Friday, September 24Digital Marketing Journals

seo services

What Top Web Designers Know That You Don’t
23Sep By John VuongNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo company, seo services

What Top Web Designers Know That You Don’t

Do you ever wish you could read the minds of top web designers and get the secret tips you need for your website? Good news: you can!  At Local SEO Search, our website designers have decades of combined experience creating effective, optimized small business websites. If you’re interested in what they know that you don’t, you’ll want to keep reading! Here are our top tips for website design. A Pretty Website With No SEO Is a Wasted InvestmentImagine that you have a beautiful storefront. You know your customers will absolutely love it and will be eager to buy the products and services you offer. There’s just one problem — no one knows the store’s address, so no one can find it. That’s what it’s like to have an attractive website without search engine optimization (SEO). It’s beautiful ...
Read More
5 Steps to GMB Products Set-Up via Google Product Editor
22Sep By Claire CarlileNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

5 Steps to GMB Products Set-Up via Google Product Editor

Have you tried using GMB Products to promote important product pages on your website?If not, you may be missing out on a valuable opportunity to showcase products and drive customer interactions in Google Search.Google officially calls this feature “Product Editor,” but you’ll likely hear it referred to as “GMB Products” in marketing circles.Either way, although GMB Products has existed since 2018, it first popped into many businesses’ Google My Business dashboards when it came out of beta in early 2020.What are GMB Products?GMB Products are sometimes confused by some with “Product Posts,” but these are actually now one and the same thing.Screenshot from GMB Dashboard, September 2021“Add Product” in the Posts section of GMB now populates a product rather than a post.AdvertisementContinu...
Read More
5 Reasons Why a WordPress Website is Perfect For Small Businesses
22Sep By John VuongNo Comments
Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo services

5 Reasons Why a WordPress Website is Perfect For Small Businesses

There are a lot of options when it comes to building your small business website. If you purchase a domain name from a popular site, that provider might also have a website builder available.  You can also use other builders, such as Wix or Squarespace. However, we always recommend a WordPress website for small businesses. In fact, 38% of the internet already uses WordPress! Why? There are several reasons. Let’s take a look! WordPress is Free & Open SourceAs a business, you need to do more with fewer resources every day. Having a website builder that is free and is consistently updated by developers around the web is ideal. Many free options are wimpier versions of a paid product, but that’s not the case with WordPress. The free platform and the hundreds of free themes are robust,...
Read More
4 Myths About Web Design Solutions to Bust Today
21Sep By John VuongNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo company, seo services

4 Myths About Web Design Solutions to Bust Today

Having high-quality web design is essential to building your brand and growing your business online. However, not all web design solutions are created equal.  There are a lot of misconceptions about web design, especially among small and medium-sized business owners. We’re here to help bust through the myths and understand the truth. That way, you’ll get high-quality web design solutions that really make a difference for the bottom line of your business. Are you ready to bust some myths? Let’s get started. Web Design is Simple Creating a website today is easier than in the past. There are a variety of website builders and software programs that walk you through the process step-by-step.  However, that doesn’t mean that great design is simple. It’s one thing to create a website. It’s ano...
Read More
6 Pages Your New Website MUST Have
18Sep By John VuongNo Comments
Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo services

6 Pages Your New Website MUST Have

Are you getting ready to create a new website? Congratulations! A website is one of the most important digital marketing tools a small business can have. You’re probably overwhelmed by all of the choices and technical details. There’s a lot to think about and you’ll need to decide how to design and brand your website. However, today we’re keeping things simple. What pages are an absolute MUST-HAVE before you launch? Here are six you absolutely can’t afford to miss. Your HomepageEvery website comes with a homepage. It’s the first page that a visitor sees if they enter your business website in the address bar. However, not very many businesses have an effective homepage. You have only a few seconds to capture the attention of a visitor. Your homepage can do that by having clear branding...
Read More
Key Learnings from LocalU Advanced, August 2021
18Sep By Claire CarlileNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Key Learnings from LocalU Advanced, August 2021

 I’ll let you into a little secret. If you’re super-duper into local SEO, and you’re not already attending LocalU Advanced you’re missing a trick. This is where the top minds and actual practitioners in the space get together and share ALL-NEW content including research, case studies, how-tos, and much, much more. I got the chance to attend the last event on August 31, and, as always, I bloody loved it. So much that I wrote up the key takeaways from my favorite talks from Joy Hawkins, Rachel Anderson, Greg Gifford, Dana DiTomaso so that you can enjoy them too! Joy Hawkins: Make Your Images Worth a Thousand Words Ah, I do love Sterling Sky’s Joy Hawkins, I always get some great takeaways any time I listen to her speak, and using images more effectively is something I’m always looking to...
Read More
5 Reasons Small Business Owners & Marketers Can’t Miss the 2021 Local Search Summit
16Sep By Jessie LowNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

5 Reasons Small Business Owners & Marketers Can’t Miss the 2021 Local Search Summit

5 Reasons Small Business Owners & Marketers Can't Miss the 2021 Local Search Summit - Whitespark Small business owners and local marketers rejoice! The Whitespark Local Search Summit is only 11 days away. This is THE local marketing event of the year and one you won’t want to miss. Join the top minds in the indust...
Read More
3 Little Known Facts About the Google My Business Cover Photo
13Sep By Joy HawkinsNo Comments
GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

3 Little Known Facts About the Google My Business Cover Photo

Posted Sep 13, 2021 by Joy Hawkins Google My Business has a designated section for the cover photo that sounds very simple but actually has quite a few nuances that many business owners and marketers are unaware of. In an ideal world, you just add your cover photo, Google displays exactly what you put, and you move on with your life.  Unfortunately, that’s not always what happens. Fact 1: The cover photo can show up in the 3-pack There are many queries on Google that show images in the local pack results.  Sometimes, these 3-packs display images that are related to what you search.  In thi...
Read More
Your Guide to Better Local SEO Rankings
11Sep By Local VikingNo Comments
AdNouncement Lite, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Your Guide to Better Local SEO Rankings

This post was sponsored by Local Viking. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.If you’re working on local SEO projects and managing Google My Business (GMB) listings, you’ve probably scrambled to answer at least one of these questions:How can we increase our visibility?How can we expand our ranking coverage?My GMB listing is “filtered” or stuck – what now?Don’t fret – we’ve got you covered!Everything you need to know about ranking and visibility for Google My Business is in this comprehensive guide from Local Viking.Learn actionable local SEO strategies based on years of serving large agencies in a white-label fashion, owning a portfolio of general and niche agencies, and working with marketing teams on national GMB campaigns with over thousands of locations acros...
Read More
How to Get Better Results for Your GMB Listing with Fewer Tools
10Sep By Local VikingNo Comments
AdNouncement Lite, 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 Get Better Results for Your GMB Listing with Fewer Tools

This is a sponsored post written by Local Viking. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.With a portfolio of agencies managing Google My Business (GMB) listings, client acquisition dialed in, and workload piling up, the birth of Local Viking was a true baptism by fire.We needed something that could start the journey of containerizing reporting, help our staff automate some of the mundane optimization activities, and lead the charge into a more accurate and sensible rank tracker for our clients.If you want to check out the day-to-day strategies we use in our real-life agencies that rank thousands of GMB listings, download this free guide.If you’re looking for quick GMB management tips, then you might find our 15-Minute Marketing Methodology case study useful.But if ...
Read More
4 Known GMB Issues & What To Do About Them
9Sep By Ben FisherNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

4 Known GMB Issues & What To Do About Them

It can be frustrating when a free service like Google My Business is not working as you expect it to. And I totally understand that you get a ton of business from your Business Profile on Search and Maps.The Google My Business team understands this, as well.Support is doing the best that they can — particularly given what a tumultuous year it’s been in local search.In this article, you’ll learn about four of the Google My Business issues being worked on as of mid-May/June 2021.You’ll also find helpful steps you can take to resolve these issues and improve your own listings.What Happens When You Report an Issue to GMB?It can help to know how the Google My Business team prioritizes fixes when they receive a bug report.Typically, Product Experts (like yours truly) will see an issue in the ...
Read More
5 Ways to Know You’ve Found a Great Web Design Firm
8Sep By John VuongNo Comments
Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo company, seo services

5 Ways to Know You’ve Found a Great Web Design Firm

There are a lot of companies out there that offer web design services, but it can be difficult to know which one is going to meet your needs. Unfortunately, it often isn’t until you’ve already invested quite a lot of money that you discover the company isn’t high-quality. How can you avoid wasting money on poor services? You just need to know the signs of a great web design firm. If you see these five things, you can move forward with confidence. The Web Design Firm Knows Small BusinessesSmall businesses have unique needs, and not every web company knows how to meet them. That’s why it’s important to work with a web design firm that has a lot of experience with small and medium-sized businesses.  The last thing you want is to be an afterthought for a design company that focuses on lar...
Read More
4 Lesser-Known Local SEO Tips Even the Experts Miss
8Sep By Heather CampbellNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Webinar

4 Lesser-Known Local SEO Tips Even the Experts Miss

More people are searching for local businesses than ever before.This also means local search has never been as competitive as it is today.So how can local businesses stand out and rise in the rankings?How can you make it easy for customers to easily find your business and connect with you?On June 9, I moderated a sponsored Search Engine Journal webinar presented by Jared McKinney and Matt Boyce of Podium.They shared tips on how to rank higher in search using some lesser-known local SEO tips.Here’s a recap of the webinar presentation.Data from Google and other sources tells us that local searches consistently lead to actual visits to physical locations.But often, local businesses don’t pay attention to simple yet impactful tactics that can actually make a difference for their SEO.What fo...
Read More
Are You Making These Big Mistakes with Your Google My Business Listing?
7Sep By Heather CampbellNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Webinar

Are You Making These Big Mistakes with Your Google My Business Listing?

Google My Business can be one of the most valuable tools for any local business – one that can help you gain customers or clients and, most importantly, revenue.However, many GMB listings are suffering from all-too-common, critical issues.On June 16, I moderated a sponsored Search Engine Journal webinar presented by Mark Luckenbaugh of Local Viking.He shared how to make sure you’re avoiding these pitfalls – whether you manage a single GMB listing or thousands of them.Here’s a recap of the webinar presentation.Are you making it hard for local customers to find your business when they’re searching for you?If your business is not showing up for relevant search queries, then you probably need to look into your Google My Business (GMB) profile.Most GMB issues can’t be resolved through brute ...
Read More
The Complete Guide to GMB Attributes for Local SEO
6Sep By Marshall NymanNo Comments
Enterprise SEO, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

The Complete Guide to GMB Attributes for Local SEO

Google My Business (GMB) attributes are a uniform way for businesses to share what they offer and what a customer can expect when using that business.They are also a way for a business to optimize its local search presence. The more detailed a listing is with attributes, the more likely that listing could rank for a specific targeted search with an attribute modifier — for example, [accessible restaurants near me] or [miami hotels with free wifi].In this blog post, you’ll discover the different types of GMB attributes available to businesses depending on your primary business category, and how local marketers can best leverage these attributes.Types of Google My Business AttributesThere are two types of attributes within a listing on GMB: factual or subjective.Factual attributes are mai...
Read More
How to Create a Winning Local SEO Strategy for Your Business
6Sep 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

