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12 Proven Local SEO Tips to Dominate the SERPs and Map Pack

6Mar

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

Get on a Local Search PlatformUse Structured DataTap Into Google My Business & Optimize for ItUpdate Event StatusAudit Your ListingsManage Your ReputationUse Hyper-Local ContentConnect With Customers via Always-on MessagingMonitor TrendsOptimize for Voice Search & MobileTrack Rankings & Build Out Local Landing PagesDon’t Forget Links Are Still Very ImportantBeing visible on search engine results pages (SERPs) is more important than ever, especially for businesses that have physical brick-and-mortar locations.Restaurants, retail stores, and other types of local businesses have many potential customers looking for your products and services.COVID-19 has changed the way we do business and consumers’ informational needs have grown. Optimizing your local presence is critical for ...

Core Web Vitals and the Page Experience Update: What They Mean for Local Businesses

3Mar

By James EwanNo Comments

Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Core Web Vitals and the Page Experience Update: What They Mean for Local Businesses

Google is currently putting together the final changes for a search algorithm update that they’ve announced will land in May 2021. The update is being called the Page Experience update because of its focus on usability rather than things like keywords or search relevance. Google has already provided some information on the update, which aims to measure and potentially rank the experience that a user encounters when visiting a page. The fact that Google have given so much warning about the update says all you need to know about how seriously to take it. We know it’ll impact organic search results but as of yet, there’s no word on whether there will be any specific impact on Google My Business rankings. Although this update is due to hit the algorithm in May, there’s no reason not to ge...

How to Delete or Merge Duplicate Google My Business Listings

2Mar

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

How to Delete or Merge Duplicate Google My Business Listings

A Quick Recap: Why Google My Business Is Essential for SuccessWhy It Is Important to Delete or Merge Duplicate Google My Business ListingsHow to Merge Two Google My Business ListingsHow to Delete a Duplicate Google My Business ListingLet’s say you just moved to the city of Chicago, specifically Lincoln Park, and you want to try their famous pizza.You Google [best pizza in lincoln park] and the search results pop up.You see many businesses representing the best pizza in Chicago. How do you choose?You look at the reviews; a recent study shows that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.Not only that, but you consider the convenience factor.Is the pizza joint close?What is the address? Hours of operation?You ultimately decide to get the pizza delivered a...

Seed Audiences: the Most Practical Way to Make Blogging Work for a Local Business

1Mar

By PhilNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Uncategorized

Seed Audiences: the Most Practical Way to Make Blogging Work for a Local Business

Like my post? Please share! For most business owners and others who try it, blogging is a frustration factory. The way they go about it, it’s a time gobbler, a grind, and a disappointment until they give up – 47 blog posts and 0 new links, 0 visitors, and 0 customers later. What’s wrong with the way small / local businesses blog? I’ll be the last one to say blogging isn’t effective. It sure can be. This blog is a vital organ of my business, and that’s true of some of my clients’ businesses, too. But certain pieces need to slide into place first, preferably on the sooner side. The big trouble is that blogging (as it’s commonly done) is at best a tough way to earn links, build an audience, and pick up local rankings for semi-competitive terms. As in it’s ineffective at all 3 most of...

How to Write Meta Descriptions for Store Locations

17Feb

By Adam RiemerNo Comments

Ask an SEO, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How to Write Meta Descriptions for Store Locations

Today’s Ask An SEO question comes from Sussana in Guatemala. Sussana asks:“What is the best way to write a proper meta description for store locations? Should they contain the store’s phone number?”Thanks for the great question, Sussana!There is no one right way to write a meta description for a store location, but there are plenty of wrong ways.Below, you’ll find what we do when creating meta descriptions for locations for our clients. These same principles apply to some product, service, and category pages, too.One thing that’s important to note is that meta descriptions likely will not help you rank in Google at this point.They do help you to get more traffic to your website from your rankings, though.AdvertisementContinue Reading BelowThink of the meta title as the advertisement th...

How Much Do Local Rankings Fluctuate in Google? How Can You Rank Higher in Local?

