Tag: Search

22Jul By CallRailNo Comments

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

The New Google Business Profile Playbook for AI Local Search

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

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20Jul By juthompson@hubspot.com (Justina Thompson)No Comments

AEO, Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing

The top content formats & types that earn AI search citations

There’s no denying it: Search behaviors have changed. As more queries are answered directly by AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, the shifts reshaping search are forcing marketers to rethink ranking and, just as crucially, learn how to write for AI search rather than just for a list of blue links. (more…)

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6Jul By David CiccarelliNo Comments

ai, ai bot, ai chat, ai chatbot, airbnb, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot ai, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, chatbot wordpress, conversation with ai, creating chatbots, google chat bots, Marketing, robot chat, vacation-rental, vrbo

The AI Search Strategy That Beat Airbnb and VRBO Combined | by David Ciccarelli

Press enter or click to view image in full sizeMost marketers dream of outranking industry giants, but few crack the code on AI search optimization.Lake.com didn’t just crack it , we shattered it, quadrupling our citation share from 8.6% to 35.0% in AI-generated travel recommendations while Airbnb and Vrbo watched their combined dominance crumble.The secret wasn’t throwing money at ads or chasing viral content.Instead, we engineered a systematic approach to semantic search optimization that made AI models choose us over billion-dollar competitors in destination queries, pricing comparisons, platform integrations, and booking tutorials.Here’s the exact playbook we used to become the most-cited travel brand in AI search — and why your competitors probably aren’t ready for what’s coming next....

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18Jun By rsukhraj@hubspot.com (Ramona Sukhraj)No Comments

AEO, Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing

How to rank in AI search results: Expert best practices

Knowing how to rank in search engines and how to rank in AI search results are two different games now. (more…)

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31May By John VuongNo Comments

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

How to Master the Modern Search Landscape: The Periodic Table of SEO, AI, and GEO Success Factors

For years, search engine optimization (SEO) has been a foundational pillar of digital marketing. However, as technology evolves, the landscape is no longer just about traditional search engines; it is increasingly dominated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Search Engine Land’s updated “Periodic Table of SEO Success Factors” perfectly encapsulates this new reality. The overarching theme is clear: search engines and AI systems alike reward content that is valuable, trustworthy, and easy to understand. To achieve sustainable visibility—a formula defined as Search + AI + Humans—publishers must understand how various elements interact. This comprehensive framework divides ranking factors into On-The-Page elements, Off-The-Page elements, AI & GEO Opti...

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27May By Loren BakerNo Comments

Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Webinar

How To: Optimize Your Small Business For AI Search

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

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19May By Loren BakerNo Comments

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

How To Build Local Pages That Win In AI Search

Local AI search rewards better pages. Learn exactly how to build them. Are your location-based pages showing up when AI-powered search answers local queries? Is structured data, listings, reviews driving (or undermining) your brand’s visibility across locations? 👆 Register above to learn the right way to build local intent pages that get cited in AI answers. How Local AI Visibility Works: Search Results, Listings & AI-generated Answers This on-demand session delivers a practical framework for strengthening your local SEO foundation so your brand surfaces consistently across traditional search results, listings, and AI-generated answers. You’ll Learn: How AI Search Discovers Individual Locations: Understand exactly how AI-powered search pulls from your site, listings, schema, a...

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11May By UberallNo Comments

Generative AI, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, SEO Strategy, Sponsored Posts

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

This post was sponsored by Uberall. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Local consumers have stopped searching the way we built our marketing around. This significant change in buyer habits has been quietly happening in the last 18 to 24 months. According to recent Uberall research into AI search behavior, an estimated $750 billion in consumer spend is already shifting toward AI-powered search. Roughly 60% of all searches now end without a single click to a website. And in a finding that should stop every marketer cold, or at least those working for multi-location businesses, 68% of brands are missing entirely from the recommendations AI engines generate in their category. That problem goes beyond channels. It’s a fast-moving visibility problem that risks affectin...