How to Create a Winning Local SEO Strategy for Your Business

With 90% of consumers searching for local businesses online, local SEO is an essential marketing tool for businesses looking to attract potential customers.Whether you have a physical location or an online business that serves a specific location, you need a strategy for targeting localized searches and users in your area. This is how you rank higher in Google search, outshine your competitors, and attract even more customers.In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a local SEO strategy for any business to generate more traffic from local search.Does Your Business Need a Local SEO Strategy?First off, not all businesses need local SEO. Only businesses that serve a specific geographic location (or several) need to rank in local search for the key terms potential customers are searching f...
Read More
A Guide to Responding to Positive and Negative Yelp Reviews
5Sep By Tom McLoughlinNo Comments
Digital Experience, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

A Guide to Responding to Positive and Negative Yelp Reviews

When it comes to making a purchase decision, the majority of potential customers will look to reviews for help.It doesn’t matter whether this is choosing a restaurant, booking a holiday, or picking somewhere to visit at the weekend; what other people have to say matters.Yelp is a platform that allows customers to leave such reviews for the businesses they have visited and supported, from cafes to cottage rentals and everything in between.Whilst (we hope) the majority of Yelp reviews you receive are positive and full of praise, there are always going to be times when a negative experience brings this average down. It’s important to bear in mind that your responses to these comments can have as much influence as the reviews themselves, both good and bad.Responding to reviews is the best w...
Read More
5 Top Enterprise Local SEO Challenges (& How To Solve Them)
5Sep By Andrew ShotlandNo Comments
Enterprise SEO, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

5 Top Enterprise Local SEO Challenges (& How To Solve Them)

Local SEO is a strange beast. Mastering it for an enterprise requires both knowing how to do “national” SEO, Google My Business SEO, and then understanding how Google treats your target search queries in different markets.That means there is an infinite number of challenges in enterprise local for search marketers.What Are the Most Common Challenges in Enterprise Local SEO?Prioritizing local with internal stakeholders.Having a single source of truth for location data.Optimizing store locators.Google My Business management & optimization.Building a local search presence for service area businesses and marketplaces.1. Prioritizing Local InternallyIt sounds strange, but I can’t tell you how many multi-location organizations we have worked with where the locations were not the priority ...
Read More
A Guide to Star Ratings on Google and How They Work
4Sep By Chandal Nolasco da SilvaNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, 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.Consider that 48% of consumers won’t even look twice at a business with less than 4-stars.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 SERPsStar ratings on Google are powered by consumer reviews from different properties, and Google uses an algorithm and an average to determine how many stars are displayed.These ratings appear on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.When a person searches Google, they will come across star ratings on sta...
Read More
Hiring Toronto Web Designers? 5 Essential Questions to Ask
4Sep By John VuongNo Comments
Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Hiring Toronto Web Designers? 5 Essential Questions to Ask

Your website is the foundation of your online presence. You can think of it as your online storefront, complete with branding, an inviting message, and engaging content that helps visitors choose to stick around. This important asset can’t be trusted to just anyone. You need to make sure that you ask the right questions when hiring Toronto web designers to ensure you get high-quality work and a website you’re proud of. What are the vital questions ask? Here are five that you must have answers to before you move forward. Have You Worked With My Type of Business Before? Some web designers will try to tell you that anyone can build you a website, but that’s unfortunately not the case. The reality is that unless someone has experience working with a business of your type and size, they aren...
Read More
5 Ways to Take Your Small Business Marketing to the Next Level
3Sep By CallRailNo 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

5 Ways to Take Your Small Business Marketing to the Next Level

Here are five reasons a small business owner should consider partnering with a marketing agency:1. Free Up Valuable Time & Resources for the BusinessThe CallRail survey revealed that the two greatest roadblocks for business owners to create a marketing plan were time and budget:44% of respondents said they were too pressed for time, overwhelmed with running the business, and had no budget to hire anyone.74% said they would rather spend their time on primary business responsibilities than on marketing.Many entrepreneurs operate with a DIY mindset and try to juggle too many tasks on their own.A marketing agency brings more experience to the table while also freeing up an owner’s invaluable time for other important tasks that may have fallen by the wayside.2. Monitor Trends & Make ...
Read More
The 5 Essential Steps of the Web Design Process
2Sep By John VuongNo Comments
Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo company, seo services

The 5 Essential Steps of the Web Design Process

Having a website is the online version of having a store in your community. You would never try to operate your small business in your town without a store, and in the same way, you aren’t visible online without a website. What does it take to design an effective website? It’s not as complex as you might think, although you definitely benefit from a professional helping you get it right.  Here are the five essential steps of the web design process to keep in mind as you build or optimize your online presence. Know the Goals of Your WebsiteIn most cases, the goals of a small business website will be simple: rank well on Google search results, engage visitors with high-quality content, and turn those visitors into ongoing customers. However, if you aren’t clear on those objectives in ad...
Read More
How to Use Local Keywords to Rank Higher on Google
1Sep By Shane BarkerNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How to Use Local Keywords to Rank Higher on Google

Did you know that 76% of people who search for a nearby business on their smartphones visit them within a day’s time?Or that 28% of these searches end in a purchase?That’s the power of local SEO – and local keyword research.Choosing the right keywords for your business can help you rank better for competitive keywords related to your product and industry.While local searches may yield lower search volumes, it’s more about intent and driving traffic ready to convert.You need to make it easy for consumers to find your local business on Google and other search engines.So how do you find and use keywords to help increase your local search rankings?Read on to find out.Local Keyword ResearchYou first need to know which search queries are helping people find your business.Optimizing your websi...
Read More
The 8-Step Web Design Checklist For Your Small Business
1Sep 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

The 8-Step Web Design Checklist For Your Small Business

As a small business owner, your website is your online storefront. You put a lot of thought and effort into your physical store, thinking carefully about signage, layout, and branding.  It’s essential to put the same care into your website design. Studies show that 94% of a visitor’s first impression is based on the design of the website. Fortunately, there are a lot of tools available to help you. Great web design no longer requires you to have a tech degree or understand website coding. Instead, you can use website builders to DIY your website, or choose a professional marketing agency to partner with for a website redesign. What do you need to have to ensure a successful website? Here is a checklist you can use. 1. Choose Your Domain Name & HostingYour domain name is the websit...
Read More
5 Top Local Business Concerns, Solved
31Aug 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

5 Top Local Business Concerns, Solved

Google My Business (GMB) is one of the best ways for a local business to rank higher on Google.Whether it’s through the local 3-pack, the local finder, or Google Maps, having your business on GMB helps you get found by interested shoppers, consumers, and clients.But it’s not always easy. Every day, we see dozens of questions from local business owners and digital marketing agencies on the Google My Business Help Community Forum.Many of the issues there are unique and require a deep dive into their specific situation.However, there are some more common questions users have about Google My Business. Here are five GMB problems users often encounter and how to help solve them:Why are changes we didn’t make appearing on our GMB profile?What if I can’t find a category that fits my business mo...
Read More
How to Use GMB Posts & Facebook Events for Local Marketing
30Aug By John LincolnNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, social media

How to Use GMB Posts & Facebook Events for Local Marketing

Looking for new ways to market to a local audience?Google My Business Event Posts and Facebook Events are two great ways to get a little extra exposure.In this article, you’ll learn how to utilize Google My Business Posts and Facebook Events to gain extra exposure for your local business or clients.How to Use Google My Business Posts for Your Local BusinessLocal businesses can post directly on Google My Business, which shows up on Google Search and Maps.This enables you to get in front of customers who are searching for your brand or products/services like yours. You can use text, photos, or videos to promote your profile through the Updates or Overview sections of your profile.Think about this almost as if you have the ability to place a sign on the window of your brick-and-mortar stor...
Read More
Google Explains Importance of GMB for Local Search
30Aug By Roger MonttiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Explains Importance of GMB for Local Search

Google’s John Mueller answered a question about the difference in SEO between an informational search query and a query for a local service. Mueller answers the question and followed up by explaining what a business needs to do to rank for local search queries, stressing the importance of Google My Business (GMB).What’s the Difference Between Local and Informational Search Queries?A “Local Search Query” is a search question that someone types into Google when they are looking for a service or a store that is in their geographic area.Examples of a local search business can be a a plumber, a restaurant, a retail store or a lawyer.And informational search query is one where a searcher is trying to find information, like, for example, the cast of a movie, a product review or instructions on...
Read More
7 Ways to Improve Local SEO & Attract New Business
29Aug By Helen PollittNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

7 Ways to Improve Local SEO & Attract New Business

Local SEO differs in many ways from the organic optimizations we make to our websites.When you are working for a business that relies on being relevant to consumers within its physical proximity, you need to learn how to get the most from your presence in local search results and the MapPack.In this column, you’ll find seven ways to improve local SEO, build local visibility, and win over new customers.Top Ways to Improve Your Local SEOKeep an Eye on Your Competitors’ Google My Business Q&As.Tweak a Google Product Listing to Get It More Exposure.Use Google’s Business Messages While You Can.Update Your GMB with All Relevant Newly Available Attributes.Join Local Marketplaces and Forums.Don’t Neglect Other Search Engines.Keep an Eye on Your Reputation.1. Keep an Eye on Your Competitors’...
Read More
5 Ways to Boost Your SEO With Third-Party Reviews
28Aug By Marshall NymanNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

5 Ways to Boost Your SEO With Third-Party Reviews

Third-party reviews offer invaluable insight from an unbiased perspective on your business. They also instill trust with potential customers, which may help guide their decision to purchase your product or service.In fact, nearly half (42%) of internet users in the U.S. cite reviews from other customers as a feature that would most increase their likelihood of buying a product.When compared to first-party reviews, third-party reviews can also appear more credible to a searcher. After all, a business is unlikely to publish negative reviews on its website.Whether you’re looking to convert searches into sales or improve your search ranking, focusing on enhancing your reviews’ search engine optimization (SEO) efforts can achieve both. Reviews are a heavily weighted local search ranking fact...
Read More
15 Local SEO Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
27Aug By Jason HennesseyNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

15 Local SEO Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Local SEO is the leading driver of organic traffic for local businesses. And with around 5 billion searches per day, Google search is the place to get your business found by people searching for products or services like yours.But optimizing for local search isn’t always a simple task.It takes keyword research, on-page optimization, and much more to turn your website into a local traffic-generating machine. Even the savviest of SEO professionals make mistakes along the way.Here, you’ll learn about the 15 most common local SEO mistakes and find simple tips to help you avoid them when optimizing your website or listings.15 Common Local SEO Mistakes Businesses MakeUnlocalized Keyword Targets.No Customer Reviews.Inconsistent NAPW Data.No Directory Profiles.No Google My Business Listing.Igno...
Read More
15 Local SEO Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
25Aug By Jason HennesseyNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

15 Local SEO Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Local SEO is the leading driver of organic traffic for local businesses. And with around 5 billion searches per day, Google search is the place to get your business found by people searching for products or services like yours.But optimizing for local search isn’t always a simple task.It takes keyword research, on-page optimization, and much more to turn your website into a local traffic-generating machine. Even the savviest of SEO professionals make mistakes along the way.Here, you’ll learn about the 15 most common local SEO mistakes and find simple tips to help you avoid them when optimizing your website or listings.15 Common Local SEO Mistakes Businesses MakeUnlocalized Keyword Targets.No Customer Reviews.Inconsistent NAPW Data.No Directory Profiles.No Google My Business Listing.Igno...
Read More
5 Ways to Boost Your SEO With Third-Party Reviews
23Aug By Marshall NymanNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

5 Ways to Boost Your SEO With Third-Party Reviews

Third-party reviews offer invaluable insight from an unbiased perspective on your business. They also instill trust with potential customers, which may help guide their decision to purchase your product or service.In fact, nearly half (42%) of internet users in the U.S. cite reviews from other customers as a feature that would most increase their likelihood of buying a product.When compared to first-party reviews, third-party reviews can also appear more credible to a searcher. After all, a business is unlikely to publish negative reviews on its website.Whether you’re looking to convert searches into sales or improve your search ranking, focusing on enhancing your reviews’ search engine optimization (SEO) efforts can achieve both. Reviews are a heavily weighted local search ranking fact...
Read More
Will Google Remove a Google Maps Review After the Owner of the GMB Page Replied to It?
16Aug By PhilNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

Will Google Remove a Google Maps Review After the Owner of the GMB Page Replied to It?