16Feb

By Joy HawkinsNo Comments

GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

How Much Do Local Rankings Fluctuate in Google? How Can You Rank Higher in Local?

Posted Feb 16, 2021 by Joy Hawkins It’s pretty common to see threads at the Local Search Forum like this one where a business owner is wondering how they can rank higher on Google. The challenge I see most often is that a lot of business owners seem unaware of how much rankings in the local search results fluctuate. There are 3 principles that I’ve observed in the last decade that summarize what people should be aware of. The top positions seem to be more stable. If you’re in the top 3-5, you will likely see less fluctuation than positions 5-10. For example, we o...

Local Search Grid: Put Your Rankings on the Map

10Feb

By Jamie PitmanNo Comments

Blog, BrightLocal Products, googe optimize, Google My Business, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Local Search Grid: Put Your Rankings on the Map

We’re incredibly excited to announce the launch of Local Search Grid, a brand-new local rankings tool from BrightLocal that allows you to see the bigger picture of search. Without further ado, here’s how awesome it looks.Snazzy, right? There’s a lot I could say about Local Search Grid and what this new tool means for your search strategy (and I will!) but for now I’ll let our launch video do the talking:If that’s piqued your interest and you want to start using Local Search Grid right away, simply:Log in to your BrightLocal account Select a Location from your Clients & Locations dashboard Click ‘Rankings’ in the Location Sidebar menu Click ‘Local Search Grid’ in the dropdown that appearsWant to know more before you dive in? Read on to find out just how Local Search...

7 Ways Local Businesses Can Improve Website SEO

3Feb

By Ian LoewNo Comments

Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

7 Ways Local Businesses Can Improve Website SEO

Anyone who runs an online business needs to get to grips with search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is the process of working to make your website rank more highly in results pages on search engines such as Google. There are a few strategies you can use to help your site rank better in local search results. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can improve your website SEO through simple WordPress improvements. Why is ranking well for local search queries so important? According to Business Wire, 67% of Americans prefer to shop with local businesses where possible. Additionally, an estimated 46% of all Google searches have local intent. Speaking anecdotally, I have seen the importance of local search results first-hand. 80-90% of the business for my web design agency, Lform Design, c...

Local SEO Audit – How to Do a Quick SEO Audit + Free Template

22Jan

By Team WhitesparkNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, On-page SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Local SEO Audit – How to Do a Quick SEO Audit + Free Template

Start 2021 off right with this quick local SEO website audit that Nick Pierno – Whitespark’s Director of Custom Projects – presented at our 2020 Local Search Summit. Nick runs through the importance of how assessing the SEO viability of a website can help surface potential problem areas and shares his audit checklist to get you set up for success. Video Transcript A Note on SEO Scan Tools There are some good SEO scan tools (Woorank or SEOptimer) out there that I usually run sites through during my audit process to catch anything I missed or just get a kind of programmatic look at things, I’d say these scan tools work better in tandem with a manual audit, rather than as a replacement for one. Gauging a Website’s Overall Local SEO Health You can obviously spend a dozen ...

3 No-Nonsense Ways to Get More Customers for Your Car Shop

21Jan

By John VuongNo Comments

Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

3 No-Nonsense Ways to Get More Customers for Your Car Shop

January 20, 2021 John Vuong Business advice According to the 2019 statistics, there are about 35.7 million vehicles registered across Canada. And all of these vehicles require regular tuning and maintenance to remain in top shape and to prevent accidents. If you’re a business owner providing any auto-related services anywhere in the country, what this statistic tells you is that you have a steady flow of business waiting for you to capture! But how can you get these drivers t...

7 Powerful SEO Strategies You Shouldn’t Ignore

15Jan

By John VuongNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

7 Powerful SEO Strategies You Shouldn’t Ignore

January 14, 2021 John Vuong SEO There are several search engine optimization (SEO) strategies floating around the internet today. How do you know which ones work and which ones don’t? Going after the most popular SEO strategies may not be your best option because your competitors are doing the same. But what about SEO strategies that others ignore? Whether you’re doing your SEO on your own or having someone else do it for you, ensure not to overlook these 7 strategies. These ...

