has introduced a new AI-powered calling feature in Search that contacts local businesses on a user’s behalf to gather pricing and availability details. The feature, rolling out to all U.S. Search users this week, allows people to request information from multiple businesses with a single query. When searching for services like pet grooming or dry cleaning, users may now see a new option to “Have AI check pricing.” How It Works After selecting the AI option, users are guided through a form to provide details about the service they need. Google’s AI then calls relevant local businesses to gather information such as pricing, appointment availability, and service options. The responses are consolidated and presented to the user. The experience starts with a typical local search, such as...
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How to Stay Visible in Google’s AI Era
18Jul By Mel AttiaNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, SEO Strategy, Sponsored Posts

How to Stay Visible in Google’s AI Era

This post was sponsored by GatherUp. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. If your business has a great local, word-of-mouth reputation but very few online reviews, does it even exist? That’s the existential riddle facing local businesses and agencies in 2025. With Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) now reshaping the search experience, visibility isn’t just about being “the best.” It’s about being part of the summary. And reviews? They’re no longer just trust signals. They’re ranking signals. In This Article This article breaks down what’s changing, what’s working, and how agencies can keep their clients visible across both traditional local search and Google’s evolving AI layer. Reviews Are Now A Gateway To Search Inclusion Reviews have long been seen as conversion to...
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A Strategic Imperative For Travel And Tourism Operators
28Jun By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

A Strategic Imperative For Travel And Tourism Operators

The travel and tourism industry thrives on inspiration, discovery, and experience. While increasingly being challenged by social media and friend & family referrals, the first point of discovery for many travelers is still a search engine. For operators in this competitive sector, ranging from boutique hotels and niche tour providers to vacation rental property owners and managers, as well as local attractions, a commanding online presence isn’t just beneficial – it’s fundamental to survival and growth. This is where Local SEO emerges as a critical driver, connecting businesses with high-intent travelers actively seeking their next destination or experience. As the search journey includes more AI-driven results, a sophisticated and adaptive Local SEO strategy is crucial. This guide wil...
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Google Local Search Research Paper On Business Type Extraction
12Jun By Roger MonttiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, Google Patents & Research Papers, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Google Local Search Research Paper On Business Type Extraction

Google published a research paper describing how it extracts “services offered” information from local business sites to add it to business profiles in Google Maps and Search. The algorithm describes specific relevance factors and confirms that the system has been successfully in use for a year. What makes this research paper especially notable is that one of the authors is Marc Najork, a distinguished research scientist at Google who is associated with many milestones in information retrieval, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence. The purpose of this system is to make it easier for users to find local businesses that provide the services they are looking for. The paper was published in 2024 (according to the Internet Archive) and is dated 2023. The research paper expla...
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How To Make More Customers Click, Choose You
4Jun By Heather CampbellNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Webinar

How To Make More Customers Click, Choose You

Why didn’t they choose you? Local search is make-or-break for small businesses. Want to know what really drives in-store visits? Find out in our expert-led webinar. You’ll get: ✅ 2025 shopper insights from 2,000+ consumers, worldwide. ✅ Practical SEO tips for Google, Apple, voice assistants & AI tools. ✅ Proven tactics to improve local SERP visibility. ✅ Digital signals that matter most to consumers. ✅ Ways to improve visibility, clarity, and trust across every location you manage. Join VP Krystal Taing and Content Marketing Manager Paul Modaley from Uberall as they break down how real customers make decisions and how your local SEO strategy can influence them.  View the slides below, or check out the full webinar for all the details.   Join Us For...
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20% of Local Searches Now Start Here
3May By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

20% of Local Searches Now Start Here

New research shows that map platforms have become key search engines for local businesses. One in five consumers now searches directly in map apps instead of traditional search engines. BrightLocal’s Consumer Search Behavior study found that Google, Apple, and Bing Maps make up 20% of all local searches. This is a big part of search traffic that many marketers might be missing in their local SEO plans. The Rise of Map-First Search Behavior The research found that 15% of consumers use Google Maps as their first choice for local searches. This makes it the second most popular platform after Google Search (45%). The study reads: “Another significant finding is the prominence of Google Maps in local search. 15% of consumers said they would use Google Maps as their first port of call, meaning t...
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Online Review Trends Broken Down By Industry
25Apr By Loren BakerNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, Webinar

Online Review Trends Broken Down By Industry

For local SEO businesses, maintaining a positive reputation and earning customer trust is crucial for driving conversions. Watch on-demand as we uncover data-backed insights from tens of thousands of businesses across industries, revealing how customer feedback and review behaviors shape reputation.  Plus, discover key trends driving local traffic this year. You’ll learn: Key trends in customer feedback, review volume, and Net Promoter Scores (NPS). New data on star ratings and how they affect customer trust & conversions. Best practices for increasing positive reviews & driving customer loyalty. We shared actionable strategies to improve your online reputation, build customer loyalty, and drive local traffic this year. If you’re an agency owner, reputation manager, or marketing ...
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Competitor Analysis In Local SEO And How To Gain An Edge
21Apr By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Competitor Analysis In Local SEO And How To Gain An Edge

In every community, multiple businesses and business types vie for prominence within a limited geographic radius. As such, when it comes to online visibility and local SEO, competitor analysis isn’t just a best practice – it’s a necessity. Understanding and responding to your rivals’ strategies, strengths, and weaknesses is the cornerstone of a winning local SEO campaign. For SEO professionals, this means going beyond surface-level observations and diving deep into data to uncover actionable insights. Let’s explore how to conduct a thorough competitor analysis and leverage any findings to gain an edge in local organic search, drive targeted traffic, and improve the bottom line. Identifying Your Local Online Competition Before you can analyze your competition, you need to identify them. A b...
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Google Maps Gets An Upgrade To Combat Fake Reviews
9Apr By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

Google Maps Gets An Upgrade To Combat Fake Reviews

Google has updated its AI systems for Maps and Business Profiles, which now use Gemini to identify risky profile edits and fake reviews. Gemini Finds Suspicious Profile Edits Google is employing Gemini to spot fake changes to Business Profiles. It can distinguish between a regular update, like a slight name change, and a sudden, suspicious shift, such as changing a business category from a “cafe” to a “plumber.” In its announcement, Google said: “We trained a new model with the help of Gemini that identifies potentially suspicious profile edits. A business that changes its name from ‘Zoe’s Coffee House’ to ‘Zoe’s Cafe’ isn’t suspicious—but a business that suddenly changes its category from ‘cafe’ to ‘plumber’ is.” Google says this new system has blocked thousands of risky edits this year. ...
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Using Local Business Partnerships And Collaborations To Build Authority And Visibility
5Apr By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Using Local Business Partnerships And Collaborations To Build Authority And Visibility

All businesses, large or small, must establish a level of authority for the products and/or services they offer in the minds and hearts of their target audience if they expect to convince them to engage and buy. This universal marketing truth plays out daily for small businesses looking to capture the attention of local customers through a variety of local SEO strategies. Authoritativeness is the “A” in the much-heralded E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) found in Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines. In short, a business or organization needs to prove its authority to Google, and all other search engines, to be considered worthy of visibility in search engine results. The authority of a local business can be established in a few different ways, but...
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Google Business Profile Suspensions Rise, But Appeals Are Delayed
24Mar By Mike BlumenthalNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Business Profile Suspensions Rise, But Appeals Are Delayed

Google Business Profile (GBP) suspensions have steadily risen since January, and as they increase, appeal resolution times have grown significantly – from about five days to nearly five weeks. As a Platinum Product Expert in the Google Business Profile Support Forums, I help small businesses navigate Google’s GBP platform. For many of these SMBs, Google is a primary lead driver, and when their listing goes south due to a suspension, life can get very hard. Image from author, March 2025 What We Know We noticed in February that forum complaints about suspensions reached their highest level since last August. Users typically try support first but when frustrated, a subset of them find their way to the forums to see what their next steps are. The forums provide a canary-in-the-coal-mine functi...
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Google Launches AI Phone Assistant To Call Businesses For You
20Mar By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Google Launches AI Phone Assistant To Call Businesses For You

Google has launched a new tool called “Ask For Me” that uses AI to help you make phone calls to local businesses. “Ask For Me” is designed to streamline the process of calling multiple businesses to compare quotes and schedule appointments. This feature is being rolled out first for auto repair shops and nail salons, and following this initial experiment, it may expand to other businesses. “Ask For Me” is available to people in the United States who opt-in via Google’s Seach Labs. How “Ask For Me” Works If you’re located in the US, you can opt-in via the landing page. Here’s what it looks like: Screenshot from: labs.google.com/search/experiment/26, January 2025. Clicking the toggle button will activate the “Try it out” button. Screenshot from: labs.google.com/search/experiment/26, January ...
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Google Confirms Business Profile Reviews Outage
16Mar By Roger MonttiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Confirms Business Profile Reviews Outage

Google confirmed an outage in business profile reviews that has resulted in missing reviews for many local business profiles and is working toward fixing the problem. Google Business Profile Google Business Profiles are a way for local businesses to add their business to Google and have it show up in local search and Google Maps. It also allows businesses to manage how their site shows up in search, enabling Google to show accurate information about hours, website, contact information, images and reviews. The reviews is a feature that allows users to share their experiences with businesses. It’s a useful way for businesses to increase earnings through positive word of mouth. GBP Reviews Outage Google Business Profile reviews have gone missing, which is bad news for businesses because of ho...
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QR Codes For Review Pages
12Mar By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