Like my post? Please share! Yes, Google may remove Google Maps reviews that the owner/admin of a Google My Business page wrote a public reply to.   Responding to a review doesn’t seem to validate it in Google’s view, as in, “Well, if business owner replied to it, it must be legit.”  Your response to a review doesn’t fossilize that review for eternity. Every now and then a client gets a bad review from a non-customer, a real customer with a bogus or irrelevant complaint, a slimy competitor, or another  questionable source, and the question I get is: “Should I report the review to Google or should I reply to it?”  If you’re wondering the same thing, I’d say you should do both.  Report the review and reply to it in a circumspect way (if you think you’re better off with a response up for al...
Read More
How to Respond To Negative Reviews
14Aug By Crystal HortonNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, Reputation Management, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How to Respond To Negative Reviews

Approximately 22% of customers will leave a business after receiving just one negative review, whereas around three negative reviews can drive away 59% of customers. Reviews assist consumers in making quick decisions about purchases in their research by providing a clear picture of your company. Studies show that of businesses who respond to bad reviews, 33% turn around and post a good review, and 34% delete the original negative review. Whether a review is good or bad, it makes sense to respond. When someone leaves a negative review about your company, it can be really difficult to know how to respond. There are many ways you could handle the situation, but one of the best responses is simply asking for more information and trying to find out what went wrong. Despite your natural feel...
Read More
A Great Way to Get Customer Pics
14Aug By Claire CarlileNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, Google My Business, google optimization, google seo, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

A Great Way to Get Customer Pics

In March of this year, Google announced a ‘photo update’ feature that gives Google Maps users on Android devices a new way to upload photos to your Google My Business profile. I’ve only just spotted it being used ‘in the wild’, and haven’t seen much in the way of coverage, so I thought it worth sharing some details on how it works, what you need to know, and what it could mean for the future of GMB (specifically Google Posts). After all, the features you know about but your competitors don’t are the ones that make you stand out when searchers compare businesses. Read on to find out more! What are Google My Business ‘Photo Updates’? We’re all familiar with the contents of the ‘By owner’ tab in the updates section. This is where we see our Google My Business Posts, new photos and updated...
Read More
9 Reasons Your SaaS Company Should Focus on SEO
12Aug 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

9 Reasons Your SaaS Company Should Focus on SEO

If you have a B2B software company, you know that the most important thing you can do to improve sales is to build relationships. You are probably working on a dozen long-term relationships right now, hoping to be able to convince decision-makers that your software is the right answer for their needs. So why should you worry about SEO?  Search engine optimization is about being found on Google by people who are actively searching for information about your industry. What you might not realize is that often prospects searching on Google are further down the funnel — in fact, they might be ready to buy today. What is B2B SaaS SEO? Why should you use it? Here’s what you need to know.  What is B2B SaaS SEO? Search engine optimization is a way of attracting organic leads based on terms and p...
Read More
Does Moving Your Business Impact Rankings? [2 Case Studies]
9Aug By Joy HawkinsNo Comments
GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Does Moving Your Business Impact Rankings? [2 Case Studies]

Posted Aug 9, 2021 by Joy Hawkins When I first started working in the local SEO industry, we feared clients telling us that they were planning on moving their offices.  There was the thought that because of NAP consistency and duplicate listings, moving was a local SEO nightmare.  Fast forward 15 years and I’m actually seeing several scenarios where relocating can actually help increase your rankings. Case 1:  We had a business that was in the home services space and was set up as a service area business with Google My Business.  Because he didn’t have a physical office, he used his home a...
Read More
Are You Making These Big Mistakes with Your Google My Business Listing?
8Aug By Heather CampbellNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Webinar

Are You Making These Big Mistakes with Your Google My Business Listing?

Google My Business can be one of the most valuable tools for any local business – one that can help you gain customers or clients and, most importantly, revenue.However, many GMB listings are suffering from all-too-common, critical issues.On June 16, I moderated a sponsored Search Engine Journal webinar presented by Mark Luckenbaugh of Local Viking.He shared how to make sure you’re avoiding these pitfalls – whether you manage a single GMB listing or thousands of them.Here’s a recap of the webinar presentation.Are you making it hard for local customers to find your business when they’re searching for you?If your business is not showing up for relevant search queries, then you probably need to look into your Google My Business (GMB) profile.Most GMB issues can’t be resolved through brute ...
Read More
The Complete Guide to GMB Attributes for Local SEO
8Aug By Marshall NymanNo Comments
Enterprise SEO, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

The Complete Guide to GMB Attributes for Local SEO

Google My Business (GMB) attributes are a uniform way for businesses to share what they offer and what a customer can expect when using that business.They are also a way for a business to optimize its local search presence. The more detailed a listing is with attributes, the more likely that listing could rank for a specific targeted search with an attribute modifier — for example, [accessible restaurants near me] or [miami hotels with free wifi].In this blog post, you’ll discover the different types of GMB attributes available to businesses depending on your primary business category, and how local marketers can best leverage these attributes.Types of Google My Business AttributesThere are two types of attributes within a listing on GMB: factual or subjective.Factual attributes are mai...
Read More
How to Create a Winning Local SEO Strategy for Your Business
7Aug 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

How to Create a Winning Local SEO Strategy for Your Business

With 90% of consumers searching for local businesses online, local SEO is an essential marketing tool for businesses looking to attract potential customers.Whether you have a physical location or an online business that serves a specific location, you need a strategy for targeting localized searches and users in your area. This is how you rank higher in Google search, outshine your competitors, and attract even more customers.In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a local SEO strategy for any business to generate more traffic from local search.Does Your Business Need a Local SEO Strategy?First off, not all businesses need local SEO. Only businesses that serve a specific geographic location (or several) need to rank in local search for the key terms potential customers are searching f...
Read More
A Guide to Responding to Positive and Negative Yelp Reviews
7Aug By Tom McLoughlinNo Comments
Digital Experience, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

A Guide to Responding to Positive and Negative Yelp Reviews

When it comes to making a purchase decision, the majority of potential customers will look to reviews for help.It doesn’t matter whether this is choosing a restaurant, booking a holiday, or picking somewhere to visit at the weekend; what other people have to say matters.Yelp is a platform that allows customers to leave such reviews for the businesses they have visited and supported, from cafes to cottage rentals and everything in between.Whilst (we hope) the majority of Yelp reviews you receive are positive and full of praise, there are always going to be times when a negative experience brings this average down. It’s important to bear in mind that your responses to these comments can have as much influence as the reviews themselves, both good and bad.Responding to reviews is the best w...
Read More
5 Top Enterprise Local SEO Challenges (& How To Solve Them)
6Aug By Andrew ShotlandNo Comments
Enterprise SEO, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

5 Top Enterprise Local SEO Challenges (& How To Solve Them)

Local SEO is a strange beast. Mastering it for an enterprise requires both knowing how to do “national” SEO, Google My Business SEO, and then understanding how Google treats your target search queries in different markets.That means there is an infinite number of challenges in enterprise local for search marketers.What Are the Most Common Challenges in Enterprise Local SEO?Prioritizing local with internal stakeholders.Having a single source of truth for location data.Optimizing store locators.Google My Business management & optimization.Building a local search presence for service area businesses and marketplaces.1. Prioritizing Local InternallyIt sounds strange, but I can’t tell you how many multi-location organizations we have worked with where the locations were not the priority ...
Read More
7 Ways to Improve Local SEO & Attract New Business
5Aug By Helen PollittNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

7 Ways to Improve Local SEO & Attract New Business

Local SEO differs in many ways from the organic optimizations we make to our websites.When you are working for a business that relies on being relevant to consumers within its physical proximity, you need to learn how to get the most from your presence in local search results and the MapPack.In this column, you’ll find seven ways to improve local SEO, build local visibility, and win over new customers.Top Ways to Improve Your Local SEOKeep an Eye on Your Competitors’ Google My Business Q&As.Tweak a Google Product Listing to Get It More Exposure.Use Google’s Business Messages While You Can.Update Your GMB with All Relevant Newly Available Attributes.Join Local Marketplaces and Forums.Don’t Neglect Other Search Engines.Keep an Eye on Your Reputation.1. Keep an Eye on Your Competitors’...
Read More
5 Ways to Take Your Small Business Marketing to the Next Level
5Aug By CallRailNo 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

5 Ways to Take Your Small Business Marketing to the Next Level

Here are five reasons a small business owner should consider partnering with a marketing agency:1. Free Up Valuable Time & Resources for the BusinessThe CallRail survey revealed that the two greatest roadblocks for business owners to create a marketing plan were time and budget:44% of respondents said they were too pressed for time, overwhelmed with running the business, and had no budget to hire anyone.74% said they would rather spend their time on primary business responsibilities than on marketing.Many entrepreneurs operate with a DIY mindset and try to juggle too many tasks on their own.A marketing agency brings more experience to the table while also freeing up an owner’s invaluable time for other important tasks that may have fallen by the wayside.2. Monitor Trends & Make ...
Read More
5 Top Local Business Concerns, Solved
4Aug 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

5 Top Local Business Concerns, Solved

Google My Business (GMB) is one of the best ways for a local business to rank higher on Google.Whether it’s through the local 3-pack, the local finder, or Google Maps, having your business on GMB helps you get found by interested shoppers, consumers, and clients.But it’s not always easy. Every day, we see dozens of questions from local business owners and digital marketing agencies on the Google My Business Help Community Forum.Many of the issues there are unique and require a deep dive into their specific situation.However, there are some more common questions users have about Google My Business. Here are five GMB problems users often encounter and how to help solve them:Why are changes we didn’t make appearing on our GMB profile?What if I can’t find a category that fits my business mo...
Read More
How to Use GMB Posts & Facebook Events for Local Marketing
4Aug By John LincolnNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, social media

How to Use GMB Posts & Facebook Events for Local Marketing

Looking for new ways to market to a local audience?Google My Business Event Posts and Facebook Events are two great ways to get a little extra exposure.In this article, you’ll learn how to utilize Google My Business Posts and Facebook Events to gain extra exposure for your local business or clients.How to Use Google My Business Posts for Your Local BusinessLocal businesses can post directly on Google My Business, which shows up on Google Search and Maps.This enables you to get in front of customers who are searching for your brand or products/services like yours. You can use text, photos, or videos to promote your profile through the Updates or Overview sections of your profile.Think about this almost as if you have the ability to place a sign on the window of your brick-and-mortar stor...
Read More
Google Explains Importance of GMB for Local Search
3Aug By Roger MonttiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Explains Importance of GMB for Local Search

Google’s John Mueller answered a question about the difference in SEO between an informational search query and a query for a local service. Mueller answers the question and followed up by explaining what a business needs to do to rank for local search queries, stressing the importance of Google My Business (GMB).What’s the Difference Between Local and Informational Search Queries?A “Local Search Query” is a search question that someone types into Google when they are looking for a service or a store that is in their geographic area.Examples of a local search business can be a a plumber, a restaurant, a retail store or a lawyer.And informational search query is one where a searcher is trying to find information, like, for example, the cast of a movie, a product review or instructions on...
Read More
Ultimate Guide to Getting Started with Email Marketing for SMBs
2Aug By Carrie HillNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Marketing, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Strategy