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30Mar By rsukhraj@hubspot.com (Ramona Sukhraj)No Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing

How to get found in Google and AI search in 2026

I've spent most of the last 10 years writing, managing, and improving content to reach internet audiences. But even for an ol' marketer like me, AI content optimization was hard at first. Thankfully, I’ve done a lot of the work, so it doesn't have to be for you. (more…)

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24Mar By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Maps Launches AI Conversational Search With Ask Maps

Google Maps is launching Ask Maps, a conversational feature powered by Gemini that lets users ask complex questions about locations and receive AI-generated suggestions on a personalized map. The feature is now rolling out in the U.S. and India on Android and iOS, with a desktop version coming soon. What Ask Maps Does Ask Maps lets you type natural-language questions directly into Google Maps and receive AI-generated answers. Google’s examples include queries like “Is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?” and “My phone is dying, where can I charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee?” See an example provided by Google below: The feature uses Google’s database of over 300 million places and reviews from 500 million contributors to generate...

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6Mar By Sean TinneyNo Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing, Updates

Subscriber Search Is Now Up To 12x Faster

By Sean Tinney March 3, 2026 Subscriber search and management just got a major upgrade. Searches are up to 12x faster, profiles show more of what you need to act on, and you can share what you find with your team in one click. Find Subscribers Faster Infinite scroll lets you move through your entire list in one continuous view. Tag, review, or update contacts without losing your place. Keyboard navigation means you can arrow through profiles, review, move on, and come back without leaving your search results. Searchable segments show matching results as you type, even if you have hundreds saved. See More on Subscribers Activity filtering gives you a focused view of any subscriber’s history. Filter by opens, clicks, sent messages, subscript...

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4Mar By Heather CampbellNo Comments

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

90 Days. 1 Plan. Improved Local Search Visibility

AI is rapidly rewriting how consumers discover, evaluate, and choose local brands, and multi-location businesses are already feeling the impact. How do AI agents decide which local brands get surfaced, recommended, or excluded? Which location-level signals influence AI-driven discovery and selection? And how can enterprise teams operationalize GEO across hundreds or thousands of locations? Watch on-demand and learn how to make every location AI-ready in the next 90 days. A Practical GEO Playbook for Multi-Location Brands Discovery is no longer “search → compare → decide.” It’s rapidly transforming into “intent → AI agent → action.” AI systems now aggregate signals across maps, reviews, content, location data, engagement, and brand trust before your potential shopper ever clicks. Watch on-d...

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10Feb By Stephanie TrovatoNo Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing, SEO

How to audit your content for AI search engines

An AI engine optimization audit evaluates brand visibility, accuracy, and citations in AI-powered search engines. It highlights how a brand appears across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Bing Copilot, and identifies gaps in the facts, descriptions, and links these systems rely on. In contrast, a traditional SEO audit focuses on website rankings and technical health in classic search engines. (more…)

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4Feb By seoninjaNo Comments

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

How to Use Artificial Intelligence for Better Search Rankings

Search engine optimization is evolving faster than ever, and artificial intelligence sits at the center of this transformation. Google processes over 8.5 billion searches daily using sophisticated AI systems like RankBrain and MUM. At the same time, content creators and SEO professionals now have access to powerful AI tools that can analyze data, predict trends, and automate repetitive tasks. Understanding how to integrate AI into your SEO workflow has become essential for staying competitive. This guide walks you through practical ways to use artificial intelligence for SEO, covering keyword research, technical optimization, and more, while clarifying where human expertise remains irreplaceable. How Search Engines Use AI and Machine Learning Before diving into AI SEO tools, you need to u...

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31Jan By John VuongNo Comments

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

Evidence Suggests ChatGPT Search May Be Using Google’s Index

Recent findings have sparked a significant debate in the SEO community: Is OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search relying on Google’s index to power its results? While OpenAI has its own web crawler (OAI-SearchBot), new evidence suggests a much tighter integration—or at least a dependency—on Google’s search results. As reported by Barry Schwartz, several tests indicate that ChatGPT is able to discover and surface content that has only been indexed through Google. The “Ghost Page” Experiment The most compelling evidence comes from an experiment conducted by researcher Abhishek Iyer. To test whether ChatGPT was “piggybacking” on Google, he followed a specific methodology designed to isolate discovery sources: Creation of Unique Content: He created a brand-new webpage containing a completely made-up term t...