QR Codes For Review Pages

Google has rolled out a new feature for Google Business Profiles that makes it easier to collect customer reviews. You can now generate custom QR codes that, when scanned, direct customers straight to your business’s review page. Google announced the update today on X: You can now create easy-to-scan QR codes that take customers directly to your GBP, encouraging them to leave more reviews. On your desktop, go to your Business Profile and click on “ask for reviews”. Follow the instructions to generate a link or a QR code. Voila! pic.twitter.com/GX0HnLmAp6 — Google Business Profile (@GoogleMyBiz) March 4, 2025 How to Access the Feature You can access the QR code generator by following these steps: Visit your Google Business Profile dashboard on desktop Click on the “ask for reviews” opti...
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A Complete Guide To Local Structured Data & Rich Results
8Mar By Chelsea AlvesNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

A Complete Guide To Local Structured Data & Rich Results

Structured data markup can work diligently behind the scenes to help your local business shine online. It can add eye-catching rich results to your search results, like review stars, FAQs, and breadcrumbs, that grab attention and encourage more clicks. Structured data uses the standardized vocabulary of Schema to tell search engines – and even AI tools – exactly what your website is about, making it easier for customers to find you. While it’s not a direct ranking boost, structured data plays a big role in making your business more visible, whether in traditional search results or AI-powered tools like Gemini or ChatGPT. From a local ice cream shop to a hardware store, adding structured data can make a huge difference in boosting your local SEO and staying ahead in today’s ultra-saturated ...
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Do Reviews Still Matter? Study Looks At Changing Consumer Behavior
4Mar By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Do Reviews Still Matter? Study Looks At Changing Consumer Behavior

BrightLocal has released a new report analyzing 15 years of consumer review behavior data. The findings reveal shifts in how people research and buy from local businesses. Here’s more about the study and what it means for marketers. Historical Trends The report tracks the popularity of online reviews. It notes a rise in local business research from 2015 to 2016, which coincided with smartphone ownership reaching 77% among U.S. adults. This trend peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when 59% of consumers said they researched local businesses nearly daily. After that, the number of consumers researching local businesses steadily decreased. Traditional Review Metrics Less Important Consumers now place less importance on traditional review metrics: Fewer consumers expect perfect five-...
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How Vacation Rentals Can Dominate Organic Search And Attract Guests
28Feb By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Vertical SEO

How Vacation Rentals Can Dominate Organic Search And Attract Guests

Travelers today can effortlessly browse through countless vacation rental options with only a few clicks. With so much competition, a strong online presence is critical to success in the vacation rental space. With competition from large players like VRBO, Airbnb, and Booking.com, small local vendors can not solely rely on word-of-mouth or local listings. You need a robust SEO strategy to capture the attention of potential guests and drive direct bookings. We’re going to dive into local and travel SEO for vacation rentals, to apply advanced techniques to improve online authority and visibility in order to drive more valuable traffic and bookings. We’ll explore how to optimize a vacation rental business’ web presence, leverage the powerful Google Travel platform, and implement proven strate...
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A Complete Guide To Local Structured Data & Rich Results
24Feb By Chelsea AlvesNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

A Complete Guide To Local Structured Data & Rich Results

Structured data markup can work diligently behind the scenes to help your local business shine online. It can add eye-catching rich results to your search results, like review stars, FAQs, and breadcrumbs, that grab attention and encourage more clicks. Structured data uses the standardized vocabulary of Schema to tell search engines – and even AI tools – exactly what your website is about, making it easier for customers to find you. While it’s not a direct ranking boost, structured data plays a big role in making your business more visible, whether in traditional search results or AI-powered tools like Gemini or ChatGPT. From a local ice cream shop to a hardware store, adding structured data can make a huge difference in boosting your local SEO and staying ahead in today’s ultra-saturated ...
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Is This Bad For Local Businesses?
20Feb By Mike BlumenthalNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Is This Bad For Local Businesses?

We have been testing Google’s newest “Ask For Me” Search Lab test. It is quick, easy, and impressive technology to request local quotes, but it is not at all clear that it is good for small businesses. At the end of January, Rose Yao, a product lead at Google, announced a new Search Lab test (“Ask for Me”) that uses Google Duplex to automate calls to local businesses “to find out what they charge for a service and when it’s available.” It’s testing in two categories to start: automotive service/repair and nail salons. And we just got access. When your search query falls within one of the two test categories (e.g., oil change), the Ask for Me module appears under the Local Pack with a large call to action that encourages users to “Get started.” Ask for Me Module, CTA (Screenshot from searc...
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GBP Reviews Outage Is Over
16Feb By Roger MonttiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

GBP Reviews Outage Is Over

A Googler published an update to let businesses know that the ongoing outage is almost over and that most businesses that have lost review counts should have seen them return to pre-outage levels. Businesses that continue to experience a review outage should see their problem resolved within a matter of days. Google Business Profile Outage The Googler posted the following update: “13-Feb-2025 UpdateMost affected profiles now display accurate ratings and reviews. However, while we have made significant progress, some profiles may still experience a temporary lower count. These profiles should recover to pre-issue levels over the next few days. No reviews were unpublished due to this issue. If your review count does not return to the level it was before this issue in the next few days, pleas...
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Surprising Review Stats To Feed Your Local Strategy [Study]
12Feb By Miriam EllisNo Comments
Digital Marketing, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Surprising Review Stats To Feed Your Local Strategy [Study]

If you’ve already walked a long mile in your local SEO shoes, chances are you have plenty of lived experiences that allow you to predict some of the responses to large-scale local business review surveys. It’s affirming to see, for example, that 85% of our respondents place a degree of trust in local business reviews, and 92% now believe that brands responding to reviews have become part of offering good customer service. Consumers are also seeking review content across a wide variety of platforms, including traditional local business listings like Google Business Profiles, social media sites like Instagram, and other localized online spaces. You could have made an educated guess about stats like these, but pay attention to the data in this survey that contains genuine surprises. Statistic...
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Maximizing Foot Traffic With Hyper-Targeted Local PPC Strategies
4Feb By Ameet KhabraNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, PPC, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Maximizing Foot Traffic With Hyper-Targeted Local PPC Strategies

As someone who knows a lot of local business owners, I know how important it is to get customers through your doors. While traditional marketing methods like flyers and newspaper ads still have their place, the digital era has opened up incredible new ways to reach local audiences and drive foot traffic, thanks to PPC advertising. PPC platforms like Google Ads offer fairly granular geographic targeting options, allowing you to show ads only to people in the area(s) you serve. However, effective local PPC goes beyond setting a radius around your store location. You can drastically improve your campaigns by leveraging advanced strategies and features to bring more local customers to your business. Get Granular With Location Targeting The foundation of any local PPC campaign is location targe...
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Here’s What It Means For Marketers
23Jan By Mike BlumenthalNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, Mobile SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Here’s What It Means For Marketers

Google is starting to roll out an AI-based Q&A feature to Google Business Profiles (GBP) on Google Maps for mobile. This feature will very likely replace Google Q&A, which has silently gone missing on some listings. The “Ask Maps about this place” AI feature was first announced in late October 2024, along with a number of other Google Maps AI enhancements, but has not been widely available or visible. At the time, Google also noted that “you’ll also see similar experiences in the coming months on Search – including AI-powered review summaries and the option to ask detailed questions about places.” Currently, the feature is available on the Google Maps app, buried on the profile in the Overview tab, beneath the basic business NAP details and the review summaries. How Does It Work? ...
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Local SEO For Service Area Businesses: Targeting Your Coverage
15Jan By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Local SEO For Service Area Businesses: Targeting Your Coverage

For small, mobile, local businesses operating without a fixed storefront, navigating the world of local SEO can feel like charting uncharted territory. Service area businesses (SABs) – think plumbers, electricians, mobile pet groomers, and the like – face unique challenges in establishing a strong online presence. However, by understanding the nuances of local SEO for service area businesses and implementing the right strategies, you can effectively target your service areas and reach more customers than ever before. This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricacies of local SEO for SABs, providing valuable insights, strategies, and best practices to help you effectively target your coverage area and maximize your online visibility to drive more local traffic and business. Understan...
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Google Business Profile Update Targets Delivery Of Age-Restricted Products
28Nov By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Google Business Profile Update Targets Delivery Of Age-Restricted Products

Google has updated its Business Profile rules for service-area businesses that sell age-restricted products. Now, businesses selling alcohol, cannabis, weapons, and similar items must have a physical storefront to maintain their Google Business Profile. We were alerted to this update by Stefan Somborac on X: Google actually uses the phrase "Businesses associated with…" not "Businesses selling…", which significantly broadens how this new change can be applied. 2/3 pic.twitter.com/FD31fUmm94 — Stefan Somborac (@StefanSomborac) November 27, 2024 Changes To Service-Area Business Guidelines Google has updated its guidelines to prevent businesses that sell age-restricted products from operating only as service-area businesses. The updated guidelines state: “Businesses associated with products ...
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Google Rolls Out AI-Powered In-Store Shopping Tools
20Nov By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Rolls Out AI-Powered In-Store Shopping Tools