Ultimate Guide to Getting Started with Email Marketing for SMBs

Posted Aug 2, 2021 by Carrie Hill Your Small Business Competitors Suck at Email Marketing. …or they do it completely wrong. …or they don’t even do it. And this means with a little bit of planning and effort, you can get some big wins with this tactic. Why Email Marketing for SMBs? I have long been a proponent of any amount of time a small business can spend growing and cultivating an exceptional email marketing presence and leveraging that content across multiple channels and opportunities. The issue for small businesses has always been time, consistency, and content. Image via AlphaInvest...
Read More
5 Top Local Business Concerns, Solved
30Jul 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

5 Top Local Business Concerns, Solved

Google My Business (GMB) is one of the best ways for a local business to rank higher on Google.Whether it’s through the local 3-pack, the local finder, or Google Maps, having your business on GMB helps you get found by interested shoppers, consumers, and clients.But it’s not always easy. Every day, we see dozens of questions from local business owners and digital marketing agencies on the Google My Business Help Community Forum.Many of the issues there are unique and require a deep dive into their specific situation.However, there are some more common questions users have about Google My Business. Here are five GMB problems users often encounter and how to help solve them:Why are changes we didn’t make appearing on our GMB profile?What if I can’t find a category that fits my business mo...
Read More
How to Use GMB Posts & Facebook Events for Local Marketing
29Jul By John LincolnNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, social media

How to Use GMB Posts & Facebook Events for Local Marketing

Looking for new ways to market to a local audience?Google My Business Event Posts and Facebook Events are two great ways to get a little extra exposure.In this article, you’ll learn how to utilize Google My Business Posts and Facebook Events to gain extra exposure for your local business or clients.How to Use Google My Business Posts for Your Local BusinessLocal businesses can post directly on Google My Business, which shows up on Google Search and Maps.This enables you to get in front of customers who are searching for your brand or products/services like yours. You can use text, photos, or videos to promote your profile through the Updates or Overview sections of your profile.Think about this almost as if you have the ability to place a sign on the window of your brick-and-mortar stor...
Read More
Do Google Posts Impact Ranking?
27Jul By Joy HawkinsNo Comments
GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Do Google Posts Impact Ranking?

Posted Jul 26, 2021 by Joy Hawkins One of the most frequent questions I get asked related to Google posts is if they impact where a business ranks in the local pack.  To answer this question, we did a test recently on a few inactive Google My Business listings. TLDR Adding Google posts to Google My Business (GMB) listings had no measurable impact on rankings in the local pack. The Methodology: To test this, we picked 3 different Google My Business (GMB) listings that we started adding Google posts to.  These 3 listings had no SEO efforts whatsoever (no content, reputation, or link building...
Read More
6 Reasons SEO Beats Social Media Ads Every Time
26Jul By John VuongNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, social media, social media marketing

6 Reasons SEO Beats Social Media Ads Every Time

As a small or medium-sized business, you might wonder what you can do to get eyes on your company’s website. You need your site to generate consistent leads and bring new customers into your business.  It’s tempting to try to win quickly by paying for ads on social media such as Facebook or YouTube. But YouTube ads and Facebook advertising costs are very expensive and may not get you the long-term results you want. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a long-term strategy, but it yields far better, and more consistent, results than ads. Keep reading to discover 6 reasons SEO beats social media advertising every time! Understanding SEO and Social Media AdvertisingSEO is about positioning your website as a useful and relevant resource to people who need what you offer. You use specific k...
Read More
Google Now Shows ‘Ranking Factors Box’ in SERPs to Explain Results
25Jul By Jamie PitmanNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Now Shows ‘Ranking Factors Box’ in SERPs to Explain Results

Want to find out why your competitor’s page is No. 1 in Google organic SERPs? Well, now you can! (To the extent that Google is willing to tell you, anyway.) That’s because Google yesterday announced a feature that shows a selection of reasons for ranking individual pages in SERPs, bringing some much-needed transparency to search.via GIPHY Source: Google This feature is a section called ‘Your search & this result’ but it doesn’t have a catchy name yet, so we’re calling it the ‘Ranking Factors Box’, simply because, well, it’s a box that displays ranking factors! The Ranking Factors Box is an extension of the ‘About this result’ box, which is accessible by clicking the ‘three vertical dots’ at the end of a search result and was originally launched back in February of this year. Wher...
Read More
5 Ways to Take Your Small Business Marketing to the Next Level
22Jul By CallRailNo 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

5 Ways to Take Your Small Business Marketing to the Next Level

Here are five reasons a small business owner should consider partnering with a marketing agency:1. Free Up Valuable Time & Resources for the BusinessThe CallRail survey revealed that the two greatest roadblocks for business owners to create a marketing plan were time and budget:44% of respondents said they were too pressed for time, overwhelmed with running the business, and had no budget to hire anyone.74% said they would rather spend their time on primary business responsibilities than on marketing.Many entrepreneurs operate with a DIY mindset and try to juggle too many tasks on their own.A marketing agency brings more experience to the table while also freeing up an owner’s invaluable time for other important tasks that may have fallen by the wayside.2. Monitor Trends & Make ...
Read More
How to Succeed With Google Posts: What We Learned From Analyzing Over 1,000 Google Posts
19Jul By Joy HawkinsNo Comments
GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How to Succeed With Google Posts: What We Learned From Analyzing Over 1,000 Google Posts

Posted Jul 19, 2021 by Joy Hawkins Wondering how to make your Google posts perform better? In this case study, we wanted to find out what types of posts performed the best and manually analyzed over 1000 posts from a variety of different small businesses. For the full video of this presentation plus several others, check out our videos on demand from LocalU in April. In this study, we looked at both clicks according to Google My Business (GMB), and clicks and conversions inside Google Analytics (by using UTM codes). Guide to Google My Business Posts:What type of Google post performs best...
Read More
Google Starts Cheering Anti-Spam Edits in Google Maps
15Jul By PhilNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

Google Starts Cheering Anti-Spam Edits in Google Maps

Like my post? Please share!Just about every day I send in edits on Google My Business pages that have committed one party foul or another, but this is the first I’ve seen Google go out of its way to encourage those edits:It was a partial edit of a business’s name, in which I removed a single stuffed-in keyword.  I find two things interesting, at least in this case.  The first is that I made that edit back in 2018.  The second is that that edit has stuck for almost 3 years, even though it would have been easy for the business to add back in the keyword.  Often when you make a Google Maps edit on the name of GMB page and Google agrees with your edit and makes the change, the business just changes the name back to whatever it was, and Google doesn’t do anything about it.  Often it become...
Read More
5 Top Enterprise Local SEO Challenges (& How To Solve Them)
15Jul By Andrew ShotlandNo Comments
Enterprise SEO, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

5 Top Enterprise Local SEO Challenges (& How To Solve Them)

Local SEO is a strange beast. Mastering it for an enterprise requires both knowing how to do “national” SEO, Google My Business SEO, and then understanding how Google treats your target search queries in different markets.That means there is an infinite number of challenges in enterprise local for search marketers.What Are the Most Common Challenges in Enterprise Local SEO?Prioritizing local with internal stakeholders.Having a single source of truth for location data.Optimizing store locators.Google My Business management & optimization.Building a local search presence for service area businesses and marketplaces.1. Prioritizing Local InternallyIt sounds strange, but I can’t tell you how many multi-location organizations we have worked with where the locations were not the priority ...
Read More
What We’re Seeing From the June & July Core Updates [Case Study]
9Jul By Joy HawkinsNo Comments
GMB, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

What We’re Seeing From the June & July Core Updates [Case Study]

Posted Jul 8, 2021 by Joy Hawkins It has been a while since I published anything about an algorithm update.  I was starting to think a lot of the updates were becoming pretty similar and it was the same-old thing over and over. However, I’ve been spending a lot of time digging into this one client of ours and they are benefiting a ton from the last 2 updates so I thought I would share what I’ve been noticing. This particular business is a personal injury lawyer in a very competitive market.  Earlier this year, they doubled their SEO budget and we put all the effort into content, onsite SEO...
Read More
Shoehorning Cities into the Address Field of a Google My Business Page
8Jul 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

Shoehorning Cities into the Address Field of a Google My Business Page

Like my post? Please share! I may have seen this before, but it must not have registered with me until I saw it more than once on the same page of Google Maps results.   In any event, it’s new to me.  Below is an example.  Do you see what’s out of place?Is it the plump business name?  Nope.  Keyword-stuffing like that is omnipresent.  What else looks odd?That “service area” – Holy Moses!  Has Google started displaying in Google Maps all the cities in your GMB service area?  That’s what I thought at first, but notice: the cities are in the “address” field.The street address is in the address field, but so are 12 cities (known as “suburbs” in Australia) and communities the business serves. That isn’t a fluke, because on the very same page of Google Maps results is another GMB page w...
Read More
A Guide to Responding to Positive and Negative Yelp Reviews
1Jul By Tom McLoughlinNo Comments
Digital Experience, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

A Guide to Responding to Positive and Negative Yelp Reviews

When it comes to making a purchase decision, the majority of potential customers will look to reviews for help.It doesn’t matter whether this is choosing a restaurant, booking a holiday, or picking somewhere to visit at the weekend; what other people have to say matters.Yelp is a platform that allows customers to leave such reviews for the businesses they have visited and supported, from cafes to cottage rentals and everything in between.Whilst (we hope) the majority of Yelp reviews you receive are positive and full of praise, there are always going to be times when a negative experience brings this average down. It’s important to bear in mind that your responses to these comments can have as much influence as the reviews themselves, both good and bad.Responding to reviews is the best w...
Read More
The Complete Guide to GMB Attributes for Local SEO
29Jun By Marshall NymanNo Comments
Enterprise SEO, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

The Complete Guide to GMB Attributes for Local SEO

Google My Business (GMB) attributes are a uniform way for businesses to share what they offer and what a customer can expect when using that business.They are also a way for a business to optimize its local search presence. The more detailed a listing is with attributes, the more likely that listing could rank for a specific targeted search with an attribute modifier — for example, [accessible restaurants near me] or [miami hotels with free wifi].In this blog post, you’ll discover the different types of GMB attributes available to businesses depending on your primary business category, and how local marketers can best leverage these attributes.Types of Google My Business AttributesThere are two types of attributes within a listing on GMB: factual or subjective.Factual attributes are mai...
Read More
How to Create a Winning Local SEO Strategy for Your Business
29Jun 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

How to Create a Winning Local SEO Strategy for Your Business

With 90% of consumers searching for local businesses online, local SEO is an essential marketing tool for businesses looking to attract potential customers.Whether you have a physical location or an online business that serves a specific location, you need a strategy for targeting localized searches and users in your area. This is how you rank higher in Google search, outshine your competitors, and attract even more customers.In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a local SEO strategy for any business to generate more traffic from local search.Does Your Business Need a Local SEO Strategy?First off, not all businesses need local SEO. Only businesses that serve a specific geographic location (or several) need to rank in local search for the key terms potential customers are searching f...
Read More
How to Influence “Years in Business” in the Local Pack Results
28Jun By Joy HawkinsNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Uncategorized

How to Influence “Years in Business” in the Local Pack Results

Posted Jun 28, 2021 by Joy Hawkins In this Guide:Why you should add an opening date Earlier this year, Google started to display opening dates in the local pack results.  If you choose to not add your opening date inside Google My Business (GMB), Google will often pick a date based on other sources – and these sources could easily be wrong.  I recently did an audit for a business that was displaying as being open for 7 years, when in reality they have been open for 23 years!  Since Google actually allows you to control this, there is no reason why you wouldn’t want ...
Read More
Google My Business Management 101
24Jun By Kate Herbert-SmithNo Comments
Blog, BrightLocal Products, googe optimize, Google My Business, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google My Business Management 101

It’s no secret that Google My Business (GMB) is an incredibly popular platform and plays a huge part in influencing local rankings. According to a survey carried out by Whitespark, Google My Business is the number 1 ranking factor for the local pack. But GMB goes beyond rankings. Many call it the homepage for local businesses—the first place customers will find and evaluate your business—whether they are looking at customer reviews, exploring your services, or converting directly from your listing. This is why we’re proud to announce the next free course to land in BrightLocal Academy: Google My Business Management 101. We’ve created this detailed new course in collaboration with local SEO and GMB expert Niki Mosier. Why? Well, we noticed that there’s lots of advice out there about set...
Read More
Are You Making These Big Mistakes with Your Google My Business Listing?
23Jun By Heather CampbellNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Webinar

Are You Making These Big Mistakes with Your Google My Business Listing?