11Jan

By Stephanie NewtonNo Comments

Blog, googe optimize, Google My Business, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, pagerank, paid search, Reputation Management, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Expert Local SEO Predictions for 2021

Now that 2020 is well and truly behind us, we can begin looking forward to bigger, better things. That’s right folks, the time is once again upon us to bring out our BrightLocal crystal ball and enlist some of the local search community’s most well-loved experts to help us with some local SEO predictions for the coming year. But, before we get started thinking about what’s to come for 2021, how did our experts fare with what they predicted in 2020? Reflecting on 2020’s Local SEO Predictions A lot happened in 2020, but how many of our experts’ local SEO predictions came true? Unfortunately, a lot of our pros had hoped 2020 would see a reduction in spam, but with the introduction of new Covid-19 support, resources, and features, plus limited Google My Business support, it seems Google ...

Types of Buyers & How Understanding Them Could Transform Your Business

7Jan

By John VuongNo Comments

Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Types of Buyers & How Understanding Them Could Transform Your Business

December 29, 2020 John Vuong Business advice, SEO Why is it important for business owners to understand their buyers? Well, knowing who your buyers are, where they are located, and what they want helps you come up with effective strategies to deliver their services to them. It’s also crucial to understand their purchasing behaviour. The more you pay attention to their needs and wants, the more specific and targeted your action plan becomes.Keep in mind that different types ...

What to Do If Google Auto-Updates Your Google My Business Info and Gets It Wrong

1Jan

By PhilNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

What to Do If Google Auto-Updates Your Google My Business Info and Gets It Wrong

Like my post? Please share! You probably know Google’s tendency to mess with the business info you put in your Google My Business dashboard. Whether Google emptied fields you filled out, or “corrected” basic facts about your business, or injected info that may be 100% wrong, the telltale orange writing in the GMB dashboard is always a hassle and sometimes a big problem. Google’s “we know better than you do” MO got worse throughout 2020. Around the time it temporarily froze some GMB features, Google started piling on new features at an even-faster pace than it had before. Sometimes Google would fill out those new fields or check those new boxes for you, and often not correctly. Also, Google started more frequently overwriting or removing old info – info you may have put in you...

5 Basic On-Page SEO Factors that Will Get You Ranked on Google

23Dec

By John VuongNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Online marketing, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

5 Basic On-Page SEO Factors that Will Get You Ranked on Google

December 22, 2020 John Vuong Online marketing, SEO Learn On-page SEO core elements that you need to tweak on your website to increase your chances of ranking highly on Google’s search results pages. To make it easier for your customers to find you after performing a Google search, it’s essential to clinch a top spot on Google’s search engine results pages. And one way to boost your ranking is through on-page SEO. On-page search engine optimization is the method of optimizing ...

[Quiz Result] Can a Food Truck Have a GMB Listing If They Don’t Have a Permanent Location?

22Dec

By Colan NielsenNo Comments

Advanced Local SEO Training, GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

[Quiz Result] Can a Food Truck Have a GMB Listing If They Don’t Have a Permanent Location?

Posted Dec 22, 2020 by Colan Nielsen This is part 1 in a series of posts that will dive into the questions, and answers, from the 2020 Local SEO Blackbelt Quiz. If you haven’t taken the quiz, head over there now and give it a shot. Here are the scores from the following quiz question. Can a food truck have a GMB listing if they don’t have a permanent location? We had over 900 respondents answer this question. Here’s how the answers break down. The correct answer is Yes.Food Trucks are businesses but are often unable to use Google My Business due to their inability t...

Trade Secrets for Online Marketing in 2020

21Dec

By John VuongNo Comments

Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Online marketing, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Trade Secrets for Online Marketing in 2020

May 15, 2020 John Vuong Business advice, Online marketing, SEO How can you be successful with online marketing in 2020? Unfortunately, there’s not a single sure-fire strategy. Instead, online marketing relies on having a toolbox of tactics that you use regularly. A lot of small businesses wonder what should be in their toolbox. Are you missing a key strategy? Are you still relying on old tools that no longer work? It’s time to find out!Here are the tricks of the trade when ...