Google announced new features for in-store shopping and expanded payment options, marking changes to its retail technology offerings. Key Updates Google Lens Google Lens, which reportedly processes 20 billion searches monthly, will enable users to photograph products in stores to find price comparisons and reviews. The system uses Google’s product database of over 45 billion listings and its Gemini AI models. Google announcement states: “This new update is made possible by major advancements in our AI image recognition technology. It’s powered by the Shopping Graph’s 45 billion+ product listings, in-stock inventory data from a range of retailers and our Gemini models to bring you an entirely new way to shop in-store.” Internal research cited by the company suggests that 72% of Americans us...
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Google Maps Launches Product Search: Steps For Retailers
16Nov By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Maps Launches Product Search: Steps For Retailers

Google has updated Maps to include product-specific search capabilities, just in time for the holiday shopping season. This feature allows consumers to search for specific items and find nearby stores with available inventory. Key Features The update lets you search for products directly within Google Maps and find real-time inventory availability at nearby stores. Shoppers can find a wide range of items and have immediate access to local pickup options. In an announcement, Google states: “Need a last-minute gift? Now, you can search in Google Maps for items like pickleball rackets, board games, ice cream makers and more to find nearby stores that have them in stock so you can pick up what you need, stat. No empty stockings here!” Implementation Guide For Retailers Retailers should focus o...
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Review Requests Should Be Treated Like Customer Service [Data Study]
25Sep By Miriam EllisNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, sem, SEO, seo services

Review Requests Should Be Treated Like Customer Service [Data Study]

Want to get rid of that sinking feeling of looking with envy at the high review volumes and star ratings of your top local competitors? You already know that both review count and ratings are contributing to these brands’ dominance in Google’s Packs and Maps. Today, I’ll share some good news that could help the local businesses you market catch up and compete. A major report just published from GatherUp has studied 23,000 locations, and from this, I have three key actionable highlights for you. My favorite overall takeaway from this interesting study is that improving your review volume, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and ratings may involve a slight adjustment in how your local business thinks about reputation management. The data indicates that this powerful user-generated content (UGC) in th...
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Google Business Profile Video Verification Best Practices
5Sep By Sherry BonelliNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Business Profile Video Verification Best Practices

Google Business Profiles (GBP) are one of the best ways for a local merchant to get online exposure. But before your GBP becomes visible to the public, you must verify it by clicking on the Get Verified link. Screenshot from Google Business Profile, June 2024 When a business sets up a Google Business Profile, Google offers a method (or sometimes several ways) to verify the profile. This verification process helps Google ensure that the business is a real and legitimate business that is eligible for a GBP and meets Google’s guidelines for representing your business on Google. In an ideal world, Google would visit each location with a GBP to ensure that the business is real and meets all guidelines. But that is not possible. One of the ways Google can verify a business is through video verif...
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Yelp Sues Google Over Local Search Dominance
1Sep By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

Yelp Sues Google Over Local Search Dominance

Yelp has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in federal court in San Francisco. The suit alleges that Google has illegally leveraged its monopoly in general search to dominate the local search and local search advertising markets, harming competition and consumer choice. Key Allegations Yelp’s complaint accuses Google of engaging in anticompetitive conduct, including: Self-preferencing its own “inferior” local search product over competitors Driving traffic and revenue away from rivals like Yelp Making it harder for competitors to achieve scale Increasing costs for rivals Limiting consumer choice to grow its market power The company claims Google’s local listings are “on average, shorter, more prone to error, less subject to quality control, and less likely to be useful to consumer...
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Utilizing Local Influencers For Digital Marketing Success
20Aug By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
Digital Marketing, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Utilizing Local Influencers For Digital Marketing Success

Small businesses face the ongoing challenge of standing out in crowded marketplaces, both online and off. One strategy that has gained significant traction in recent years is leveraging prominent, trusted local influencers to help boost online authority and visibility and grow the business. This approach enables businesses to tap into established community voices, build trust, and reach specific local audiences through value-added partnerships. Understanding Local Influencer Marketing Local influencer marketing involves partnering with people who have significant followings and/or influence within a specific geographic area or community. These influencers may not have millions of followers like national or global influencers, but their impact on local consumers’ searching and buying decisi...
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A Guide For Local Business Owners
3Jul By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, sem, SEO, seo company, seo services

A Guide For Local Business Owners

Local business owners consistently face a familiar digital marketing conundrum. With a myriad of options available and seemingly growing daily, including the recent introductions of AI into the mix, how do you determine the best and most effective approach for your business? To begin, most local businesses have two (or technically four) primary paths to consider: Organic and paid strategies for both search and social media. In this guide, we’ll explore the nuances of each option, weigh the pros and cons, and offer actionable insights to help make informed decisions on where to invest your valuable time, resources, and funds. Understanding Organic And Paid Strategies Let’s start by defining the fundamental difference between organic and paid strategies: Organic: Focuses on building long-te...
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Google To Shut Down Business Profile Chat Feature
13Jun By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google To Shut Down Business Profile Chat Feature

Google has announced that it will discontinue the chat feature in Google Business Profiles. The wind-down process will start on July 15, and the functionality will complete on July 31. The news was emailed to businesses, acknowledging the potential difficulty of the decision and emphasizing Google’s commitment to remaining a helpful partner in business management. Google’s email to businesses reads: “We are reaching out to share that we will be winding down Google’s chat feature in Google Business Profile on July 31, 2024. We acknowledge this may be difficult news – as we continually improve our tools, we occasionally have to make difficult decisions which may impact the businesses and partners we work with. It’s important to us that Google remains a helpful partner as you manage your busi...
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Your Guide To Dominating Local Search Marketing
5Jun By SOCiNo Comments
content, content creation, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, On-page SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Sponsored Posts

Your Guide To Dominating Local Search Marketing

This post was sponsored by SOCi. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. As a marketer, you may feel like the ground is shifting under your feet with so many changes in the world of search. From Google’s recent announcement to release AI Overviews to all U.S. users to OpenAI revealing GPT-4o, there’s a lot to keep up with. How will these changes impact your search efforts? Do you need to shift your search strategy? We have the answers for you and more! In this blog, we’ll explain how search marketing has changed, what this means for your brand, and share tactics to improve your online visibility. At the end, we’ll also introduce our new game-changer for local search management. Let’s get into it! The Evolution Of Search Marketing As search evolves, many marketers are ...
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7 Automotive SEO Best Practices For Driving Business In 2024
12May By Adam HeitzmanNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Vertical SEO

7 Automotive SEO Best Practices For Driving Business In 2024

Whether you’re behind the wheel of a dealership, running a tire shop, or steering any other type of automotive business, mastering SEO remains an indispensable component of a successful marketing strategy in 2024. Today’s automotive consumers are more connected and informed than ever. Moreover, the preference for organic search results over paid advertisements remains strong, highlighting the critical importance of SEO in today’s digital-first consumer landscape. However, staying up-to-date on Google’s search engine results page (SERP) and algorithm changes requires diligence. To further illustrate this, consider these insights: 88% of potential car buyers now turn to digital channels to gather information. Car buyers dedicate 14 hours and 39 minutes to online research and finding the per...
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Google Search & Maps Get Upgrades For Greener Travel
17Apr By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Search & Maps Get Upgrades For Greener Travel

Google announced updates to its Maps and Search products on Monday aimed at helping users find and choose more sustainable transportation options over gas-powered vehicles. James Byers, Google Search’s Group Product Manager, states: “When it comes to traveling and commuting, we want people to have the right information to make more sustainable choices.” Eco-Friendly Route Suggestions Screenshot from: blog.google/products/search/, April 2024. If travel times are comparable, one of Google Maps’ key new features will be the provision of transit and walking route suggestions alongside driving routes. This update will be rolled out in over 15 major cities worldwide in the coming weeks, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, and Sydney. Train & Bus Route Information Google is expandin...
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Google Limits News Links In California Over Proposed ‘Link Tax’ Law
13Apr By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Limits News Links In California Over Proposed ‘Link Tax’ Law

Google announced that it plans to reduce access to California news websites for a portion of users in the state. The decision comes as Google prepares for the potential passage of the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), a bill requiring online platforms like Google to pay news publishers for linking to their content. What Is The California Journalism Preservation Act? The CJPA, introduced in the California State Legislature, aims to support local journalism by creating what Google refers to as a “link tax.” If passed, the Act would force companies like Google to pay media outlets when sending readers to news articles. However, Google believes this approach needs to be revised and could harm rather than help the news industry. Jaffer Zaidi, Google’s VP of Global News Partnerships...
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How To See Google Search Results And Rankings For Different Locations
12Apr By Loren BakerNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How To See Google Search Results And Rankings For Different Locations

As a business owner or digital marketer, understanding your local search ranking on Google is crucial for attracting nearby customers and increasing your online visibility. With so many consumers using search engines to find local products and services, optimizing for local search has become a key component of any successful SEO strategy. In this article, we’ll explore various methods to check your local ranking on Google, ensuring that your business stays competitive in your target market. Why Do Search Results Vary By Location? Google prioritizes local relevance in its search results to provide users with the most helpful information based on their location. The search engine uses various factors to determine a user’s location, including: Device location (via Wi-Fi, cell phone triangulat...
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How To See Google Search Results And Rankings For Different Locations
4Apr By Loren BakerNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How To See Google Search Results And Rankings For Different Locations