Google My Business can be one of the most valuable tools for any local business – one that can help you gain customers or clients and, most importantly, revenue.However, many GMB listings are suffering from all-too-common, critical issues.On June 16, I moderated a sponsored Search Engine Journal webinar presented by Mark Luckenbaugh of Local Viking.He shared how to make sure you’re avoiding these pitfalls – whether you manage a single GMB listing or thousands of them.Here’s a recap of the webinar presentation.Are you making it hard for local customers to find your business when they’re searching for you?If your business is not showing up for relevant search queries, then you probably need to look into your Google My Business (GMB) profile.Most GMB issues can’t be resolved through brute ...
Read More
Most Common Website Errors and How to Fix Them (Part 2)
22Jun By John VuongNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo company, seo services, The Top 10

Most Common Website Errors and How to Fix Them (Part 2)

Maintaining a website is important to maximizing your business potential. It’s how customers find you, learn about you, and transact with you. Without it, it could be challenging for you to break into a competitive market. One great way to ensure your business’s lasting impact is to make sure that your site is user-friendly and error-free.  Here’s the continuation of common website errors and the steps you can take to fix them.500 Internal Server ErrorThis is one of the most common error messages users will encounter on the internet. It is a catch-all response to indicate an internal problem encountered by a web server, preventing it from fulfilling a request.  What Causes It:  When you get this error, it means something went wrong with the server, but it’s unsure what it is. Usuall...
Read More
4 Lesser-Known Local SEO Tips Even the Experts Miss
15Jun By Heather CampbellNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Webinar

4 Lesser-Known Local SEO Tips Even the Experts Miss

More people are searching for local businesses than ever before.This also means local search has never been as competitive as it is today.So how can local businesses stand out and rise in the rankings?How can you make it easy for customers to easily find your business and connect with you?On June 9, I moderated a sponsored Search Engine Journal webinar presented by Jared McKinney and Matt Boyce of Podium.They shared tips on how to rank higher in search using some lesser-known local SEO tips.Here’s a recap of the webinar presentation.Data from Google and other sources tells us that local searches consistently lead to actual visits to physical locations.But often, local businesses don’t pay attention to simple yet impactful tactics that can actually make a difference for their SEO.What fo...
Read More
4 Known GMB Issues & What To Do About Them
14Jun By Ben FisherNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

4 Known GMB Issues & What To Do About Them

It can be frustrating when a free service like Google My Business is not working as you expect it to. And I totally understand that you get a ton of business from your Business Profile on Search and Maps.The Google My Business team understands this, as well.Support is doing the best that they can — particularly given what a tumultuous year it’s been in local search.In this article, you’ll learn about four of the Google My Business issues being worked on as of mid-May/June 2021.You’ll also find helpful steps you can take to resolve these issues and improve your own listings.What Happens When You Report an Issue to GMB?It can help to know how the Google My Business team prioritizes fixes when they receive a bug report.Typically, Product Experts (like yours truly) will see an issue in the ...
Read More
The Top 12 Advantages of Internet Marketing For Your Small Business
12Jun By John VuongNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Internet marketing, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

The Top 12 Advantages of Internet Marketing For Your Small Business

It’s not surprising that 92% of business owners believe that having a website is the most effective way to pursue digital marketing. After all, your website serves as your online storefront. However, not every business owner understands the importance of internet marketing as an overall strategy. Your website needs to be more than an online business card or digital store. You can use marketing on the internet to build your brand, bring in new leads, and get customers. What is online marketing, and some of the benefits of internet marketing? Let’s take a look. What is Internet Marketing? A lot of businesses struggle with e-marketing simply because there is no clear and easy internet marketing definition. The truth is that digital marketing encompasses a variety of strategies. Each one is...
Read More
BrightLocal Welcomes Claire Carlile as Local Search Expert
11Jun By Kristian BannisterNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

BrightLocal Welcomes Claire Carlile as Local Search Expert

We’re delighted to announce that Claire Carlile has joined BrightLocal as our in-house Local Search Expert. Claire’s one of the most respected and well-loved people in the local search industry, always bringing a wealth of first-hand experience and unique perspectives to the content she produces and the wisdom she shares. A rare breed, Claire combines a deep understanding of local search and digital with extensive knowledge of the fundamentals of marketing. She boasts an envious academic background in marketing which allows her to approach projects with a strategic and research-driven mindset. We took notice of the great content Claire was creating a couple of years back and jumped at the chance to get her involved in our own content initiatives. Earlier this year, Claire created an am...
Read More
How to Get Better Results for Your GMB Listing with Fewer Tools
10Jun By Local VikingNo Comments
AdNouncement Lite, 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 Get Better Results for Your GMB Listing with Fewer Tools

This is a sponsored post written by Local Viking. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.With a portfolio of agencies managing Google My Business (GMB) listings, client acquisition dialed in, and workload piling up, the birth of Local Viking was a true baptism by fire.We needed something that could start the journey of containerizing reporting, help our staff automate some of the mundane optimization activities, and lead the charge into a more accurate and sensible rank tracker for our clients.If you want to check out the day-to-day strategies we use in our real-life agencies that rank thousands of GMB listings, download this free guide.If you’re looking for quick GMB management tips, then you might find our 15-Minute Marketing Methodology case study useful.But if ...
Read More
How to Build Back Customer Loyalty After Covid-19
8Jun By Raul GaleraNo Comments
Blog, content marketing, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, social media

How to Build Back Customer Loyalty After Covid-19

Improving and measuring customer loyalty is crucial for every business in gaining visibility and profit – allowing businesses to not only retain loyal customers for the long-term, but capitalize on this to attract new customers. But when Covid-19 restrictions began, the importance of customer loyalty became even more apparent. Consumer spending was at an all-time low globally, meaning word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat purchases became crucial for many businesses. 66% of consumers would keep buying from their preferred brand, even if that company is competing against a “more innovative” business, showing how powerful consumer loyalty can be.  In this article, we’ll explore 6 tactics you can use to boost your brand’s customer experience and build brand advocates that last once Co...
Read More
Most Common Website Errors and How to Fix Them (Part 1)
5Jun By John VuongNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo services, The Top 10

Most Common Website Errors and How to Fix Them (Part 1)

Owning a website is more than just ensuring that your page loads quickly and appears professional. You also need to make sure it does not contain damaged links and is free from errors. The thought of a major website error can be daunting. For business owners especially, even just a minute of website down could mean loss of sales and revenue. Fortunately, most website errors are easy to solve. Even for those without a programming background, you can get your site up and running in no time. You only need to know where to start. We’ve put together a list of common website errors and the steps you can take to fix them. 400 Bad RequestThis error indicates that the website server cannot understand or will not process the request you sent, like a request to load a webpage, due to what it perce...
Read More
Review-Gating is Against the Google My Business Guidelines
4Jun By Joy HawkinsNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Reviews, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Review-Gating is Against the Google My Business Guidelines

Posted May 12, 2021 by Joy Hawkins What Is Review Gating? All businesses want great reviews but unfortunately, the reality is at some point in time you’re likely to receive a negative review. Review-gating is the process of filtering candidates before asking them to leave your business a review on Google, Facebook, or some other review platform.  Normally review gating is done by sending customers an email template that first asks them if they had a positive or negative experience.  If they had a positive experience, they are then directed to leave a review on Google, Facebook, etc. But, ...
Read More
Your Guide to Better Local SEO Rankings
4Jun By Local VikingNo Comments
AdNouncement Lite, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Your Guide to Better Local SEO Rankings

This post was sponsored by Local Viking. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.If you’re working on local SEO projects and managing Google My Business (GMB) listings, you’ve probably scrambled to answer at least one of these questions:How can we increase our visibility?How can we expand our ranking coverage?My GMB listing is “filtered” or stuck – what now?Don’t fret – we’ve got you covered!Everything you need to know about ranking and visibility for Google My Business is in this comprehensive guide from Local Viking.Learn actionable local SEO strategies based on years of serving large agencies in a white-label fashion, owning a portfolio of general and niche agencies, and working with marketing teams on national GMB campaigns with over thousands of locations acros...
Read More
10 Years of Local Search Blogging
2Jun By PhilNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

10 Years of Local Search Blogging

Like my post? Please share! Today marks 10 years since I started blogging about local SEO and related topics, and in my view it marks the real start of my business and all that’s brought – including 400+ posts, way more skill, great clients, a great living, some friendships, a better understanding of my place on this dustball, and a bit of fun along the way. Therefore, as Klingon ritual dictates, I must offer up a few stray thoughts today, even if there is an 80% chance it’s all irrelevant to you and a complete waste of your time.  On the other hand, if you’re a business owner who’s interested in the blogging or “content” thing, or if you’re a longtime reader here, or if you’re a local SEO-er, there may be bits and pieces of interest to you. As I alluded to in my post from 5 years ago, ...
Read More
Service Pages and Local SEO: 20+ Principles to Make Them Your Rock-Solid Foundation
28May By PhilNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

Service Pages and Local SEO: 20+ Principles to Make Them Your Rock-Solid Foundation

Like my post? Please share! I work with clients on all kinds of local-visibility-related challenges, but you would not believe how much time I spend on service pages: explaining, critiquing, troubleshooting, inventorying, creating, and refining them, and then doing it all over again. By “service page” I mean any page that’s focused on a specific service you offer.  But everything I recommend here also applies to whatever you may offer: products you sell, medical treatments you perform, legal cases you handle, etc.Service pages can help you in many ways, including in that they:Turn more of your visitors into customers, no matter how good or bad your search engine visibility is. Can bring you most of the organic rankings you’ll get. Can pop you into the Google Maps results / local 3-...
Read More
SEO Code of Ethics: Boost Your Visibility the Right Way
28May 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

SEO Code of Ethics: Boost Your Visibility the Right Way

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of setting up your website and online presence in a way that captures the attention of your ideal customers.You want folks to find your website when they do searches about your industry, and to be engaged by the content on your website and blog. This will help educate leads about your offerings and build their trust in you, so they ultimately become customers.However, there are right and wrong ways to go about SEO. It’s important any agency you work with adheres to an SEO code of ethics so you can trust that your website will be boosted by Google rather than penalized.What is ethical SEO? Let’s take a look!What Colour is Your Hat?You may have seen high-quality SEO companies, such as Local SEO Search, talk about implementing only “white hat...
Read More
How “Glocal” Content Marketing Helps International Brands Stay Local
25May By Lisa BuyerNo 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 “Glocal” Content Marketing Helps International Brands Stay Local