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9Jan By Alex SventeckisNo Comments

AI Engine Optimization, Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing

AI search visibility: The playbook for marketers

AI search visibility refers to how a brand appears in AI-generated results from tools like ChatGPT and AI-augmented search engines such as Gemini or Perplexity. Unlike traditional SEO, which tracks ranking positions and blue links, AI visibility measures how often your brand is mentioned, how your owned content is cited, and how those mentions are framed in model responses. (more…)

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3Jan By PhilNo Comments

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

Longevity in Local Search: How You Can Keep Rankings High Year After Year

“Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young.”  There’s a similar truth in local SEO: the businesses to keep an eye on are those that stay near the top of the local search results over time.  Like all businesses, they have their ups and downs, and they’re probably not #1 for nearly every term, but their downs seem temporary, and their ups are long.  Even if they’re down in the Google Maps results, they may be great in the organic or AI results, or vice versa.  They just don’t go away. Months-long streaks of good rankings are easy to come by, and easy to lose.  Some businesses are in pushover markets, or they get lucky, or they employ spam effectively, or Google decides to shake up the results for a while.  But those don’t explain why some businesses routinely clobber o...

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20Nov By Pranav DesaiNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, SEO Strategy, Sponsored Posts

The New Role of Local Search in Customer Experience

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

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16Nov By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Adds AI Shopping Tools Across Search, Gemini

Google is rolling out AI shopping updates across Search and the Gemini app, introducing conversational shopping and agentic features that automate price tracking and local inventory checks. The updates begin rolling out today in the United States. What’s New AI Mode Shopping Upgrade AI Mode in Search now pairs Gemini models with Google’s Shopping Graph to handle conversational shopping queries, so you can describe products in natural language instead of relying on keywords and filters. See an example below: Image Credit: Google Vidhya Srinivasan, Vice President and General Manager of Ads & Commerce at Google, said during a press briefing that AI Mode shoppers are asking questions that are 23 times longer than traditional searches. Results are tailored to the type of query. Visual shopp...

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8Nov By PhilNo Comments

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

10 Great Comments from the 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors Survey

The 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey is as full of insights as ever.  It was published yesterday, over at Whitespark.  (As always, a big thanks to Darren for organizing it and herding the cats.) If you do nothing else today to improve your understanding of local SEO and ability to get more visible in local search, pour yourself a mug of your finest moonshine and read through the survey or watch the video recap.  There’s a ton of useful info, whether you like to get into the details or just want a quick gut check. In case you don’t have time to read the full survey, at least you’ll want to skim through the comments.  That’s always been my favorite part of it anyway.  Sometimes you find gold nuggets in there. Even the comments section is a long read, though, which is why I’ve rounde...

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3Oct By PhilNo Comments

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

Simple Template for Self-Auditing Your AI Local Search Visibility

Just about every business owner wants to be more visible in the AI local results, but it’s easy to get analysis paralysis.  Where and how do you even check your visibility?  How should you size up competitors?  What are realistic next steps, particularly next steps you don’t already plan to do? Most advice on AI local SEO is like other SEO advice, but even squishier.  When it’s not the same candy in a new wrapper, it’s extremely broad, or it’s a fancy version of “I don’t know.”  Nobody has the AI local results figured out, but that doesn’t mean you should be a spectator, and it sure doesn’t mean your competitors will just sit around and watch.  AI is still a relatively small part of local search, but it may not be that way for long.  You can and should plant the flag now. A starting point ...

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12Sep By Roger MurphyNo Comments

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

Setting up Your Small Business for Success: The John Vuong / Local SEO Search Story

Starting a small business is no easy feat. When Local SEO Search’s owner, John Vuong, first started the company, it was challenging. In fact, he didn’t have a laptop when he first went to see new clients; all he had was a mobile device. In his first meeting, he emphasized the importance of getting great search engine results. After that, the client signed with John and the rest was history. Learn how John created success for himself and for other entrepreneurs with the power of website optimization: Having a Positive Attitude “Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” — Mary Lou Retton When speaking with potential clients, John always put his best foot forward and kept thinking positive thoughts. He approached people with a...

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31Aug By DACNo Comments

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

New Strategies To Gain Local Search Visibility

This post was sponsored by DAC. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. The new reality of Search and brand discovery requires an Enterprise-to-Local strategy. Traditional keyword-driven search engine results pages (SERPs) are being disrupted by AI-driven experiences that anticipate, summarize, and even act on users’ needs. As generative AI tools like Google’s AI Overviews and platforms such as Perplexity become more prominent in the Search journey, the marketer’s task expands: It’s no longer just about ranking well on Google but being visible wherever decisions begin. For multilocation businesses, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. AI is flattening the competitive playing field, restructuring what influences purchasing decisions, and automating former...