As a business owner or digital marketer, understanding your local search ranking on Google is crucial for attracting nearby customers and increasing your online visibility. With so many consumers using search engines to find local products and services, optimizing for local search has become a key component of any successful SEO strategy. In this article, we’ll explore various methods to check your local ranking on Google, ensuring that your business stays competitive in your target market. Why Do Search Results Vary By Location? Google prioritizes local relevance in its search results to provide users with the most helpful information based on their location. The search engine uses various factors to determine a user’s location, including: Device location (via Wi-Fi, cell phone triangulat...
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Google Business Profile Suspended? Here’s How To Get Reinstated
17Mar By Sherry BonelliNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Business Profile Suspended? Here’s How To Get Reinstated

For most small businesses, Google Business Profile (GBP) is their marketing lifeblood. Because it’s free, many local businesses rely solely on their Google Business Profile to generate traffic and calls, as well as to bring customers to their business. Marketers know it’s risky to put all your marketing eggs in one basket. But for a local business that has a limited budget – or no marketing budget at all – a free GBP listing is often all they have to promote their business online. When a business’s GBP listing gets suspended, it can literally make a company’s sales come to a screeching halt. And in some cases, I’ve seen companies go out of business due to a suspension. A suspended GBP listing will cause the business owner a lot of stress and worry – especially when most aren’t sure why the...
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How Local Businesses Should Use Video In Their Digital Marketing
14Mar By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How Local Businesses Should Use Video In Their Digital Marketing

The popularity of digital video content is undeniable. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, all of which are heavily video-based, are at the top of the social media ladder. For many younger audiences, these platforms, along with a plethora of streaming services, have usurped all others as their primary source of entertainment and/or information. Some are even being touted as the next search engines. This is still hotly debated. Likewise, video marketing is on the rise, and many marketers have come to see this as a preferred method of engaging with their target audiences. However, at a local business level and for local business owners, it feels like there is still something of a reluctance to fully embrace this important medium. Perhaps this is due to a lack of time or resources – a c...
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Google Integrates Social Media Posts Into Google Business Profiles
12Mar By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Integrates Social Media Posts Into Google Business Profiles

Google has introduced a feature that automatically displays social media posts from platforms like Instagram and Facebook directly on Google Business Profiles (GBP). This update aims to give customers a more comprehensive view of a business’s online activity and engagement. According to a Google help page, businesses that have associated their social media links with their GBP may now find their social media posts automatically surface on their profiles. This feature is currently available for select regions and may not be accessible to all Business Profiles. Manage Your Social Media Links To take advantage of this new feature, businesses can manage which social media links are displayed to customers on their Google Business Profile. You can add one link from each platform: Facebook, Insta...
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Local SEO For Non-Physical Businesses: Overcoming The Challenges
11Mar By Adam HeitzmanNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Local SEO For Non-Physical Businesses: Overcoming The Challenges

It’s hard to overstate the value of maximizing your organic visibility for location-based searches. A well-executed local SEO strategy lets you reach far more local customers, which can deliver a massive boost to your in-store and online traffic and sales. But if you don’t run a brick-and-mortar business, can you still take advantage of local SEO? Fortunately, the answer is yes! Today, we’ll explain how to overcome the challenges of building a solid local search presence without a physical storefront. Difficulties Of Local SEO For Non-Physical Businesses Search engines take into account the physical location of businesses when determining the most relevant listings to rank for local searches. If a company has an address in Nashville, Google may rank it higher for user searches in and aroun...
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Google Business Profile Suspended? Here’s How To Get Reinstated
7Mar By Sherry BonelliNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Business Profile Suspended? Here’s How To Get Reinstated

For most small businesses, Google Business Profile (GBP) is their marketing lifeblood. Because it’s free, many local businesses rely solely on their Google Business Profile to generate traffic and calls, as well as to bring customers to their business. Marketers know it’s risky to put all your marketing eggs in one basket. But for a local business that has a limited budget – or no marketing budget at all – a free GBP listing is often all they have to promote their business online. When a business’s GBP listing gets suspended, it can literally make a company’s sales come to a screeching halt. And in some cases, I’ve seen companies go out of business due to a suspension. A suspended GBP listing will cause the business owner a lot of stress and worry – especially when most aren’t sure why the...
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A Guide to Star Ratings on Google and How They Work
5Mar By Chandal Nolasco da SilvaNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

A Guide to Star Ratings on Google and How They Work

The elusive five-star review used to be something you could only flaunt in a rotating reviews section on your website. But today, Google has pulled these stars out of the shadows and features them front and center across branded SERPs and beyond. Star ratings can help businesses earn trust from potential customers, improve local search rankings, and boost conversions. This is your guide to how they work. Stars And SERPs: What Is The Google Star Rating? A Google star rating is a consumer-powered grading system that lets other consumers know how good a business is based on a score of one to five stars. These star ratings can appear across maps and different Google search results properties like standard blue link search listings, ads, rich results like recipe cards, local pack results, third...
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Websites Created With Google Business Profiles To Shut Down In March
1Mar By Kristi HinesNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Websites Created With Google Business Profiles To Shut Down In March

Do you have a website created through Google Business Profiles for your local business? If so, you must find an alternative website solution as Google plans to shut down websites created with Google Business Profiles in March. Websites Created With Google Business Profiles Will Redirect Until June 10, 2024 A redirect will be put in place from your GBP website to your Google Business Profile until June 10, 2024. “Websites made with Google Business Profiles are basic websites powered by the information on your Business Profile. In March 2024, websites made with Google Business Profiles will be turned off and customers visiting your site will be redirected to your Business Profile instead. The redirect will work until June 10, 2024.” How To Find Out If You Have A Google Business Profile Websi...
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How To Earn Points & Badges
20Feb By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

How To Earn Points & Badges

Google depends on volunteers called Local Guides to keep Search and Maps updated with information about local businesses and attractions. These volunteers contribute reviews, photos, and videos that help you make decisions when visiting a new place. Though they do it to benefit searchers, Local Guides get virtual rewards from Google’s program, which incentivizes people to help keep Maps current. Local Guides may also verify info submitted by businesses. Anyone can join and contribute reviews to earn recognition and perks. This article explains the Local Guide program – how to join, what you do, and the rewards you can earn. What Is The Google Local Guide Program? The Google Local Guide program incentivizes users to help improve Google Maps and Business Profiles. It’s set up like a game whe...
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Google Maps Launches AI-Powered Local Business Search
5Feb By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Maps Launches AI-Powered Local Business Search

Google is introducing an experimental feature in Google Maps that uses AI to help users discover local businesses that meet specific needs. AI-Powered Discovery The new feature utilizes large language models to analyze Google Maps’ database of over 250 million places, photos, ratings, reviews, and more. After entering a conversational search query, Google Maps will suggest personalized recommendations for businesses, events, restaurants, and activities in the area. For example, you can ask Maps to recommend “places with a vintage vibe in San Francisco,” and it will return suggestions like clothing boutiques, record stores, and flea markets. The results are categorized with photos and review highlights to explain why they meet your criteria. You can refine your search by asking follow-up qu...
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How Better Online Reputation Drives Revenue
31Jan By Loren BakerNo Comments
Digital Strategy, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEJ Show, SEO, seo services

How Better Online Reputation Drives Revenue

Join us as we look at how your online reputation and local marketing strategies can drive revenue for your business, while avoiding pitfalls along the way. With guest Raj Nijjer of Edge, we’ll dive into the revenue impacts that your online reputation can have, and why this reputation building should be crucial in your planning. Join your host Loren Baker, as he and Raj discuss how to avoid wasteful strategies of local marketing and multi-location businesses, plus a couple tips on how a good reputation can help attract and retain top talent. [01:14] – Raj’s Background and Journey to Edge.[02:44] – Edge’s Concept of Employee-Driven Growth and Its Connection to Google Reviews.[10:34] – How Reviews Contribute to Local SEO.[11:27] – Customer-Facing End: In-Depth Reviews and Personalization.[13:...
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A Complete Guide for Local SEO
29Jan By Sherry BonelliNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

A Complete Guide for Local SEO

One of the best local SEO strategies that any eligible local business can use to rank higher on Google and get local clients is to claim and optimize their Google Business Profile. However, claiming your Google Business Profile (GBP) is just the first step – you must optimize, frequently check, and update your GBP with new information for potential customers. Also, many businesses don’t realize that Google (and almost any user) can make changes to their GBP – like changing your address, updating your business hours, uploading photos, leaving reviews, and more. Ultimately, a Google Business Profile is really a community profile – it’s not just yours (the merchant’s). Virtually anyone online can contribute to your Google Business Profile, and Google encourages user-generated content (UGC), l...
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Adapting Your Digital Marketing Strategy To Local Events And Seasons
12Jan By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Adapting Your Digital Marketing Strategy To Local Events And Seasons

Local businesses wanting to improve their online visibility are regularly tasked with proving their “localness” and relevance to search engines. In my last article on using local partnerships and collaborations to build authority and visibility, we touched on the importance of community participation and engagement as a means to establish this localness. Two primary means of engaging with local customers are via events or establishing communications during relevant occasions. Both offer the opportunity to create informational, educational, or promotional content where local businesses are able to demonstrate their experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness – or E-E-A-T – which Google strongly factors into its Search Quality Rater Guidelines and, subsequently, its search ...
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What To Expect In 2024
23Dec By Kristi HinesNo Comments
Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, PPC, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, SEO Strategy