How do today’s major global brands develop a digital presence and compete organically in local markets throughout the world?It’s called glocal.No, that’s not a typo – glocal is a sophisticated combination of global and local influence fueled by modern localization technology and strategic international marketing implementation.With the help of localization technology, global brands can be relevant and attractive on a local level, too. It’s the modern secret to building a global brand’s local staying power.When done right, the glocalization process taps into the power of content localization and SEO. This strategy ensures brands are easy to find and well ranked in local SERPS. Check!FYI Trend: International Brands Earn Local TrustThe [local loyalty] trend isn’t new.Since the inception, l...
Read More
SEO Consulting: 9 Things to Know Before Choosing a Consultant
19May 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

SEO Consulting: 9 Things to Know Before Choosing a Consultant

There are over 1.8 billion websites in existence, and getting yours noticed might seem hopeless. After all, you’re a small business, and you have a lot on your plate.You’re focused on providing the best products and services for your customers, and you have to manage your employees. You don’t have an entire department ready to do your marketing for you.You can’t throw in the towel, either. The key is to find help, and ensure it’s the right help.You’ve heard of search engine optimization (SEO). Is an SEO consultant the way to go? Or should you hire an SEO service provider?The answer is yes. You need both — and you can get them in the same agency. Here are the 10 things you need to know before getting started with SEO consulting.1. You Need An SEO PlanIf your small business is going to su...
Read More
SEO Consulting: 9 Things to Know Before Choosing a Consultant
19May 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

SEO Consulting: 9 Things to Know Before Choosing a Consultant

There are over 1.8 billion websites in existence, and getting yours noticed might seem hopeless. After all, you’re a small business, and you have a lot on your plate.You’re focused on providing the best products and services for your customers, and you have to manage your employees. You don’t have an entire department ready to do your marketing for you.You can’t throw in the towel, either. The key is to find help, and ensure it’s the right help.You’ve heard of search engine optimization (SEO). Is an SEO consultant the way to go? Or should you hire an SEO service provider?The answer is yes. You need both — and you can get them in the same agency. Here are the 10 things you need to know before getting started with SEO consulting.1. You Need An SEO PlanIf your small business is going to su...
Read More
How to Fix Common Service Area Business Issues in Google My Business
17May 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

How to Fix Common Service Area Business Issues in Google My Business

When it comes to Google My Business’s rules and guidelines there is a lot of room for improvement.Yes, they have rules written down, but those guidelines are vague in many areas and contradictory in spots.That makes things confusing for even the smartest marketer or business owner. Trying to understand some of GMBs guidelines is almost like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube in a dark room.And the rules pertaining to Service Area Businesses (SABs) seem to be the most confusing.In this column, you’ll learn about the most common problems SABs experience in Google My Business — and how to solve them.What is Unique About Service Area Businesses in GMB?Service Area Businesses are those lacking a physical storefront location where customers can visit.SABs have employees that go out to their custo...
Read More
Why Do I See Different Rankings Than What My Rank Tracker Reports?
12May 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, Whitespark Weekly

Why Do I See Different Rankings Than What My Rank Tracker Reports?

Why Do I See Different Rankings Than What My Rank Tracker Reports? - Whitespark When it comes to rank tracking, the data is often misunderstood. A very common concern amongst business owners is, “I checked my rankings and see different results than my rank tracking report. Your tool is inaccurate.” In this Whitespark Weekly episode, Darren discusses this common concern and breaks down the top 4 factors that impact ranking results. If you’ve ever struggled with seeing different results or fluctuations in your ranking campaigns, don’t miss the video below. Video Transcript Hey there, Darren here from Whitespark. Have you ever looked at the re...
Read More
Top GMB Insights Trends Enterprise Brands Need to Know
4May 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

Top GMB Insights Trends Enterprise Brands Need to Know

New research from Rio SEO shows dramatic effects on Local Search and offers insights into how to be more effective in monitoring search habits at the local level and leverage those changes for better economic performance.Rio SEO tracked consumer trends across over 200,000 locations in a range of verticals.The report covers these categories.Business ServicesFinancial servicesSit-down restaurantsQuick Service RestaurantsRetailHealthcareHospitalityMassive ImpactAdvertisementContinue Reading BelowIt’s widely known that the impact on business was massive. But this new research shows how the pandemic affected website clicks, click to call, and driving direction clicks.According to Rio SEO:“Without question, COVID-19 had a massive impact on the local search landscape in 2020. Across the over 2...
Read More
Apple Maps Ratings: What’s New and What’s Next?
30Apr By Stephanie NewtonNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, Reputation Management, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Apple Maps Ratings: What’s New and What’s Next?

UPDATE: The Apple Maps Ratings update was launched in the USA as part of iOS 14.5 on April 26th, 2021 (some territories had access to it earlier). The update functions exactly as described below, back in October 2020. Sometimes it’s nice when there are no surprises, huh? Originally Published October, 2020 At the end of August 2020, Apple revealed it would be launching its very own ratings solutions within Apple Maps. Talk of “Apple reviews” flew around the Twitterverse and, as usual, there was a lot of conjecture about what this new feature might mean. Apple Maps ratings (yep, that’s right — ratings not reviews, though they may be on the way) has been in beta testing in iOS 14 and will soon roll out globally. The update was first spotted by Twitter user, Beau Giles.Source: 9to5mac Cu...
Read More
What to Do If You Lost All Your Google Reviews after Accidentally Deleting Your GMB Page
29Apr By PhilNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Uncategorized

What to Do If You Lost All Your Google Reviews after Accidentally Deleting Your GMB Page

Like my post? Please share! As I’ve observed and written for many years, your Google reviews are never completely safe – and never completely gone.  You can lose them in bulk or in a drip.  You can lose them because of Google’s filter, manual removal, a bug, or a reviewer’s change of heart.  You can also lose your Google reviews – all of them – in a puff of smoke when trying to move to a different Google account. The specific scenario I’m thinking of is that you deleted a G Suite account or other Google account and thought your Google My Business page and reviews wouldn’t be affected, only to discover that both your GMB page and your pile of reviews are gone. Oops. If it makes you feel better, Google’s messaging often is unclear, such that routine steps sound scary and shooting yourself...
Read More
NEW: Manage Local Search Grid at Scale with New Support for Enterprise Plans
28Apr By Jamie PitmanNo Comments
Blog, BrightLocal Products, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

NEW: Manage Local Search Grid at Scale with New Support for Enterprise Plans

Great news for agencies and brands managing 100+ locations: you can now set up custom plans for Local Search Grid credits! This means no more repetitive, manual purchasing of additional credits for businesses using this powerful tool at considerable scale. What’s New? Since launching Local Search Grid in February of this year, we’ve spoken to dozens of agency and brand customers who were excited to use the tool, but were unable to make it work with their otherwise fully-customized BrightLocal Enterprise plans. Now that Local Search Grid has been added to these custom plans, no matter how many Grid Points, keywords, Locations or reports you need each month, you can easily set up recurring, automated purchases of the required credits by speaking to the Enterprise team. Not sure how many ...
Read More
Best Practices for Getting and Using Your Google Maps API Key
28Apr By Lauren AbramsonNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Best Practices for Getting and Using Your Google Maps API Key

With the rise and prominence of local search marketing, brands have begun to build robust location pages with advanced mapping features to meet the growing needs of searchers.The page types typically include a map to show users where the location is, what are the cross streets, and any major landmarks. This enables the user to easily find the location and increases a brand’s opportunities for conversions.With numerous mapping options available, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with them and understand how to implement them — especially the top contender: Google Maps.And for that, you’re going to need a Google Maps API Key.In this column, you’ll learn from my colleague/co-author Marshall Nyman and I what a Google Maps API Key is and how to get started.What Is a Google Maps API Key?Go...
Read More
Spin-off Pages: a Bazooka for Your Local SEO
22Apr By PhilNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

Spin-off Pages: a Bazooka for Your Local SEO

Like my post? Please share! You’ve been on many sites that have them.  Your stronger competitors probably have some.  You may even have a few on your site.  In any case, what I call “spin-off pages” aren’t a new thing, but SEOs and business owners tend not to think of them often or at all, and almost never do they treat spin-off pages as a major part of their on-page local SEO work.  That’s a tough break for them, but great news for you. What is a spin-off page?  It’s a new page you create that’s all about a more-specific version of a service/product/treatment for which you’ve already got a page on your site. In other words, you identify a page on your site about a service (or other offering) you consider a high priority, you think of ways to bust that page into smaller chunks, and you ...
Read More
Title Tags for Local SEO: Increase Your Local Traffic and Click Through Rate
21Apr By Darren ShawNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Whitespark Weekly

Title Tags for Local SEO: Increase Your Local Traffic and Click Through Rate

So this business here, their title tag is actually Angels Moving Company in Vancouver | Fast, Friendly, Professional Movers.  Fast, friendly, professional movers, that’s what you want to catch. You want them to see that. But it’s been cut off because Angel’s moving company in Vancouver, they’re stuffing those keywords in the beginning and it’s actually taking up space, removing those sort of compelling words. And so, this is where you’ve got to think about what is going to fit in the search results.  Okay, with this in mind, how can I make Jim’s title tag even better? We had all the keywords in it. Now let’s make it catchy. I’ve updated his title tag, to Jim’s Plumbing in Salem, OR – Plumbers You Can Trust and Count On. So I’ve got plumbing, Salem, Oregon – that’s his primary market th...
Read More
SEO in 2021 & Beyond: Complete Guide for Home Services and Contractors
21Apr By John VuongNo Comments
Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

SEO in 2021 & Beyond: Complete Guide for Home Services and Contractors

As a home services provider or contractor, you’re probably more than glad that 2020 is in the rearview mirror. It was a very difficult year for anyone who makes home visits or does in-person work. The good news is that it’s a new year and you have new opportunities to take advantage of digital marketing. What are some new trends this year, and what can you do to boost your business? Here are some ideas. Share Stunning Images on Social MediaYou might think there’s not much about engineered hardwood in Toronto that would be social media-worthy, but you’d be wrong! People love seeing images of beautiful homes with gorgeous flooring. Whether you sell flooring, have a landscaping company, or are a construction contractor, you have stunning pictures to share. These pictures help potential c...
Read More
6 Tactics for Marketing During Covid-19
14Apr By Jonathan BirchNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

6 Tactics for Marketing During Covid-19

The pandemic has taken its toll on businesses across the globe, particularly local businesses that rely on regular footfall. During this time, it’s been more important than ever to have a solid digital strategy and gain visibility online. Here, Jonathan Birch, Creative Director at Glass Digital, shares six ways local businesses can ensure they’re seen online and excel at marketing during Covid-19. With Covid-19 driving businesses into online-only approaches, it’s vital for local businesses to use digital channels to keep their audiences in the know. But, as well as keeping the discussion open, it’s also important that local businesses prepare to make the changes needed to compete in this quickly changing new landscape.  While for some that means making a totally new move to selling onl...
Read More
Maximizing the Web for Your Business
13Apr 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

Maximizing the Web for Your Business

We’ve definitely learned in the last year that digital marketing is essential if your business is going to survive significant disruptions. Companies such as Bubbles and Balm, who were previously hesitant to grow their online presence, found a digital pivot crucial to survival in 2020. Hopefully, your business already has a strong website and social media and you’re building your reputation and search engine optimization (SEO). However, you can always maximize the impact of the web on your company. How can you take advantage of digital marketing to the fullest? Let’s take a look. Make Sure You Own Your WebsiteSome websites give you the opportunity to set up a free website, but you don’t fully control the platform. This means that your ability to sell products and services can be limit...
Read More
10 Quick Restaurant SEO Tips to Boost Your Google Search Visibility
9Apr By Corey MorrisNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