2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Presentation

21Dec

By Darren ShawNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Presentation

2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Presentation - Whitespark The 2020 Local Search Ranking Factor survey results are in! I just presented the top highlights and takeaways at Whitespark’s Local Search Summit, and the slide deck is available below. Stay tuned for our upcoming blog post and resource with the complete a...

21Dec

By Maddy OsmanNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

A Complete Local SEO Checklist

A local search strategy is incredibly important.For community businesses and businesses looking to take advantage of mobile, as well as new and changing consumer behaviors, having a local SEO plan is now a necessity more than an option.Customers across all industry types are searching for the best products and services near them – and this does not just mean retail and ecommerce.They want local answers and services fast.One of the significant differences between local SEO and “regular” SEO is how you target customers.However, the differences don’t stop there.As local consumers look for better and more relevant experiences, “near me” searches continue to rise.About 46% of all Google searches have local intent.Consumers with smartphones are increasingly using GPS-based apps to search for ...

Google Review Attributes, Local Link Building & UTM Tagging Guide for GMB

21Dec

By Jessie LowNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Google Review Attributes, Local Link Building & UTM Tagging Guide for GMB

Meh, Links: A process for identifying local links that generate customers, leads, and search visibility Gyi is well known in local search circles for his catch-phrase “meh, links” which is the most succinct way of saying,“All other SEO factors considered, it’s probably the links that are making the difference in why one business is outranking another”You will hear a lot from people within the industry that “links are way oversold, all you’ve got to do is create great content, fix your site, incorporate searcher intent, create for users, add Schema…” Yes, all of that is important… BUT the difference maker is the links. Re-frame your mindset around local link building, especially in competitive verticals. It’s time to correct your myopic view on link building and stop thinki...

Best-Ever 7 Strategies to Rank and Earn on YouTube

21Dec

By John VuongNo Comments

Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Internet marketing, Online marketing, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Best-Ever 7 Strategies to Rank and Earn on YouTube

July 21, 2020 John Vuong Business advice, Internet marketing, Online marketing, SEO When Brian Dean first started on YouTube, he was completely at a loss about what to do. He knew it was essential to rank well on YouTube because it’s the second-largest search engine behind Google. He knew that great videos could get amazing traction and even go viral, which really helps your brand and your business. So Brian did what every other entrepreneur does – he turned to Google to find...

Location Page Technical Audits, Local SEO for Hotels & Building Relevance

21Dec

By Jessie LowNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Location Page Technical Audits, Local SEO for Hotels & Building Relevance

Location Page Technical Audits, Local SEO for Hotels & Building Relevance | #WLSS Day 2 Recap Day 2 of our Local Search Summit was filled with lessons in link building, GMB suspensions, technical SEO, local services ads, email marketing, and more. Today we are shining a spotlight on the technical side of locati...

How to Target Multiple Cities Without Hurting Your SEO

20Dec

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

How to Target Multiple Cities Without Hurting Your SEO

You’ve seen it a ton of times.Keywords targeting a specific city.“Plumber in Austin.”“Flower shop in Newark.”“Best pizza in Rockford.”Which gets you thinking: If you can rank for a keyword that targets multiple cities, will that help your SEO?Enter, local SEO.We’ll explore here how it can actually hurt you and learn how to do it right so it helps you instead.Let’s dive in!Why Is Local SEO Important?If local SEO can potentially “hurt” you, why do it at all?Here are two good reasons.Local SEO Attracts Foot TrafficImagine traveling out of town for a distant cousin’s wedding.On the night before the big day, you’re in your hotel room, craving a giant cheese pizza.You pick up your phone and Google…what?“Pizza?”I don’t think so.I bet you Google a location-specific keyword, like “best pizza in ...