What To Expect In 2024

Initially, the Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) experiment in Labs was expected to “end” in December 2023. But with the latest redesign of the Google Labs website, many have noticed that the end date for SGE has disappeared. What does this mean for Google SGE and the future of generative AI in search? Here’s what we know about Google SGE and what we can expect with generative AI in search for 2024. Screenshot from Google, December 2023 Consumers Want AI-Powered Search According to a survey of 2,205 adults in the United States, the AI-powered product that people are most interested in is search. Also included in the list of AI products are AI-powered smart assistants, shopping recommendations, and ads. (Feb 2023) Screenshot from Statista, December 2023 Over 25% Of Users Trust AI-Po...
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Google Confirms Business ‘Openness’ As Local Ranking Factor
16Dec By Kristi HinesNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Confirms Business ‘Openness’ As Local Ranking Factor

Recent findings by SEO professionals suggest that Google has recalibrated its local search algorithm, placing more emphasis on a business’s listed hours of operation as a key ranking signal. According to Joy Hawkins of Sterling Sky, the trend became noticeable after the November 2023 core update, leading to businesses that appear as closed being significantly less visible in local search results. 😱Well the news is out, the new ranking factor we are seeing that has a massive impact on ranking is HOURS. We're seeing that businesses literally vanish in the local pack when they are not open. We started seeing this with the November 2023 core update. This is also making… pic.twitter.com/kDzfrbNmB5 — Joy Hawkins (@JoyanneHawkins) December 7, 2023 Business Hours Confirmed As ‘Stronger’ ...
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New Location Data Controls & Ability To Delete Visits
13Dec By Kristi HinesNo Comments
Analytics & Data, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

New Location Data Controls & Ability To Delete Visits

In a move to increase user privacy, Google Maps launched updates to give users more control over location data storage and recent activity. With these updates, users will be able to manage their Location History with greater precision. The changes could, however, affect analytics data marketers utilize for location targeting. Timeline Storage On Local Device First, the Timeline feature in Google Maps, a tool that assists users in recalling places they have been, is receiving a significant privacy-oriented update. Screenshot from Google, December 2023 Users with Location History turned on will soon find that their Timeline will be stored directly on their devices rather than on cloud servers. This storage decision gives users extra autonomy over their location data and the assurance that it...
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OpenAI Investigates ‘Lazy’ GPT-4 Complaints On Google Reviews, X
9Dec By Kristi HinesNo Comments
Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

OpenAI Investigates ‘Lazy’ GPT-4 Complaints On Google Reviews, X

OpenAI, the company that launched ChatGPT a little over a year ago, has recently taken to social media to address concerns regarding the “lazy” performance of GPT-4 on social media and Google Reviews. Screenshot from X, December 2023 This move comes after growing user feedback online, which even includes a one-star review on the company’s Google Reviews. OpenAI Gives Insight Into Training Chat Models, Performance Evaluations, And A/B Testing OpenAI, through its @ChatGPTapp Twitter account, detailed the complexities involved in training chat models. Screenshot from X, December 2023 The organization highlighted that the process is not a “clean industrial process” and that variations in training runs can lead to noticeable differences in the AI’s personality, creative style, and political bia...
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Google Announces New AI Features Coming To Google Maps
2Dec By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Announces New AI Features Coming To Google Maps

Google has announced several new AI-powered updates coming soon to Google Maps that aim to help users plan trips, navigate unfamiliar areas, find electric vehicle charging stations, and discover new places and activities. Immersive View The most visually advanced new feature is Immersive View for routes, providing users with a detailed preview of their journey from start to finish. Using advanced AI to fuse billions of Street View and aerial images, Google claims Immersive View will allow users to experience simulated journeys as if they were there. The Immersive View preview is an interactive experience, allowing users to explore routes from different vantage points, zoom, pan, and even change the time of day or weather conditions. This gives users a sense of what the journey will be like...
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How Local Businesses Can Rank For Popular Near Me Searches
1Dec By Kristi HinesNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

How Local Businesses Can Rank For Popular Near Me Searches

A recent feature on The Verge highlighted businesses that try to get an edge in local search rankings with clever names like Thai Food Near Me. So, I set out to discover if this strategy could impact local rankings and, more importantly, if other local businesses could replicate it. Before I get started, I should preface this with some good and bad news. Bad News: Distance Is An Important Ranking Factor Most restaurants will not rank as the best restaurants near me unless they are physically located near the search user’s location. The reason? One of the three critical ranking factors for Google local search results is distance. Suppose a restaurant owner wants people in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York to discover their dining establishment with the term best restaurant near me...
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Data-Driven Decision Making To Optimized Local Digital Marketing Efforts
29Nov By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Data-Driven Decision Making To Optimized Local Digital Marketing Efforts

If you’ve been involved in any sort of marketing over the past 20 to 30 years, you’ve no doubt heard the phrase “Content is King.” This may very well be true, as content in its many forms underpins all interactions between businesses and their target audience. However, if “Content is King,” then data is an omnipotent force directing the King’s every move. This is particularly the case with digital marketing, where nearly all interactions and engagements can be monitored, analyzed, and optimized. To put it simply, data helps us to understand what is working and not working so we can focus our attention on doing more of the former and less of the latter to drive results. Start With Actionable KPIs For small local businesses, which don’t typically have a great deal of time or resources to all...
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Using Local Business Partnerships To Build Authority And Visibility
28Nov By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Using Local Business Partnerships To Build Authority And Visibility

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), one thing remains constant: the importance of authority, which has a distinct effect on organic search visibility. Authoritativeness is the “A” in the much-heralded E-E-A-T found in Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines. In short, a business or organization needs to prove its authoritativeness to Google, and all other search engines, in order to be considered worthy of visibility in search engine results. The authority of a local business can be established in a few different ways, most notably: Via the helpful, high-quality, well-structured content it creates for its target audience/customers. Through validation of its offerings via industry-specific backlinks it maintains to its primary product, ...
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Google Maps Introduces New Ways To Plan Travel & Navigate
26Nov By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Maps Introduces New Ways To Plan Travel & Navigate

Google Maps gets holiday travel boost with smarter transit, group planning, and community engagement features. Google Maps is updating transit directions to recommend smarter routes. New tools will allow for easier group trip planning on Maps. Users can now react to Maps content with emojis.
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Google Reveals Best & Worst Times For Holiday Travel
25Nov By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Reveals Best & Worst Times For Holiday Travel

With the holiday season fast approaching, Google has released data to help people navigate traffic and crowds more efficiently. Analyzing trends from last year’s holidays, Google published a blog post highlighting the optimal times to travel, shop, and run errands. “Whether you’re hitting the road early or heading out on Thanksgiving day, we looked at traffic patterns to help plan your trip,” writes Google’s Madison Gouveia in the blog post. Thanksgiving Travel Tips Google recommends departing on Monday or Tuesday around 8 p.m. local time for those driving before Thanksgiving. Avoid the peak traffic period on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4-5 p.m. On Thanksgiving Day, the best strategy is to leave before noon or after 4 p.m. to miss the peak congestion between 1-4 p.m. “Heading out on Thanksg...
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Essential Google Algorithm & AI Updates For Agencies & Brands
23Aug By Heather CampbellNo Comments
content, Content Trends, Digital Marketing, Digital Trends, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, On-page SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, SEO Strategy, Webinar

Essential Google Algorithm & AI Updates For Agencies & Brands

Staying ahead of the curve is essential for agencies and brands looking to succeed in 2023. With Google’s algorithm constantly updating and AI technology quickly advancing, how can you use these changes to your advantage? How can you stay up-to-date and streamline and maximize your online reputation? In order to thrive in the world of search and SEO, it’s important to know what to expect so you can adapt accordingly. So, if you’re ready to elevate your service offerings and boost your search rankings, our upcoming webinar has all the insights you need. Join industry experts Morrissey Balsamides and Cynthia Sener of Chatmeter as they delve into five crucial Google Algorithm & AI changes that you need to know to remain competitive. Discover the strategic advantages of AI integration, how...
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How Should They Do It?
18Aug By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
content marketing, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How Should They Do It?

Content marketing, particularly of the digital variety, has become an increasingly popular item in modern marketers’ toolboxes. While many larger organizations have been quick to embrace content marketing strategies, smaller local businesses often underestimate its potential or remain unsure about its relevance to their operations. This is particularly true considering the level of effort and time it has traditionally taken to produce content in its many forms; from blogs and social posts to podcasts and videos. Small business owners and managers may be unsure of content’s value and the return it will provide. They may be asking questions like, “Who has the time or wants to read, watch, or listen to my content?” However, as consumer behavior and search engine algorithms continue to evolve,...
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Google Lets Businesses Add Social Media Links To Profiles
17Aug By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Lets Businesses Add Social Media Links To Profiles

Google has introduced the ability for businesses to add social media profile links directly in their Google Business Profile. This new option enables companies to showcase their social media presence alongside other information in Google Search and Maps. By having social media links accessible on their Google Business Profile, businesses can provide customers with more ways to connect, acquire information, and resolve issues. New Feature Rollout A new Google support page explains businesses can now control which social media links are displayed on their Google Business Profile. Businesses can add one link per social media platform to their Business Profile. The supported platforms include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. This feature is b...
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The Ultimate Guide To Boosting Local SEO For Clients Using AI
7Aug By Cynthia SenerNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Sponsored Posts

The Ultimate Guide To Boosting Local SEO For Clients Using AI

Drive business growth by offering an online brand and reputation intelligence platform that re-imagines customer connections through AI-powered deep listening, especially if you run an agency or are a reseller. In today’s ever-evolving tech landscape, it’s easy for agencies to feel overwhelmed by the vast array of options and partners. If you’re working with multi-location customers desiring modern marketing platforms, services, and products, the selection becomes even more complex. This article provides six key points to consider when looking for the reputation management platform and partner that best serves both you and your customers. 1. Place A High Value On End-Consumer Insights To Gain More Retainers & Clients As a marketing agency, the key to your clients’ success lies in how t...
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How Can Small Local Service Businesses Use AI To Improve Their Digital Marketing?
3Jul By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How Can Small Local Service Businesses Use AI To Improve Their Digital Marketing?