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26Jul By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Search Can Now Call Local Businesses Using AI

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

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12Jun By Roger MonttiNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, Google Patents & Research Papers, google seo, Local Search, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

Google Local Search Research Paper On Business Type Extraction

Google published a research paper describing how it extracts “services offered” information from local business sites to add it to business profiles in Google Maps and Search. The algorithm describes specific relevance factors and confirms that the system has been successfully in use for a year. What makes this research paper especially notable is that one of the authors is Marc Najork, a distinguished research scientist at Google who is associated with many milestones in information retrieval, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence. The purpose of this system is to make it easier for users to find local businesses that provide the services they are looking for. The paper was published in 2024 (according to the Internet Archive) and is dated 2023. The research paper expla...

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3May By Andrew HutchinsonNo Comments

facebook, facebook marketing, Social Marketing Strategies, social media, social media marketing, youtube

Google Expands Access To Conversational AI in Search

Similar to how every platform has been turning its focus to short-form video over the past few years, attention is now turning to AI chatbots, with Google being the latest to add a ChatGPT style interface to Search, as a means to capitalize on rising interest. As you can see in this example, Google’s “AI Mode” in Google Search enables you to take a more conversational approach to web discovery, with a ChatGPT-like UI, that you can converse with like a know-it-all human. Google began testing its AI Mode with approved testers back in March, and it’s now expanding access to all Google Labs users in the U.S. As per Google: “Millions of people are using AI Mode in Labs to search in new ways - asking longer, harder questions, using follow-up questions to hone in on what they really want to k...

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28Feb By Jeff RiddallNo Comments

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

How Vacation Rentals Can Dominate Organic Search And Attract Guests

Travelers today can effortlessly browse through countless vacation rental options with only a few clicks. With so much competition, a strong online presence is critical to success in the vacation rental space. With competition from large players like VRBO, Airbnb, and Booking.com, small local vendors can not solely rely on word-of-mouth or local listings. You need a robust SEO strategy to capture the attention of potential guests and drive direct bookings. We’re going to dive into local and travel SEO for vacation rentals, to apply advanced techniques to improve online authority and visibility in order to drive more valuable traffic and bookings. We’ll explore how to optimize a vacation rental business’ web presence, leverage the powerful Google Travel platform, and implement proven strate...

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27Nov By Caroline ForseyNo Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing

HubSpot’s Senior Director of Global Growth on Embracing AI, Diversifying Beyond Search, and Reviving ‘Dead’ Marketing Channels

"Just GPT it" is all the rage right now. (more…)

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16Nov By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Maps Launches Product Search: Steps For Retailers

Google has updated Maps to include product-specific search capabilities, just in time for the holiday shopping season. This feature allows consumers to search for specific items and find nearby stores with available inventory. Key Features The update lets you search for products directly within Google Maps and find real-time inventory availability at nearby stores. Shoppers can find a wide range of items and have immediate access to local pickup options. In an announcement, Google states: “Need a last-minute gift? Now, you can search in Google Maps for items like pickleball rackets, board games, ice cream makers and more to find nearby stores that have them in stock so you can pick up what you need, stat. No empty stockings here!” Implementation Guide For Retailers Retailers should focus o...

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1Sep By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Yelp Sues Google Over Local Search Dominance

Yelp has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in federal court in San Francisco. The suit alleges that Google has illegally leveraged its monopoly in general search to dominate the local search and local search advertising markets, harming competition and consumer choice. Key Allegations Yelp’s complaint accuses Google of engaging in anticompetitive conduct, including: Self-preferencing its own “inferior” local search product over competitors Driving traffic and revenue away from rivals like Yelp Making it harder for competitors to achieve scale Increasing costs for rivals Limiting consumer choice to grow its market power The company claims Google’s local listings are “on average, shorter, more prone to error, less subject to quality control, and less likely to be useful to consumer...

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5Jun By SOCiNo Comments

content, content creation, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search, On-page SEO, pagerank, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, Sponsored Posts

Your Guide To Dominating Local Search Marketing

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

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17Apr By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Search & Maps Get Upgrades For Greener Travel

Google announced updates to its Maps and Search products on Monday aimed at helping users find and choose more sustainable transportation options over gas-powered vehicles. James Byers, Google Search’s Group Product Manager, states: “When it comes to traveling and commuting, we want people to have the right information to make more sustainable choices.” Eco-Friendly Route Suggestions Screenshot from: blog.google/products/search/, April 2024. If travel times are comparable, one of Google Maps’ key new features will be the provision of transit and walking route suggestions alongside driving routes. This update will be rolled out in over 15 major cities worldwide in the coming weeks, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, and Sydney. Train & Bus Route Information Google is expandin...