Want to End Your Lease But Not Your Local SEO? Factors to Consider If You Might Leave It Behind

20Dec

By PhilNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

Want to End Your Lease But Not Your Local SEO? Factors to Consider If You Might Leave It Behind

Like my post? Please share! Now you’re looking at your lease through the local SEO lens. A combination of the pandemic, the lockdown(s), the quasi-reopening, and other changes has made you want to save money where you can, or work from home indefinitely, or move your HQ. The basic concern is, “Will I destroy my local rankings if I rent somewhere else or stop renting altogether?” Your more-specific questions might include:Should you stay in your current building? If you stay, how long should you stay? If you move, which address (old or new) should you show online? Should you stop showing your address online? How important is your exact address, in the grand scheme of local SEO?The answer to those questions and others in a similar bucket is: “it depends.” It depends on a lot of fac...

10 Local SEO Tips to Improve Your Real Estate Websites

20Dec

By Lucinda HoneycuttNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

10 Local SEO Tips to Improve Your Real Estate Websites

The real estate industry is highly competitive, especially in major cities.From the solopreneur trying to make ends meet to the massive national conglomerates, everyone is out to do whatever they can to increase their visibility and get those listings.Luckily for you, online, you don’t have to compete with hundreds of thousands of other real estate agents.Since the area you serve is hyperlocal, you’re only competing with others in that same hyperlocal area.Of course, depending on location, the competition may be more fierce, even among small businesses.But, using local SEO gives you a fighting chance. As long as you know what you’re doing.What follows are 10 tips to improve your real estate website so that it can dominate local search.1. Start with an SEO AuditBefore you can figure out ...

Carrie Hill on Creating Kick-ass Local Content

20Dec

By Kristian BannisterNo Comments

Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

Carrie Hill on Creating Kick-ass Local Content

There’s no doubt content is key to both ranking high in local search and generating more leads, but there’s a lot of mixed messages about the best ways to approach this. And often what ranks and what converts can be very different beasts. Luckily, we’ve enlisted Sterling Sky’s content creating champion Carrie Hill to get answers to questions such as should local businesses be blogging regularly? What kind of content coverts? And what do you do if great content isn’t ranking? On this episode, Carrie reveals her secrets to make the words (and leads!) flow. Listen to learn:How to do effective content research How to ensure content doesn’t just rank, but also converts The mistakes to avoid when creating content The methods Carrie uses to make writing much easierListen to the episodeS...

How to Create a Dynamic Travel Sector Reviews Strategy

20Dec

By Dan TaylorNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How to Create a Dynamic Travel Sector Reviews Strategy

Without going over the impacts that the Coronavirus has had on the travel sector, one thing for certain is that it has highlighted the importance of both dynamism and agility within SEO strategies for the travel sector.At the heart of any good SEO strategy is a base level content strategy.From this base level, you can design and develop an agile reviews strategy that not only helps achieve your SEO objectives but also your wider business objectives:Greater brand awareness.More leads.Greater return custom.When working with travel companies, a common rabbit hole they fall into is the notion that to rank for specific keywords you need exceptional lengths of prose.For a lot of informational queries, this is true, but in travel, there’s only so many times you can phrase “golden sandy beach.”...

Enterprise SEO: Let Your Website Produce Your Dream ResultsBest SEO Company | Professional Digital Marketing Agency USA

20Dec

By SEO NinjaNo Comments

Enterprise SEO, enterprise seo pricing, enterprise seo services, enterprise seo strategy, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company

Enterprise SEO: Let Your Website Produce Your Dream ResultsBest SEO Company | Professional Digital Marketing Agency USA

Planning and executing techniques that can enhance the performance of a website and visibility for SEO optimization is what is defined as enterprise SEO. It gives businesses ample space to turn the techniques into action, thereby, improving the website’s rank as well as traffic. Why enterprise SEO should matter to you?Because with more and more audience finding your website in search results. Your chances to have more and more conversions increase alongside. Craving for more reasons how enterprise SEO can take your business towards success? Keep reading below…Benefits of Enterprise SEO for BusinessesYou may not know but enterprise SEO is an effortless way of identifying the potential customers and pull them towards your website by implementing standard marketin...