10 Quick Restaurant SEO Tips to Boost Your Google Search Visibility

Define Your SEO & Content StrategiesDominate in Local SearchEngage With Customers on Social MediaEncourage Reviews & TestimonialsCreate Unique ContentConsider Content LocalizationApply Basic On-Page SEO Best PracticesThink Mobile FirstImplement Schema “Restaurants” MarkupMeasure Your EffortsSummaryA lot of factors have put an increasing amount of pressure on restaurants to improve their online presence.Whether through disruptions due to the pandemic, increased competition, or changes in the importance of having a strong online presence, we know we have to up our game.Right now, improving visibility at the local level is essential for both in-person dining and carry-out options.There are a lot of paid ads, partner services, and referral options for gaining traffic. However, risin...
Read More
Why Not All Customers Are a Good Fit for Your Business
7Apr By John VuongNo Comments
Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Why Not All Customers Are a Good Fit for Your Business

We have all heard the mantra, “The customer is always right.” Originally coined by Harry Gordon Selfridge in 1909, the logic behind this business philosophy is to instill a sense of good accountability towards customers. Many companies still use this principle and build their business models around it. With the fierce competition in the business world, some companies even go to ridiculous lengths to satisfy their customers. However, the business landscape has greatly evolved over the years, making this customer-centric ideology outdated and irrelevant. Of course, businesses should always value good customer services, but as business owners, we should also protect our best interests. Taking this mantra a little too sincerely could be self-destructive. You need to acknowledge that the cus...
Read More
How to Increase Offline Sales for Local Businesses
6Apr By Roger MonttiNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How to Increase Offline Sales for Local Businesses

Local Restaurant SearchesYouTube and Local ShoppingGoogle MapsGuide to Offline SalesGoogle is More than Ten Links on a Search ResultCitationsGoogle published a guide on four ways to drive local search traffic to an offline local business and make more sales. It’s a good reminder that Google is more than just the ten blue links on a search page.Understanding all the ways customers are trying to find businesses will help create more sales.For local retail, Google shared that various kinds of searches are growing exponentially.In particular, three kinds of searches are showing dramatic increases:The first kind of search involves consumers searching for businesses that are local to them.The second type of search involves consumers who are searching for businesses local to them that have som...
Read More
Local 2-Packs Spotted in Google Mobile SERPs
1Apr By Stephanie NewtonNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, Google My Business, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Local 2-Packs Spotted in Google Mobile SERPs

Google’s Local 3-Pack might soon be a Local 2-Pack (on mobile at least). This week, Joy Hawkins at Local U (via Mariano Rodriguez from LawRank) shared findings of 2-Packs being spotted in local search results on mobile.  Since the news was first shared, more and more people have reported seeing a set of just two results when performing local searches on mobile.Seeing a 2-pack on Android Mobile. Anyone else?#localseo pic.twitter.com/bpICh5W2tX — Ben Fisher (@TheSocialDude) March 30, 2021   Both Android and iPhone users are being presented with 2-Pack results:I’ve been seeing it on iPhone/safari: pic.twitter.com/ArBEDQuzJ2 — Frank Olivo (@FrancoOlivo) March 31, 2021What’s new? When performing a local search, users are usually presented with three top results. This is referred to as...
Read More
Google Enhances Business Profiles For Stores With Delivery & Pickup
31Mar By Matt SouthernNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Google Enhances Business Profiles For Stores With Delivery & Pickup

Google is adding more information to Search and Maps about businesses that offer options for grocery delivery and pickup.The information is getting added to search automatically, which means there’s no work needed on the part of businesses, but it’s an update worth being aware of.This addition to Google Search and Maps is rolling out as part of a larger update which includes a number of other useful features.We’ll look at the other features at the end of this article – let’s first go over the enhancements to Google My Business profiles.New Information in Google My Business ProfilesGoogle is bringing shopping information to stores’ business profiles to assist people with finding convenient grocery delivery and pickup options.AdvertisementContinue Reading BelowThe information Google is ad...
Read More
Odd Relationships in Local Search
30Mar 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

Odd Relationships in Local Search

Like my post? Please share! One of the first things you notice about Google Maps and the rest of the local search zoo is that usually there’s no single, isolated reason one business outranks another.  Rather, all kinds of factors come into play: some obvious, some less obvious, lots of maybes, and some that probably nobody knows about.  But I’d go a step further and say you’re in a much better position to get some solid rankings if you know how some factors tend to interact with each other, often in unpredictable ways.You can’t look at local search ranking factors in a vacuum.  Google sure doesn’t seem to.  Now, it’s not a bad idea to work on your local SEO with a big checklist.  That can get you far, especially if you stick with it.  You only run into trouble when you seem to have do...
Read More
4 Killer Tips to Make your Website Work for Your Business!
26Mar By John VuongNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo company, seo services

4 Killer Tips to Make your Website Work for Your Business!

March 25, 2021 John Vuong SEO APP & Web Development If you have a small business website, you want to make sure it’s working hard for you. You’ve put a lot of effort and money into it! You should get a strong return on investment. However, that won’t happen by itself. You have to set your website up for success by making sure it engages visitors and follows other best practices. What do you need to do to ensure your website is set up to maximize the engagement you get fro...
Read More
Wix and Google Announce GMB Integration
24Mar 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

Wix and Google Announce GMB Integration

Wix Business ModelWhat GMB Integration OffersQ & A With WixGoogle Integration ExpertiseWix Making Strides in Local SearchWix and Google announced an expanded partnership that integrates Google My Business (GMB) directly within Wix. Businesses can now access GMB data, customer interactions and manage their  profile directly from Wix.Wix Business ModelThe value proposition in a service like Wix is that they take handle the technical side of an online presence. Things like search engine optimization (SEO) and structured data are taken care of by Wix. Wix also provides marketing tools that help small businesses succeed. This allows businesses to focus on doing what they do best.AdvertisementContinue Reading BelowIntegrating Google My Business fits in with the Wix business model of makin...
Read More
How to Use On-site Features to Complement Physical Stores
20Mar By Elliot MarkNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How to Use On-site Features to Complement Physical Stores

In this article, guest contributor Elliot Mark explores how local businesses can create online customer experiences to complement physical brick-and-mortar stores, and provides customer service tips for retailers. Throughout recent years, the growth of the online retail industry has made it increasingly difficult for brick-and-mortar retailers to compete, pushing them to adapt to maintain their viability. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has only added urgency to this process. Unable to carry on as usual, even the staunchest holdouts have had to embrace online operations. While there are some notable distinctions, online and offline retail overlap far more than they differ. Consider what it takes to bring a customer back, for instance. Superb customer service, whether it involves pro...
Read More
10 Common Local SEO Myths Debunked
17Mar 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, Whitespark Weekly

10 Common Local SEO Myths Debunked

There are many strategies and tactics that you can implement to help your business increase rankings in local search results. But for every well-known and proven ranking strategy, there is an equally well-known unproven strategy masquerading as an effective local SEO tactic. In today’s Whitespark Weekly episode, Darren is busting 10 common local SEO myths! Stop wasting your time implementing these tactics in the hopes of positively impacting your rankings! Video Transcript Hey there, Darren here with another way Whitespark Weekly video. These videos are to help you understand local SEO, give you optimization strategies, and keep you up to date on the latest in local search. If you’re new here, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up for our newsletter. We will send you ...
Read More
Website Creation: Services or Platform To Use
17Mar By John VuongNo Comments
Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Website Creation: Services or Platform To Use

March 16, 2021 John Vuong Business advice As a small business owner, if you’re going to create a website you probably want something that is simple to understand and easy to use. However, you also want to make sure it’s customizable enough that your website will match your brand. That’s where website builder services come in. Many of these website creation services offer easy-to-use drag-and-drop interfaces, while others have a variety of templates to choose from. If you’re b...
Read More
How to Land Your First Local SEO Client
13Mar By Kate Herbert-SmithNo Comments
Blog, BrightLocal Products, Client Relations, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

How to Land Your First Local SEO Client

We’re incredibly excited to announce the launch of our second free course for BrightLocal Academy, called ‘How to Land Your First Local SEO Client‘. We’ve created this course in collaboration with local SEO specialist Claire Carlile because we realized that while there’s plenty of content out there that helps people learn how to do local SEO, there’s little that helps people get their local SEO agencies off the ground.  Winning that first client is a massive milestone for anyone starting out, but there’s a lot of work needed to get to that point. For the most part, it’s trial and error but early missteps can have negative knock-on effects as your agency grows. For example, you might find yourself in a tricky situation down the line after having underpriced your services at the start, l...
Read More
What Happens to Your Rankings if You Do No SEO Work for Over a Year?
10Mar 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, Whitespark Weekly

What Happens to Your Rankings if You Do No SEO Work for Over a Year?

What Happens to Your Rankings if You Do No SEO Work for Over a Year? - Whitespark Today, we are revisiting a case study that we did for MozCon 2019 on the process of going from zero web presence to ranking hyper-locally, From Zero to Local Ranking Hero. This was an 8-month-long journey of a business growing its digital footprint and analyzing what worked (and didn’t) along the way to discover exactly what impact different strategies have on local rankings. Over a year later we want to know, where are their rankings now? In this Whitespark Weekly episode, we’re investigating what happened to their rankings after the local SEO work was done and NO addit...
Read More
Should I Pay Annually for the Local Data Aggregators? 3 Things We Learned.
10Mar By Joy HawkinsNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Strategy

Should I Pay Annually for the Local Data Aggregators? 3 Things We Learned.

Posted Mar 9, 2021 by Joy Hawkins There are several reputable companies that offer services with an annual fee that are designed to keep your online local directory listings up-to-date.  One way of doing this is to focus specifically on the major local data aggregators that push information out to tons of different websites. We did an experiment to see what happens if you sign up for one of the annual data provider services and cancel it a year later. Not renewing caused wrong information to come back.When we did the experiment, the listing on Acxiom (which is no longer an active aggre...
Read More
How to Set Up a Website For Your Small Business
9Mar By Bryan CincoNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, SEO APP & Web Development, seo company, seo services

How to Set Up a Website For Your Small Business

March 8, 2021 Bryan Cinco SEO APP & Web Development You know that having an online presence is essential to bringing in new customers and clients. A website is a vital way to connect with people searching for your products and services online while explaining your value and how you stand out from competitors.  Is setting up a website difficult? It doesn’t have to be! You can get a basic online presence started quickly and easily. From there, you can work on building up yo...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
8 New & Updated Google My Business Features for Local SEO
24Feb By John LincolnNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

8 New & Updated Google My Business Features for Local SEO

Google has rolled out several new features and attributes in Google My Business (GMB) since the Coronavirus began.If you’re running a local business, you need to know about those updates so you can get the most out of the platform.In this article, we’ll check out 10 recent changes to Google My Business that you need to check out.1. Health & Safety AttributesLate in 2020, GMB rolled out new attributes so searchers can make informed decisions about the health standards at businesses they may visit.These new GMB attributes are:Appointment required.Mask required.Staff wear masks.Staff get temperature checks.Temperature check required.Keep in mind that f you follow stricter health-related guidelines than your competitors and you advertise those guidelines on GMB, you could very well capt...
Read More
7 Local Marketing Measurement Best Practices for Times of Crisis
20Feb By Marshall NymanNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, Marketing Analytics, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