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12Apr By Loren BakerNo Comments

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

How To See Google Search Results And Rankings For Different Locations

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

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4Apr By Loren BakerNo Comments

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

How To See Google Search Results And Rankings For Different Locations

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

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27Mar By John VuongNo Comments

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

Unleashing the Power of Search Engine Optimization

In today’s digital era, online presence is crucial for businesses aiming to succeed in the competitive marketplace. To achieve and maintain a strong online presence, companies turn to the invaluable assistance of professionals who specialize in optimizing their websites for search engines. This process, known as search engine optimization (SEO), plays a pivotal role in enhancing a website’s visibility and attracting organic traffic. SEO services are the lifeline that businesses rely on to navigate the complex world of online marketing successfully. Understanding the Essence of SEO Before delving deeper into the significance of SEO services, it’s vital to grasp the essence of SEO itself. Search engine optimization is the strategic art of fine-tuning a website to ensure it ranks higher on se...

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9Mar By John VuongNo Comments

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

Web Design Effects – Local SEO Search Inc.

For many businesses, it’s a given you need an online presence to interact with your customer base in a more convenient and intimate manner. However, while many businesses settle for having a social media presence, the most effective businesses know the most effective move is developing a quality website. A website is an all-in-one tool for your online needs, allowing you to communicate with your clients and offer them alternative avenues for locating your services. But like any other tool, it’s vital you invest in your site to make sure you’re getting the most out of it. Quality web design is the key to creating a quality website that both gets you the right attention from Google and gets clients to stay and do business once they get there. To make the most of your website, it pays to know...

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5Feb By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Maps Launches AI-Powered Local Business Search

Google is introducing an experimental feature in Google Maps that uses AI to help users discover local businesses that meet specific needs. AI-Powered Discovery The new feature utilizes large language models to analyze Google Maps’ database of over 250 million places, photos, ratings, reviews, and more. After entering a conversational search query, Google Maps will suggest personalized recommendations for businesses, events, restaurants, and activities in the area. For example, you can ask Maps to recommend “places with a vintage vibe in San Francisco,” and it will return suggestions like clothing boutiques, record stores, and flea markets. The results are categorized with photos and review highlights to explain why they meet your criteria. You can refine your search by asking follow-up qu...

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27Jan 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 APP & Web Development, seo company

Is Web Design Easy? – Local SEO Search Inc.

Your website is the cornerstone of your brand’s digital identity and where you convert interested visitors into loyal customers. In this fast-paced digital world, there’s no room for errors that could turn potential clients away. Gone are the days of 2002, when web design was a simpler affair focusing primarily on user experience and less on aesthetics. Back then, webmasters were often satisfied with having their content online, making changes on a whim without much thought. Web design has evolved dramatically, intertwining aesthetics, user experience, and technical complexities. In exploring the various aspects of web design, this article answers the question, “Is web design easy?” Fundamental Elements in Web Design Central to every web design project are several key elements that form th...

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12Jan By Dazzler Productions SA de CVNo Comments

building website, Compilations, creating a website, google web designer, internet design, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design

Exciting New Tools for Designers, January 2024

3 days ago Happy New Year to you, and happy new tools! Whether you are a dedicated web tool enthusiast, looking for something specific, or just having a casual browse, welcome to our first collection of 2024. We’ve got a smattering of new AI-powered helpers, a headless CMS, a budget-friendly SEO tool, and a secret-agent-friendly file-sharing app, among other things. As many of you are settling back into work aft...

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1Dec By PhilNo Comments

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

Why Google Search Console Is the Best Way to Measure, Track, and Troubleshoot Your Local SEO

Like my post? Please share! What about Google Analytics, and GBP Insights, and third-party rank-trackers?  Each of those has its place in the world and can come in handy.  You may use them, and they may help.  But if you had to pick ONE way to measure how you’re doing in the local search results, one place to monitor progress, one tool to help you troubleshoot, Google Search Console is your best (or least-bad) choice.  In my experience, it’s the sturdiest buoy you can cling to. Whether you do your own local SEO, are part of a team that works on it, or are an SEO professional who needs to put out the occasional fire, here’s why I say Google Search Console (“GSC”) is uniquely helpful to help you figure things out, and why digging around in its data is a uniquely high-payoff use of your time:...