LocalMailbag: What Are the Critical Elements of a High Converting Local Contact Us Page?

20Dec

By Tessa HughesNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Mailbag, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

LocalMailbag: What Are the Critical Elements of a High Converting Local Contact Us Page?

Many businesses treat their contact page as just a place to put a plain old contact form or address, but it needs to be so much more than that! If you give this humble page the attention it deserves, the pay off can be extremely rewarding for your business, winning you more customers and bringing in high quality leads on a regular basis. Here are the absolute must-haves for a winning contact page that actually converts site visitors into paying customers.Business contact information Trust factors and social proof Strong location-specific content On-page optimization Including core business information also helps reinforce trust and build relevance in both Google and Bing, because it signals to these search engines that your business is legitimate and credible. Inc...

Who Keeps Updating My Google My Business Listing?

20Dec

By Nikki BrownNo Comments

GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, NAP, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Tips

Who Keeps Updating My Google My Business Listing?

Posted Dec 14, 2020 by Nikki Brown We often see posts on the Local Search Forum from people wondering why business details on their Google My Business (GMB) listings (name of the listing, categories, business hours, phone number, etc.) have changed without their knowledge or consent. Unauthorized changes on GMB (no matter how minor they seem) can lead to major issues with ranking and tracking. It can also show customers the wrong information about your business. The best way to make sure you’re sending the right message to your clients on GMB is to monitor your listings for unauthorized e...

20Dec

By John VuongNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, The Top 10

Top 10 SEO Companies in Canada Ranked

October 29, 2020 John Vuong The Top 10 Are you on the hunt for the most trusted search engine optimization (SEO) all over Canada? To narrow down your options, it’s best practice to compare the performance of the leading players in the industry and see if they can help you reach your goals. When executed right (and consistently), SEO can fuel the growth of your business. So it’s important to carefully assess if an SEO company has the skill and expertise to improve search engin...

10 Bootstrap Ways to Grab More of Your Service Area in Local Search

20Dec

By PhilNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

10 Bootstrap Ways to Grab More of Your Service Area in Local Search

Like my post? Please share! You’re probably frustrated by the puny patch of land in which you rank for anything. How can you grab at least a little more of your service area? It takes work, but you can rank in (and get more business from) places beyond the one city or few towns where you rank today. Those gains will happen mostly in the local organic results, but most strategies can drag your Google Maps rankings along, too. Here’s a video of my talk at the recent Whitespark Local Search Summit, hosted by Darren Shaw. It’s called “10 Bootstrap Ways to Grab More of Your Service Area in Local Search,” and I hope it gives you some doable ideas for how to do exactly that. If you want a handy reference, or if you don’t need my color commentary or the Q&A at the end, here is a one-page...

How Does Google My Business Penalize Keyword Stuffing: 50 Examples [Case Study]

20Dec

By Colan NielsenNo Comments

GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Maps Spam, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Tips

How Does Google My Business Penalize Keyword Stuffing: 50 Examples [Case Study]

Posted Dec 14, 2020 by Colan Nielsen What is Keyword Stuffing? Keyword Stuffing is the practice of adding keywords to your name in Google My Business to help it rank higher. It’s still a very common practice in Local SEO because it gives you a ranking advantage on Google Maps and in the 3-Pack. The study that came out from Local SEO Guide as well as the Local Search Ranking Factors confirms that having keywords in the name of your Google My Business (GMB) listing does help it rank higher.A seriously legit looking business name. #StopCrapOnTheMap pic.twitter.com/GJLFacma4t — Joy Hawkins ...