When many of us hear how AI will change the world – particularly digital marketing – our thoughts (and occasionally fears) drift towards how big organizations will use machines to do the work of legions of copywriters, designers, and other content creators. Large corporations with equally large customer bases and competitively driven content needs are looking to sophisticated AI systems to generate content, and process and analyze data to stay ahead. But the opportunities presented by AI are not just for the big guys. In fact, small local businesses with fewer resources and often less time can certainly benefit from some of the innovative time and cost savings AI solutions offer. One particularly challenging aspect of running a small business these days is keeping up with the often overwhe...
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Why US Brands Lose $2.4B A Year From Local Invisibility
7Jun By Heather CampbellNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Webinar

Why US Brands Lose $2.4B A Year From Local Invisibility

A localized marketing approach can unlock significant growth potential for your business – but it can also be highly competitive. So, what will it take to raise the bar and outperform your competition? How can you avoid missed revenue opportunities and maximize your brand’s visibility? On May 31, I moderated a webinar from SOCi’s Monica Ho, CMO, and Damian Rollinson, Director of Market Insights. Ho & Rollinson presented the results of the Local Visibility Index (LVI) and uncovered how costly it is to fall short of the high standards required for localized marketing. Here’s a summary of the webinar. To access the entire presentation, complete the form. The Local Visibility Index: Results & Trends For 2023 Let’s dive into the 2023 findings, exploring the significant outcomes and patt...
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5Jun By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google’s John Mueller Seeks Advice On Hiring SEO Consultants

Google Search Advocate, John Mueller, has turned to Twitter seeking advice on what to consider when hiring an SEO consultant. He posed the question on behalf of someone running an animal park, indicating the need for a local SEO consultant to enhance their online presence. “Does anyone have recommendations in terms of people/companies & things to watch out for when picking one?” Mueller asked in his tweet, “How do you separate the serious from the less-serious folks?”​ Here’s a look into the ensuing conversation, including a range of insights into what you should look for when hiring SEO professionals. Cost Considerations In SEO Consultancy One of the replies to Mueller’s tweet highlighted the cost-sensitive nature of SEO consultancy. Kris Roadruck emphasized that most low-budget local...
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A Strategy For Ranking Local Search Terms
30May By Andrew ShotlandNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, On-page SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

A Strategy For Ranking Local Search Terms

Location landing pages don’t get enough respect. You set them up with your name, address, phone number & hours. Maybe you embed a Google Map for driving directions. Perhaps you write some copy that no one will read, and if you have multiple locations, you repeat the same copy on each page and just change the location name. If you’re feeling cocky, you put a call to action on it – maybe. You set it, then you forget it. And guess what? That actually works pretty well for local SEO. I mean, what more does a potential customer want from a location page? Maybe an appointment scheduler? But who cares about the customer? We smug SEO types all know Google is our #1 customer. So, what does Google want from a location page? Let’s start with the basics. 1. What Is The Purpose Of A Location Page?...
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HomeAdvisor Penalized By FTC For Alleged False Claims About Leads
16May By Roger MonttiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

HomeAdvisor Penalized By FTC For Alleged False Claims About Leads

HomeAdvisor reached a settlement with the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over allegedly deceptive tactics used by HomeAdvisor to sell leads by using unsubstantiated claims about the quality of the leads it sold to home improvement professionals. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a federal agency charged with protecting and educating consumers as well as promoting competition. It protects consumers from unfair business practices, including in this case home services providers who were alleged to be misled by HomeAdvisor. HomeAdvisor False and Misleading Claims The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a settlement with HomeAdvisor, a company affiliated with Angi (formerly Angie’s List), in which the company was accused of making false claims about the leads it was selling...
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Google’s Environmental Crisis Alerts: Earth Day Spotlight
23Apr By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google’s Environmental Crisis Alerts: Earth Day Spotlight

On Earth Day, we not only think about climate change and natural disasters affecting our world but also recognize technologies that assist in keeping us safe when they occur. An example of such technology is Google’s environmental crisis notifications. Each year, countless people experience the devastating effects of natural disasters like floods, wildfires, and earthquakes, leading to the loss of lives and property. To address this worldwide issue, Google has created environmental crisis notifications, offering quick and precise details to those in affected regions. These notifications can be found via Google Search and Maps, helping individuals and communities take the needed precautions and make educated choices in times of crisis. In this article, we look into Google’s environmental cr...
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Google Reveals How It Catches Fake Local Business Reviews
31Mar By Roger MonttiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Reveals How It Catches Fake Local Business Reviews

Google published a blog post that shared that they updated their machine learning systems in order to catch and remove more fake reviews, fake business listings and fraudulent contributed images and videos. The automated systems and human review teams removed over 200 million photos, 7 million videos and blocked or removed over 115 million reviews, which represents a 20% increase over the prior year, 2021. How Google Catches User Contributed Spam Google is using brand new machine learning models to catch and remove fake and fraudulent content. These machine learning models look for unusual patterns in user contributed content, including flagging new forms of abuse that hadn’t previously been seen. Google shared: “We’ve long used machine intelligence to help us spot patterns of potential ab...
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8 Techniques To Get More Customer Reviews For Your Local Business
24Feb By Pratik DholakiyaNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

8 Techniques To Get More Customer Reviews For Your Local Business

In the internet age, few things shape purchasing decisions as much as online reviews. And why not? They provide authentic and honest insight that no marketing campaign could ever replicate. The modern equivalent of the all-important word of mouth, customer reviews can make or break the reputation of a local business – and make a huge impact on sales numbers. Not convinced of the importance of reviews for small businesses? Here are some key online review statistics you should know: When shopping online, more than 99.9% of people read reviews at least occasionally. 91% of consumers acknowledged positive reviews made them more likely to support a business. 79% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Only 13% of people would consider using a business with a two-star...
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8 Techniques To Get More Customer Reviews For Your Local Business
14Feb By Pratik DholakiyaNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

8 Techniques To Get More Customer Reviews For Your Local Business

In the internet age, few things shape purchasing decisions as much as online reviews. And why not? They provide authentic and honest insight that no marketing campaign could ever replicate. The modern equivalent of the all-important word of mouth, customer reviews can make or break the reputation of a local business – and make a huge impact on sales numbers. Not convinced of the importance of reviews for small businesses? Here are some key online review statistics you should know: When shopping online, more than 99.9% of people read reviews at least occasionally. 91% of consumers acknowledged positive reviews made them more likely to support a business. 79% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Only 13% of people would consider using a business with a two-star...
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Google Maps Brings A New Level Of Interactivity To Your Journey
8Feb By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Maps Brings A New Level Of Interactivity To Your Journey

New features announced today at a live event in Paris demonstrate how Google is utilizing AI to bring its vision of a more immersive, intuitive map to life. With these updates, Google Maps is making it easier to explore, navigate, and make sustainable choices, whether driving an EV or exploring a new city on foot. Immersive View Immersive view, which allows you to explore a place virtually, is rolling out now in London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo. Google Maps’ immersive view uses advances in AI and computer vision to fuse billions of Street View and aerial images to create a rich, digital model of the world. Further, immersive view layers helpful information on top likethe weather, traffic, and how busy a place is. In a blog post, Google explains that it uses neural ra...
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Yelp Details Removal Of Paid Review Groups & Lead Generators
2Feb By Roger MonttiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Yelp Details Removal Of Paid Review Groups & Lead Generators

Yelp published its 2022 Trust and Safety Report detailing actions it took against lead generators, fake review groups and businesses incentivizing reviews. Yelp Cracks Down on Paid Review Groups The report details the proactive approach to chasing down online review groups and breaking them up. Among the tactics Yelp used is identifying IP addresses used for fake positive reviews, as well as connecting users to groups that are arranging paid reviews. Yelp’s Trust and Safety report revealed that it fights online review exchanges by identifying the groups on social media and working together with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to break them up. In a 2021 blog post about their recommendation software, Yelp wrote that they monitor online groups and even conduct sting operations to c...
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Google Business Profile Optimization For The Financial Vertical
31Jan By Doug GargaroNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Vertical SEO

Google Business Profile Optimization For The Financial Vertical

The financial vertical is a dynamic, challenging, and highly regulated space. As such, for businesses in this vertical, optimizing local search presence and, specifically, Google Business Profile listings requires a greater level of sensitivity and specialization than industries like retail or restaurant. The inherent challenges stem from a host of considerations, such as internal branding guidelines, accessibility considerations, regulatory measures, and governance considerations among lines of business within the financial organization, among others. This means that local listings in this vertical are not “one size fits all” but rather vary based on function and fall into one of several listing types, including branches, loan officers, financial advisors, and ATMS (which may be inclusive...
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Do You Still Need Directory Submission For Local SEO?
27Jan By Jeff RiddallNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Do You Still Need Directory Submission For Local SEO?