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23Nov By PhilNo Comments

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

Local SEO Keyword Research Doggie Door: How and Why to Search Google Maps Reviews by Keyword

Like my post? Please share! Here’s the doggie door, which I’ll explain more in a minute: 1. Go to the Google Maps tab OR open up the Google Maps app and pull up any business. You must go either to maps.google.com or open the app, because this won’t work anywhere else, like in the Google Business Profile “dashboard,” in the Chrome app, etc. 2. Click on the “reviews” tab, as though you’re a customer who wants to browse them.  (Of course, I’m assuming that the business has reviews.) 3. Click on the magnifying glass icon, type any word or brief phrase into the search bar that pops up, and check out the list of all reviews containing that word or phrase.  The word or phrase will show up in bold lettering. Here’s where the keyword-search feature is in the Google Maps app: Handy, isn’t it? No...

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30Jun By PhilNo Comments

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

Why Are Google Maps Results More Volatile Than Organic Search Results?

Like my post? Please share! In my experience and probably in yours, the Google Maps / 3-pack results jump up and down constantly, and more often and less predictably than the organic results do.  The 3-pack changes when you go from one end of town to another, and they change when you wait for 8:00AM to become 8:00PM.  Competitors new and old start and stop ranking for no apparent reason.  The organic results jump around, too, of course.  But one bucks like a rodeo horse, and the other bucks like a rodeo horse that’s becoming a gelding. The Google Maps results are hard to measure, harder to understand, and nigh impossible to predict.  Doesn’t mean you can’t do effective local SEO anyway, but you’ll have an easier time of it and might lower your blood pressure a little if you have a better h...

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30May By Andrew ShotlandNo Comments

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

A Strategy For Ranking Local Search Terms

Location landing pages don’t get enough respect. You set them up with your name, address, phone number & hours. Maybe you embed a Google Map for driving directions. Perhaps you write some copy that no one will read, and if you have multiple locations, you repeat the same copy on each page and just change the location name. If you’re feeling cocky, you put a call to action on it – maybe. You set it, then you forget it. And guess what? That actually works pretty well for local SEO. I mean, what more does a potential customer want from a location page? Maybe an appointment scheduler? But who cares about the customer? We smug SEO types all know Google is our #1 customer. So, what does Google want from a location page? Let’s start with the basics. 1. What Is The Purpose Of A Location Page?...

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21May By brbecker@hubspot.com (Braden Becker)No Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing, Youtube Marketing

How to Optimize Videos for YouTube Search

How does YouTube SEO work? What are the steps to optimize your YouTube videos for search? The answers to these questions are simpler than you might think. (more…)

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14Apr By SEO NinjaNo Comments

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

5 Reasons To Make Search A Part Of Your Strategy

Search is no longer confined to be a hygiene requirement for the CMOs. They hardly know anything about it still cannot afford to miss on adopting a strategic approach towards search marketing. Let us get started without further delaying the points laid down by Fernando Angulo, Head of International Partnerships at SEMrush. Spearheading your business without unleashing the latent potential of digital marketing and content marketing is not possible. Search optimization, organic search and search marketing are rudimentary to them. Often while top management people sit to formulate strategies, they leave search to the search guys. It is understood that marketing maniacs cannot catch the hold of search engine optimization in depth but they can surely make some extra efforts to incorporate sear...

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28Mar By PhilNo Comments

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

Another Underused Local SEO Tool in Google Search Console: the Internal Links Report

Like my post? Please share! Why are those rock-solid pages not ranking as they should?  Why aren’t those pages helping you pop into the Google Maps 3-pack for certain search terms?  Why is one of your Google Business Profiles or one of your “city” pages clobbering the other?  If you just can’t figure out why Google spits some of your home cookin’ into the napkin, you may be low on internal links. Of course, many other ingredients go into the haggis.  Sometimes the problem is a lack of backlinks, or a thin page, or your developer goofed, or that not enough time has passed, or some combination of the above, or some other problem(s) altogether.  You may very well need to work on those areas. But if you’ve looked at the problem up and down, you’ve worked on it, and you can’t shake the feeling ...