Best Secrets for Off-Page SEO Success in 2020

20Dec

By Bryan CincoNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Internet marketing, Online marketing, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Best Secrets for Off-Page SEO Success in 2020

November 26, 2020 Bryan Cinco Internet marketing, Online marketing, SEO There’s only so much you can do on your website to get more traffic and increase user’s awareness of your brand. To widen your reach across the internet and make it easier for your target customers to find you, applying the best practices for off-page SEO is a must. What Is Off-Page SEO? It describes any actions performed outside your own website to improve your rankings on search engine results pages. Di...

Goofiest Local SEO Metrics and Better Numbers for You to Watch

20Dec

By PhilNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

Goofiest Local SEO Metrics and Better Numbers for You to Watch

Like my post? Please share! It’s hard enough to pilot your business into Google’s local search results and pick up the right customers. That’s even harder if your instruments point you in the wrong direction, or you look at them wrong, or you look at the wrong instruments. In local SEO it’s easy to waste precious time and energy on goals that don’t matter, problems that don’t exist, or showy numbers that obscure important numbers. The end result is you waste time and work less on what affects your business the most, and generally achieve the opposite of what you want. I spend a lot of time with clients (long-term, audit, and consultation) homing in on one thing and tuning out another thing. Below is a rundown of what I’ve found to be most common goofy and unimportant measurements o...

The 2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Survey Analysis

20Dec

By Darren ShawNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

The 2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Survey Analysis

Back in September I presented the results of the 2020 Local Search Ranking Factors at Whitespark’s inaugural Local Search Summit, and today, finally, I am pleased to release the written analysis and full survey results. Sorry for the long delay! It has been a couple of years since I published the last Local Search Ranking Factors Survey results, and much has changed since then. Google continues to add new features to GMB, tactics and strategies are shifting, and Google is getting serious about monetizing local. Before I dive into my analysis, here’s the iconic pie chart that you’ve all been waiting for. This is how the local search experts think local pack/finder rankings are weighted in 2020: Side note: Particularly observant readers may have noticed that social sign...

How Proximity Impacts Localized Google Organic Results for Law Firms

20Dec

By Colan NielsenNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Strategy

How Proximity Impacts Localized Google Organic Results for Law Firms

Posted Dec 14, 2020 by Colan Nielsen Two Keywords, One City, 72 Postal Codes, Five Different Law Firms Earlier this year Juris Digital released a great case study on How Proximity Impacts Law Firm Rankings in Google’s Local Pack. This was one of the most insightful studies that came out in 2018 and totally changed how we analyzed our clients rankings moving forward. We wanted to do a case study in the spirit of the Juris Digital study but focusing on the localized organic results instead of the 3-Pack results. Given that the localized organic algorithm is separate from...

Next-Level Google Maps Spam-Squashing Moves

20Dec

By PhilNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

Next-Level Google Maps Spam-Squashing Moves

Like my post? Please share! This is an unofficial sequel to my February 2019 post called “Google Maps Spam Patrol: Why You Need to Do It, and 10 Tips to Make It Doable.” In that post I explain why you should keep your competitors’ Google Maps / 3-pack spam (or honest mistakes) from spinning out of control. As I often tell my clients, if your competitors want to outrank you in the local search results, you might as well make them work for it and do it fair and square. If you’re not too familiar with the idea and practical SOPs of spam patrol – or spam-fighting, spam-hunting, or whatever you’d like to call it – you’ll probably want to take a few minutes to read that post (and maybe this one and this one). Now, if you’re clear on why and how to do Google Maps spam patrol, and maybe ...

20Dec

By Stephanie NewtonNo Comments

Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

The Year in Local Search – 2020

2020 has nearly come to an end (cue sighs of relief!) While this year presented many challenges, especially for local businesses, it also created the opportunity for triumph. Google My Business introduced more new features than ever, and we saw the good side of many organizations that strived to provide extra resources and relief to those in need. Although we may all be glad to see the back of what’s been a pretty hectic year, we’d be remiss not to look back on all the exciting things that have taken place. For us, it’s been a year filled with GMB news, updates, and changes, and we even had some laughs along the way too, (Four Season Total Landscaping anyone?) So, before we say “so long” to 2020 for good, we invite you to join us in reflecting upon the year in local search.What woul...