The primary goal of local SEO is establishing visibility for a local business in the Local Map Pack and/or the top three organic search results. These typically reside just below paid Google ads and the Map Pack. As with all SEO, myriad factors (i.e., the (in)famous Google algorithm) come into play to determine which businesses get top billing and the resulting coveted organic search traffic. One set of factors from a local SEO perspective is local presence, relevance, and authority. In other words, and from a common sense perspective, local businesses need to prove to the search engines: They are indeed physically located within close proximity to their customer base. They provide services or products which fall into specific categories. They are a trusted/authoritative content source and...
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6 Google Business Profile Tips For Hotel Brands
25Jan By Atul JindalNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Vertical SEO

6 Google Business Profile Tips For Hotel Brands

Google is the answer to most people’s problems. Feeling hungry, need to get lunch? Find it on Google. Need to book a hotel? Google its reviews. This is why Google gets over 3.5 billion searches each day. And interestingly, a large percentage of these searches have local intent. Since Google is the first place many people go when looking for hotels, the saturated hospitality industry has much to gain from the search engine giant’s remarkable features. Google Business Profile (GBP) is one feature that helps even smaller hotels have good exposure with their target audience, despite their chances of ranking through regular SEO being relatively slim. This article will give you practical tips for optimizing your GBP to get the most out of Google’s awesome offering. Benefits Of Google Business Pr...
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How To Find Hidden Opportunities
24Jan By Brian GarethNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Link Building, Local Search, On-page SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Sponsored Posts

How To Find Hidden Opportunities

1. Check For Google Penalties The first step is the easiest place to look for a hidden opportunity to help skyrocket your rankings. Is your website currently under any penalties from Google? To check for penalties, your website needs to be connected to Google Search Console. If it isn’t, you, or the site’s owner, will have to connect and verify it first. Log into Google Search Console as the site owner and select the website you are auditing in Search property. Screenshot from Google Search Console, August 2022 Then, in the sidebar on the left, click on Security & Manual Actions and choose Manual actions. Screenshot from Google Search Console, August 2022 If it says, “No issues detected,” great! If it says anything else, there’s your first batch of problems to fix. 2. Run A Keyword Aud...
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Verify Your Google Business Profile With Video Verification
23Jan By Sherry BonelliNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Verify Your Google Business Profile With Video Verification

Verification is an important step in properly setting up a Google Business Profile (GBP). Before your GBP will become visible to the public and you can do all the fun things with your profile – like creating posts, responding to reviews, updating your profile, and more – you must first verify it. Screenshot from Google Business Profile, August 2022 When a business (i.e., merchant) sets up a Google Business Profile, Google offers a method (or sometimes several ways) to verify the profile. This verification process helps Google ensure that the business is a real and legitimate business that is eligible for a GBP and meets Google’s guidelines for representing your business on Google. In an ideal world, Google would actually visit each and every location with a GBP to make sure the business is...
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Google Local Pack: What Is It?
23Jan By Jason HennesseyNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, SEO Strategy

Google Local Pack: What Is It?

Google Maps is a tool we easily take for granted. Looking for a tasty new restaurant? Google Maps pulls up the hottest spots near you. Need a local plumber? Google Maps will show you the providers with the best customer reviews. Google Maps provides a massive benefit to users looking for businesses – and to businesses looking to attract customers. That’s why the Google Map Pack is prime real estate for businesses hoping for more online and local traffic. What is the “Google Local Pack,” you ask? In this guide, we’ll tell you all about it, the features that matter most, and how to use it to drive leads to your business. What Is The Google Map Pack? The “Google Map Pack” (or the Google Local Map Pack) is a prominent section in the Google local search results that showcases the top-ranking lo...
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Google Announces 7 Local Search Updates
22Jan By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Announces 7 Local Search Updates

At Google’s annual Search On conference, the company announced seven new features and updates to local search. These updates will significantly enhance how people explore neighborhoods, businesses, and restaurants in Google Search. The local search changes rolling out soon include: Search for restaurants by dish Discover restaurant specialties More support for digital menus Enhancements to Google Maps’ Live View Aerial views of famous landmarks Immersive view Neighborhood vibe checks Read all the details about these updates in the below sections. 1. Search For Restaurants By Dish Google is upgrading its restaurant search capabilities with the ability to find local places that serve a specific dish. The new search experience will allow you to enter a query like “soup dumplings near me,” and...
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7 Tips For Better Local SEO Reporting
21Jan By Matt BertramNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

7 Tips For Better Local SEO Reporting

One area many agencies lack overall, especially in local SEO, is reporting. Unlike enterprise and international businesses with C-level executives and shareholders, many local businesses only care about getting more foot traffic in their doors. So by simplifying our approach and focusing on reporting only highly relevant data, agencies can better serve local businesses and build stronger relationships. Here are seven tips to improve your local SEO reporting and serve your local clients. 1. Simplify Reports Simplifying your SEO reports is not just a tip that local SEO agencies should follow – but one that generally any agency should, too. Our first impulse as marketers and communicators is to provide as detailed a report as possible. That’s even more true when marketers need to bury bad cam...
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Google Reveals Top Search Trends For Halloween 2022
19Jan By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Reveals Top Search Trends For Halloween 2022

Google reveals the latest data on top Halloween costume searches in the US in an update to the Halloween Frightgeist website. Halloween Frightgeist is a website powered by Google Trends designed to highlight popular costume ideas. Google’s data can be helpful to marketers who work in related verticals and are looking to get high-value products in front of last-minute shoppers. With two weeks left until Halloween, it’s not too late for one last marketing push before the season ends. Data is limited to searches in the United States, though you can drill down into the data at a city and state level. For example, businesses and marketers in the Santa Barbara area might be interested to learn that the most popular costume search is the 1980s. Local retailers can capitalize on this by running ad...
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5 Ways SEO Experts Are Winning In Local Search
18Jan By Bright DataNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, SEO Strategy, Sponsored Posts

5 Ways SEO Experts Are Winning In Local Search

This post was sponsored by Bright Data. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. You know the story, every SEO professional is learning and using the same methods for building their SEO strategy. So, how do you uncover hidden gems that help propel your local brand to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs)? How do you elevate yourself from just a professional to an SEO expert? Where do you get actionable insights that help you claim a top SERP position? Expert digital marketers know that in order to win a top position on the SERP, they must understand how the SERP works. The solution: Actionable search insights can be discovered with SERP APIs. Being able to see what makes or breaks a top spot in a search will help you create a winning strategy. Expert digital m...
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Which Is Right For You?
17Jan By Motoko HuntNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, International Search, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

Which Is Right For You?

When you run a business globally, your website is one of the most powerful tools to reach and communicate with your target audience. If you are conducting business offline in various countries, you already know how different the audience is from country to country. Each country also has different business-related policies and rules. With a website, you also need to consider these and online regulations. From an international SEO viewpoint, there are some critical aspects that the site owners must always keep in mind, including geotargeting, different search engines, and differences between each local audience. There are additional factors to consider when deciding to have a global site or separate local sites – a place for each targeting country or language – including maintenance costs an...
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30 Minutes Of Local SEO Every Week
16Jan By Paul SchmidtNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, SEO Strategy

30 Minutes Of Local SEO Every Week

Given the current economic conditions, marketing teams are being stretched thin and are expected to do more with less. If you are a marketer focused on generating revenue from local areas, then you know that fierce competition is waiting for you to slow down your local marketing initiatives. In times like these, it’s important to maintain a consistent framework of outputs that will allow you to stand out in local search results. Here is a checklist of the 5 areas for you to focus on if you only have 30 minutes a week or less to devote to local marketing efforts. 1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile Listing And Social Profiles A complete and verified Google Business Profile listing is one of the cornerstones of local SEO. One of the biggest mistakes marketers make in local SEO is simply...
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Google Is Restoring Missing Reviews In Business Profiles
15Jan By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Google Is Restoring Missing Reviews In Business Profiles

Google is fixing a bug that caused reviews to go missing from Google Business Profiles. Google confirms reviews are getting restored. Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, announced on Twitter in reply to Mike Blumenthal, who says he reported the bug a week ago. Our apologies here. The team is aware of this bug and has been actively addressing it. Many reviews have been restored, and that work will continue. — Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) November 15, 2022 Blumenthal isn’t exaggerating the seriousness of the bug. Reviews are a restaurant’s bread and butter, and removing them can significantly impact revenue. There are numerous threads in the Google Business Profile help forums started by business owners who lost most or all of their reviews. In each thread, the business owners...
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Google’s New Local Search Features Are Finally Here
14Jan By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

Google’s New Local Search Features Are Finally Here

Google is finally rolling out the local search features previewed earlier this year, including the ability to search your surroundings with your phone’s camera. At Google’s Search On virtual conference in September, the company had people buzzing over its innovative updates to local search. Google previewed an option to search for restaurants by dish and a new search capability built into Google Maps’ Live View. Those updates and more are now available. Here’s an overview of the local search updates launching today. What Are the Local Search Features Offered by Google?Google offers a variety of local SEO tools for listing management. These tools allow businesses to optimize their online presence, attract local customers, and improve search rankings. With features like Google My Business, b...
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18 Online Review Statistics Every Marketer Should Know
14Jan By Jon ClarkNo Comments
Digital Experience, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