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28Mar By John VuongNo Comments

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

Four Strategies That Drive Dentist Search Engine Results

If you’re a dentist, you know that ranking well on search engines can be challenging. After all, there are countless other dentists out there vying for the top spots. However, there are strategies that you can use to help you stand out from the competition and attract more patients to your clinic consistently over time! In this blog post, we will discuss four of the most effective SEO strategies for dentists. Create the Right Content As a business owner, you know that creating the right content is key to attracting your ideal customers. But what does it take to create content that will not only get great dentist search engine rankings but also convert those visitors into patients? There are a few key things to keep in mind when creating content for your website or blog. First, it’s import...

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7Feb By PhilNo Comments

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

10-Second Local SEO Win: Request Indexing of That New Page in Google Search Console

Like my post? Please share! It took blood or treasure or both for you to get those new pages written and up on your site.  Even before that, you may have struggled in the local search results, struggled to figure out what may help you gain traction, and struggled to set aside the time to get it done.  After all of that, wouldn’t it be shame if you didn’t see any SEO benefit for weeks or months?  Wouldn’t it be a double shame if 10 more seconds of work could have saved your pages from weeks or months of invisibility? My suggestion is simple: every time you create a new page (or post or similar resource), immediately go into Google Search Console and request indexing.  That’s it*. (*Of course, you will need to have installed Search Console – formerly known as Webmaster Tools.  It’s free and...

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22Jan By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Announces 7 Local Search Updates

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

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19Jan By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Reveals Top Search Trends For Halloween 2022

Google reveals the latest data on top Halloween costume searches in the US in an update to the Halloween Frightgeist website. Halloween Frightgeist is a website powered by Google Trends designed to highlight popular costume ideas. Google’s data can be helpful to marketers who work in related verticals and are looking to get high-value products in front of last-minute shoppers. With two weeks left until Halloween, it’s not too late for one last marketing push before the season ends. Data is limited to searches in the United States, though you can drill down into the data at a city and state level. For example, businesses and marketers in the Santa Barbara area might be interested to learn that the most popular costume search is the 1980s. Local retailers can capitalize on this by running ad...

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18Jan By Bright DataNo Comments

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

5 Ways SEO Experts Are Winning In Local Search

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

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14Jan By Matt G. SouthernNo Comments

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

Google’s New Local Search Features Are Finally Here

Google is finally rolling out the local search features previewed earlier this year, including the ability to search your surroundings with your phone’s camera. At Google’s Search On virtual conference in September, the company had people buzzing over its innovative updates to local search. Google previewed an option to search for restaurants by dish and a new search capability built into Google Maps’ Live View. Those updates and more are now available. Here’s an overview of the local search updates launching today. What Are the Local Search Features Offered by Google?Google offers a variety of local SEO tools for listing management. These tools allow businesses to optimize their online presence, attract local customers, and improve search rankings. With features like Google My Business, b...

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12Jan By Kristopher JonesNo Comments

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

How Can Voice Search Benefit Your SEO?

Google Assistant. Siri. Alexa. Cortana. You have your choice of high-quality voice assistants today, and they can all do some pretty amazing things. One of those things is to help users find answers to questions; basically, whatever someone would normally turn to a search engine for, voice assistants can find the resource and read it aloud. Today, it’s nothing new to say that voice search presents phenomenal SEO opportunities for businesses. After all, if those popular voice assistants are reading off the answers to people’s questions, then there’s a chance that they could read your website’s content as some of those answers! And the numbers hold this up, too: In the United States, 40.2% of people use voice search. 71% of people prefer using voice search to physically typing out a search o...

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1Jan By Andrew HutchinsonNo Comments

linkedin, Social Marketing Strategies, social media, social media marketing, twitter

LinkedIn Previews New Job and B2B Product Search Options Coming in 2023

With 2022 coming to an end, LinkedIn has previewed some of its planned updates for the new year, including new job category filters, which align with trending career shifts, and improved search options for product listings in the app. Yes, you can list your business products on their own pages on LinkedIn. In fact, there are over 90,000 product listings now active in the app. First off, on LinkedIn’s new job search filters - in order to better align with the way that people are searching for their next role, LinkedIn will soon test new job listing categories, based on location, company, role flexibility and more. As you can see in this example, LinkedIn’s job categories will split advertised roles into different, trend-aligned segments, to help you discover more opportunities aligned with...