7 Local Marketing Measurement Best Practices for Times of Crisis

It’s hard for local marketers to believe that it was just last March our goals were completely upended and we were forced to drastically change how we view local marketing measurement and success for both channels and campaigns.Soft skills such as flexibility and the ability to pivot at the drop of a hat became a non-negotiable requirement.Hard KPIs, as a result, have had to shift as what customers expect from brands requires a heavy lift of development to execute.Curbside pickup, once a service targeted to busy individuals, is no longer a unique value add a brand offers but an expected health & safety protocol for all consumers.The same is true for contactless delivery.What does this mean specifically for local marketing—and particularly, how you measure success?In this post, my co...
Read More
NEW: Claim Your Agency Directory Listing
19Feb By Rosie MurphyNo Comments
Blog, BrightLocal Products, Client Relations, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

NEW: Claim Your Agency Directory Listing

Claim your listing on the new BrightLocal Agency Directory to begin generating leads from businesses that are searching for help with digital marketing right now. Every week, BrightLocal’s Customer Success team receives requests for recommendations of top-rated agencies that can help our local business customers with their digital marketing. And, just as often, we receive requests from agencies and consultants to be added to our legacy lists of Top SEO Agencies. We wanted to help bridge this gap between businesses in need of digital marketing assistance and the many talented agencies and freelancers operating in the US and actively seeking new leads.  Introducing the Agency Directory  Today, we launched the Agency Directory – an in-depth directory of digital marketing agencie...
Read More
Wix vs WordPress? Mueller Says Solve Content Issues
18Feb 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

Wix vs WordPress? Mueller Says Solve Content Issues

Someone tweeted their intention to build a Wix site to test how well it ranks for local search compared to WordPress. John Mueller responded with a series of helpful suggestions, emphasizing that platforms that take care of the technical are ideal for small business owners.Wix Versus WordPressThe initial tweet was about creating a test between Wix and WordPress.Rob May (@robinlmay) tweeted:“Going to get and build a @Wix site and see if I can get it ranking in some local city (here) for #SEO related services (as a test against WordPress) – just to see if it will work. Will take all appropriate steps/measures for best practices. Huh. Wonder how that will go?”Tests Can Be MisleadingOne of the things about SEO tests is that they are subject to interpretation. In other words, the meaning of ...
Read More
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...
Read More
Star Rating Now Showing in Google Review Summary
11Feb By Stephanie NewtonNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, News, Reputation Management, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Star Rating Now Showing in Google Review Summary

In the world of local SEO, there’s always something new to keep your eye out for that could be a game-changer. This week, that news is that star ratings are now appearing in review snippet on Google My Business listings.First time I’ve seen the star rating appear with the review snippet here pic.twitter.com/gXoP0mG7hn — Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) February 3, 2021Spotted on Twitter by Tom Waddington on February 3rd, 2021, this change is yet another step from Google to bring online reviews front and center.  What’s new with Google review summaries? Previously, when a business’s Knowledge Panel was generated by a local search, Google would highlight potentially relevant keywords. For example, “great service” might be bolded for a restaurant. Now, not only is a searcher presented...
Read More
Star Rating Now Showing in Google Review Summary
6Feb By Stephanie NewtonNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, News, Reputation Management, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Star Rating Now Showing in Google Review Summary

In the world of local SEO, there’s always something new to keep your eye out for that could be a game-changer. This week, that news is that star ratings are now appearing in review snippet on Google My Business listings.First time I’ve seen the star rating appear with the review snippet here pic.twitter.com/gXoP0mG7hn — Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) February 3, 2021Spotted on Twitter by Tom Waddington on February 3rd, 2021, this change is yet another step from Google to bring online reviews front and center.  What’s new with Google review summaries? Previously, when a business’s Knowledge Panel was generated by a local search, Google would highlight potentially relevant keywords. For example, “great service” might be bolded for a restaurant. Now, not only is a searcher presented...
Read More
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...
Read More
7 Phases of a Local Business Reviews Campaign That Makes It Rain
1Feb By PhilNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

7 Phases of a Local Business Reviews Campaign That Makes It Rain

Like my post? Please share! Even people who do a solid job of getting online reviews tend to make the process tougher than it needs to be, because they do the right steps in the wrong order.  That can mean unnecessary trial and error, frustration, wasted time, wasted money, and more bad reviews and fewer good reviews than you might have had otherwise. Whether you’re the business owner, an employee, or a third party, you have a choice as to how you sequence your work.  Examples of good steps that can trip you up if you do them at the wrong time include offering customers a choice of multiple review sites, asking them to upload photos or go into detail, and using software or other tools to lighten your lift.  Good ideas?  Maybe, but the effectiveness depends on the timing. What’s the leas...
Read More
Google Posts No Longer Expire After Seven Days [NEWS]
23Jan By Stephanie NewtonNo Comments
Blog, googe optimize, Google My Business, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Google Posts No Longer Expire After Seven Days [NEWS]

TL;DRGoogle Posts are now visible in the business's Knowledge Panel for more than 7 daysBefore this update, Google Posts expired 7 days after creationGoogle Posts are a great way to communicate with customers directly within SERPsOn Tuesday, January 19th, eagle-eyed SEO Brodie Clark spotted that Google Posts older than seven days were appearing in the local business Knowledge Panel. Nice one for Local SEOs to be aware of. Now seeing standard Posts appears from months back by default. Would show for 7 days previously, then “expire” and become hidden behind the ‘view all’ button. Glad to see more visibility given to Posts – this change makes sense IMO. pic.twitter.com/H3pQTDG5qH — Brodie Clark (@brodieseo) January 20, 2021As Brodie mentions, Posts created within Goog...
Read More
Where to Be in 2021: Conferences & Events to Improve Your Local Marketing
23Jan By Delon RajphangthongNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Where to Be in 2021: Conferences & Events to Improve Your Local Marketing

Where to Be in 2021: Conferences & Events to Improve Your Local Marketing - Whitespark Updated on January 19, 2021 (Originally published December 17, 2019 by Jessie Low) There is no shortage of marketing conferences, webinars, and workshops to attend to help grow your skill set, stay current, and advance your...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
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...
Read More
Why Was My Google My Business Listing Suspended?
20Jan 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

Why Was My Google My Business Listing Suspended?

Many local businesses rely on their Google My Business (GMB) listing as a major online marketing tool.In fact, for a large group of small businesses, a GMB profile is their only form of internet marketing.Foolish?Yes.Risky?Yes.But for small local businesses that operate on a tiny marketing budget (or even no budget at all), a free GMB profile is often the only online marketing strategy they have.When they run into issues with Google My Business, those issues can literally put them out of business.One of the biggest stressors to a small business owner in this situation is when their Google My Business listing gets suspended.With a Google My Business suspension, your GMB listing is no longer visible on Google Search or Maps, or you have lost control of your listing (your business listing ...
Read More
Should a Small Business Have a Blog in 2021?
19Jan By Colan NielsenNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Marketing, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Strategy, Tips

Should a Small Business Have a Blog in 2021?

Posted Jan 19, 2021 by Colan Nielsen Should a small business have a blog? This is a question that we get asked all the time by both business owners and marketing agencies. Carrie Hill posed this question to the Twitterverse in November.  Here’s a controversial topic – Local SEOs – should local businesses that have a fixed, geographic area they serve, blog (given they write content approx. 1x a month.) We’re discussing at the @LocalSearchLink https://t.co/knZVRfsKlh#localseo #localuPlease vote/share! — Carrie Hill 🗺️🎙️ (@CarrieHill) November 16, 2020 What i...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Expert Local SEO Predictions for 2021
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 ...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
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...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
[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...
Read More
Google services were down including Google Ads, Google Analytics, Search Console & more
21Dec By Barry SchwartzNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Google services were down including Google Ads, Google Analytics, Search Console & more

Google services were down including Google Ads, Google Analytics, Search Console & more Your privacy means the world to us. We share your personal information only when you give us explicit permission to do so, and confirm we have your permission each time. Learn more by viewing our privacy policy.Ok !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments...
Read More
What You Need To Know About Google Local Services Ads
21Dec By Tom WaddingtonNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, PPC, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

What You Need To Know About Google Local Services Ads

Google’s Local Services ads (aka LSA, Google Guaranteed ads, Local Services by Google, Google Local Services) is a pay per lead advertising platform that has expanded across the United States, and in Canada (excluding Quebec) but limited to 4 business categories. Below is a list of the eligible business categories Google has set for Local Services ads. Nationwide CategoriesAppliance repair services Bankruptcy law services Business law services Carpenter services Carpet cleaning services Cleaning services Contract law services Countertop services Criminal law services Disability law services DUI law services Electricians (available in Canada) Estate lawyer services Family law services Fencing services Junk removal services Financial planning services Flooring services Foundation...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
Is COVID-19 the End of “Google As Your New Homepage”?
21Dec By PhilNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Uncategorized

Is COVID-19 the End of “Google As Your New Homepage”?

Like my post? Please share! Over the years, we’ve seen Google add so much stuff to the search results that we’ve concluded Google doesn’t even want searchers to click through to your website, because (Google assumes) everything people want to know is right there in the search results.  Some smart people in the local-search space have called that slow transformation “Google as your new homepage.”  Who needs to see your homepage when Google can save people a click or tap? As with so many other things, COVID-19 will probably change that.  At least in the crazy world of search, it seems the big lesson is: we still need to click. Google’s local search results are affected by the disruption and (to a lesser extent) contribute to it.  In the long haul, that may us a little less reliant on them...
Read More
How to Completely Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
21Dec By Sam HollingsworthNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

How to Completely Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool from Google that helps business owners manage their online presence across the search engine and its growing portfolio of utilities.Seasoned SEO professionals use GMB listings to leverage a location-based strategyCreating a GMB listing is the first step to local search success.And for good reason.GMB offers the greatest impact for brands seeking local exposure.A feature like Google’s Local Search emphasizes the need for a GMB listing for both new and established businesses.It gives a list of businesses nearby and a lot of information needed to find a specific business like:Business address.Business hours.Category.Reviews.Google’s Knowledge Graph also utilizes verified Google My Business information.AdvertisementContinue Reading BelowIt helps gener...
Read More
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...
Read More
Don’t Miss These Online Marketing Techniques for 2020
21Dec By John VuongNo Comments
Business advice, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Internet marketing, Online marketing, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services

Don’t Miss These Online Marketing Techniques for 2020

May 22, 2020 John Vuong Business advice, Internet marketing, Online marketing, SEO As a small business owner, it may feel like there’s simply too much to do. You need to manage your business and grow your products and services, but that means little if people aren’t aware of your business. The good news is that online marketing strategies can make your job easier. Being able to reach people remotely can save you both time and money.Even better, if you don’t have time to man...
Read More
Doable Examples of Online/Remote Services Offered by Local Businesses
21Dec By PhilNo Comments
googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo company, seo services, Uncategorized

Doable Examples of Online/Remote Services Offered by Local Businesses

Like my post? Please share! While everything and everyone is on lockdown, how can a “local” business still bring in a little revenue?  How can you set yourself up for a strong comeback?  And how can you do it from your yurt? As you might guess, you do it by offering an online or “tele” version of at least one of your services.  Customers / clients / patients may need to keep their distance, but many still want or need now what you offer.  Only a video, phone, or other online option meets both of those needs. The problem now is you’re not sure where to begin, because you don’t have examples or blueprints of online-only services that you can adapt to your situation. I’m not saying a remote option is an option for every business.  Some businesses can only do their work in-person, and don’t...
Read More