18 Online Review Statistics Every Marketer Should Know

Online reviews are an unavoidable part of doing business in today’s digital age. Every marketer worth their salt knows that online reputation is everything. Whether you own or manage a small mom-and-pop restaurant, a computer software company, or a chain of coffee shops, your customers are likely to look for you online. That means one of the first things they’ll do is look for online reviews about your business. Of course, positive reviews help you to create a trusted brand, which people are more likely to purchase from. However, how you respond to negative reviews also says much about your business. Why Online Reviews Are So Powerful Yelp, Google Business Profile, TripAdvisor, and similar are a boon for consumers, giving them a platform to learn about businesses before patronizing them. F...
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SEO Trends 2023, According To 24 Experts [Ebook]
13Jan By Shannon PhelpsNo Comments
Enterprise SEO, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, International Search, Link Building, Local Search, Mobile SEO, News, On-page SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO Strategy, Technical SEO, Vertical SEO, Web Dev SEO

SEO Trends 2023, According To 24 Experts [Ebook]

In a fast-paced industry like SEO, a lot can happen over the course of a year – which is why you want to make sure you stay ahead of the curve. So, how can you gain a competitive edge in 2023? What SEO strategies and tactics will help you dominate the SERPs and earn more revenue? In the latest edition of our SEO Trends ebook, you’ll find answers to your most burning questions and tips to influence the way you optimize for search. We’ve gathered helpful insights from 24 of today’s top experts; they’ll share what happened in SEO over the past year and what they expect to happen next year. Download SEO Trends 2023 now and discover the retrospective and forward-thinking insights you need to help prepare for 2023. You’ll learn how to recalibrate your SEO strategy for maximum results by identify...
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How Can Voice Search Benefit Your SEO?
12Jan By Kristopher JonesNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, Mobile SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How Can Voice Search Benefit Your SEO?

Google Assistant. Siri. Alexa. Cortana. You have your choice of high-quality voice assistants today, and they can all do some pretty amazing things. One of those things is to help users find answers to questions; basically, whatever someone would normally turn to a search engine for, voice assistants can find the resource and read it aloud. Today, it’s nothing new to say that voice search presents phenomenal SEO opportunities for businesses. After all, if those popular voice assistants are reading off the answers to people’s questions, then there’s a chance that they could read your website’s content as some of those answers! And the numbers hold this up, too: In the United States, 40.2% of people use voice search. 71% of people prefer using voice search to physically typing out a search o...
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12 Proven Local SEO Tips To Dominate The SERPs And Map Pack
12Jan By Winston BurtonNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

12 Proven Local SEO Tips To Dominate The SERPs And Map Pack

To attract new customers, you need to ensure you’re in front of local searchers looking for your products or services. If you’re not optimized for local search, you’re missing out on a tremendous opportunity to reach potential customers in your area and drive incremental revenue, traffic, and sales. In this article, we’ll explain why local search is important and how you can ensure your business is optimized for the local search results to maximize performance. 1. Get On A Local Search Platform Many local search platforms can fit into your budget, including Moz, Yext, RIO, RenderSEO, Chatmeter, Uberall, and SweetIQ, to name a few. Using a platform makes it much easier to manage all your listings. That includes getting your name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistently and accurately l...
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18 Online Review Statistics Every Marketer Should Know
11Jan By Jon ClarkNo Comments
Digital Experience, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

18 Online Review Statistics Every Marketer Should Know

Online reviews are an unavoidable part of doing business in today’s digital age. Every marketer worth their salt knows that online reputation is everything. Whether you own or manage a small mom-and-pop restaurant, a computer software company, or a chain of coffee shops, your customers are likely to look for you online. That means one of the first things they’ll do is look for online reviews about your business. Of course, positive reviews help you to create a trusted brand, which people are more likely to purchase from. However, how you respond to negative reviews also says much about your business. Why Online Reviews Are So Powerful Yelp, Google Business Profile, TripAdvisor, and similar are a boon for consumers, giving them a platform to learn about businesses before patronizing them. F...
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How To Target Multiple Cities Without Hurting Your SEO
11Jan By Loren BakerNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How To Target Multiple Cities Without Hurting Your SEO

Can you imagine the hassle of finding an electrician if every Google search returned global SEO results? How many pages of search results would you have to comb through to find a beautician in your neighborhood? On the other hand, think of how inefficient your digital marketing strategy would be if your local business had to compete with every competitor worldwide for clicks. Luckily, Google has delivered a solution for this issue through local SEO. By allowing you to target just the customers in your area, it’s a quick and easy way to give information about your business to the people who are most likely to patronize it. But what if you have multiple locations in multiple cities? Is it possible to rank for keywords that target multiple cities without hurting your local SEO? Of course, it ...
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Top 6 Ways To Get Higher Quality Reviews [Webinar]
24May By Heather CampbellNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Webinar

Top 6 Ways To Get Higher Quality Reviews [Webinar]

Worried about your local business’s online reputation? Are the reviews you receive truly helpful or harmful? Would you like to reach five stars by being able to detect and meet your customers’ expectations better? Online reviews could make or break your business – especially in the smartphone era of on-the-go research. Register now to learn how to stay competitive, get ahead of comparison research, and win customers before they walk into your store. Learn how to improve your online reputation and get access to: New consumer trends. A guide to enhancing your Google Business Profile listing. A step-by-step method of gathering more high-quality reviews. It is still common for businesses to believe local SEO myths that could hurt their online reputation – this webinar will bust some of these m...
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4 Ways To Win With Video
16May By Jason HennesseyNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, youtube

4 Ways To Win With Video

Since the emergence of YouTube in 2005, the prevalence and impact of video marketing have skyrocketed. YouTube changed the game by allowing everyday users to upload, publish, and market their video content directly within the search engine. Today, over 2.6 billion people use the platform. And YouTube isn’t the only player in town. Vimeo, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram all have powerful video marketing capabilities to help businesses get found. Local businesses can use video marketing to drive traffic, reach more customers, and grow online. Here are four strategies to build your local video marketing strategy. The Value Of Video Marketing For Local Businesses Video is a powerful medium for local businesses. While many might assume that video marketing is more in the domain of online busine...
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How To Set Holiday Hours On Your Google Business Profile
15May By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How To Set Holiday Hours On Your Google Business Profile

Setting holiday hours on your Google Business Page is an easy way to ensure customers never face the disappointment of finding your location closed when they expect it to be open. From a customer standpoint, it’s infuriating to look up a business in Google and see it listed as open, only to arrive there in person and learn otherwise. Customers should be able to depend on something as vital as the opening hours displayed on your Google Business Page. It’s difficult to regain that customer’s trust once it’s broken. Thankfully, Google makes it simple to keep your business hours accurate and up-to-date, even on holidays. You can literally set it and forget it. If you know your business will have modified hours for a holiday three months from now, set them today and Google will automatically ch...
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How To Earn Points & Badges
13May By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How To Earn Points & Badges

Google depends on a community of dedicated volunteers all over the world to keep Search and Maps updated with current information about businesses, places, and local attractions. Those volunteers are called Local Guides. When you visit a new city and look up information about hotels and restaurants, there’s a good chance Google Local Guides have provided the information you need to make informed decisions. Local Guides selflessly contribute reviews, photos, videos, and more all for the benefit of searchers like yourself. Well, that’s almost true. Local Guides do receive virtual rewards for their services. Google developed the Local Guides program to incentivize regular individuals to help keep Maps updated. Local Guides are also called upon to verify information contributed by businesses i...
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5 Automotive SEO Best Practices For Driving Business In 2022
12May By Adam HeitzmanNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, Vertical SEO

5 Automotive SEO Best Practices For Driving Business In 2022

Whether you’re managing a car and truck dealership, a tire shop, or any other type of automotive business, search engine optimization (SEO) is a crucial ingredient in every impactful marketing campaign. In fact, digital marketing spending now outpaces conventional advertising in many industries, including automotive. Since 2015, automotive marketing experts have significantly increased their SEO budgets, while spending on traditional channels like TV remains flat or has even decreased throughout the automotive vertical. Many shoppers begin serious auto searches on websites like EveryCarListed.com or TrueCar, and spend about 14 hours researching dealerships, pricing, and reviews before ever contacting a business like yours. What’s more, a full 53% of mobile and desktop users click on organi...
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Why NAP & User Experience Are Crucial To Local SEO
9May By Dan TaylorNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Why NAP & User Experience Are Crucial To Local SEO

NAP consistency is an important part of Google’s local search and Local Pack algorithms, which means that building citations with a consistent NAP on your Google Business Profile listing and other online directories and sites can influence your local rankings. However, having a consistent NAP is also important to the user journey, as online directories and social bookmarking sites aren’t just used by Google – they’re used by humans, too. Maintaining a high level of consistency and accuracy reduces the risk of mistakes being made by search engines mechanically processing the data. It also reduces the risk of user friction should a potential customer trying to contact your business come across an incorrect phone number, store hours, or email address. And, if Google comes across five differen...
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How To Earn Points & Badges
8May By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How To Earn Points & Badges

Google depends on a community of dedicated volunteers all over the world to keep Search and Maps updated with current information about businesses, places, and local attractions. Those volunteers are called Local Guides. When you visit a new city and look up information about hotels and restaurants, there’s a good chance Google Local Guides have provided the information you need to make informed decisions. Local Guides selflessly contribute reviews, photos, videos, and more all for the benefit of searchers like yourself. Well, that’s almost true. Local Guides do receive virtual rewards for their services. Google developed the Local Guides program to incentivize regular individuals to help keep Maps updated. Local Guides are also called upon to verify information contributed by businesses i...
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