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27Dec By Paresh SagarNo Comments

Blog, Social Marketing Strategies, social media, social media marketing, twitter

How to Do a Twitter Advanced Search in 2023

Twitter is one of the best online communication tools available today. It has become more than a mere social media platform. Today, it is considered more of an indispensable tool for gathering data. Did you know that… There are around 6,000 tweets posted every second 500 million+ tweets posted daily And, in a year, 200 billion tweets per year (200 billion+) were posted However, have you observed that Twitter’s regular search features won’t allow you to find precise information? Thankfully, Twitter’s advanced search can, and that’s important if you want to know how to search Twitter like a pro. Twitter Advanced Search is a bonanza for marketers and small company owners as it allows them to identify new consumers and search for tweets effortlessly. Although, an advanced search is more comple...

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7Oct 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

Off-Page SEO For Dental Search Engine Optimization

If you’re a dentist, it’s important to make sure your website is as visible as possible in search engines. One of the best ways to do this is through SEO. SEO includes both on-page and off-page strategies. Off-page SEO includes a variety of tactics, from getting great reviews to maximizing your Google Business Profile. This helps improve your website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs), making it more likely that potential patients will find you. In this guide, we’ll discuss why off-page SEO is so important for dentists and how you can get started! What is Off-Page SEO? Dentists that are serious about their website’s SEO knows that on-page optimization is only part of the puzzle. In order for your site to rank highly in search engine results, you need to have a strong off-pag...

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29Sep By Jenny BernardeNo Comments

Blog, googe optimize, Google Business Profile, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

4 Key Local Search Updates Rolling Out In 2022

Wednesday, September 28 saw Google’s Search On 2022 event; a conference announcing the newest features arriving to Google. We’ve rounded up all the exciting local search updates coming to Google this year, as outlined at the event.  Multisearch Near Me  “Your camera is the next keyboard” explained Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior Vice President at Google. Updates to Multisearch will now include ‘near me’ terminology. Users will be able to search through photos and images, alongside fewer words, to find what they are looking for, and stores nearby that sell it. Whilst we have known about this update for a few months, it’s now been confirmed that this will start rolling out across the US.  Find the food you love  You’ll now be able to search (using both text, and images) for a specific dish. This...

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10Sep By Andrew HutchinsonNo Comments

Social Marketing Strategies, social media, social media marketing, youtube

YouTube’s Experimenting with New Search and Engagement Insights to Help Guide Your Content Strategy

YouTube’s previewed some new analytics options coming to Creator Studio, which will provide more data on what your audience is interested in, based on their search and engagement activity, and how they’re interacting with different topics across the app. The new elements will be part of YouTube’s ‘Search Insights’, which it first previewed late last year. YouTube released the first phase of Search Insights back in April, which provides more data on what people are searching for in the app, both in relation to your channel and content more broadly. That can be helpful context for your planning, and now, YouTube’s adding even more depth to its Search Insights data, in order to help creators identify even more key trends and topics to guide their strategy. The first new element is ‘Watch I...

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7Sep By Kristian BannisterNo Comments

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

Unlock 6x More Ranking Insights in Local Search Grid

We’ve upgraded Local Search Grid to give you more ranking insights than ever. Since we launched last year, Local Search Grid has become a valuable and popular addition for our customers. They use it to: See the real-world picture of how a business is ranking based on where customers are searching Understand which businesses they’re really competing against in local search and how to overtake them Show clients ranking improvements in an easy-to-understand and compelling way Generate visually engaging reports for prospecting and pitching potential clients Up until now, each Local Search Grid report was limited to five keywords, so you’d need to be selective about what you wanted to track and analyze. But that’s changed! Now, you can track up to 30 keywords in each report so you can: Get a b...

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1Sep By Jenny BernardeNo Comments

Blog, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services, social media

The Rise of Social Search: Transforming the Way Local Businesses Are Found

Over the past few months, we’ve seen major changes in both the ways users consume social media and the opportunities presented to local businesses by new social media search functionalities.  In July, we reported on Instagram’s new immersive map, potentially changing the game for local business discovery. Since then, it’s also been reported that TikTok is the go-to search engine for Gen Z, with 40% of Gen Z users preferring the video sharing app, and Instagram, over Google Search.  Naturally, TikTok is jumping on product developments, improving its search functionality, and even testing a ‘nearby’ feed.  We’ve also seen Twitter introduce Location Spotlight for local businesses, which displays important business information and integrates with Google Maps to help customers find them. ...

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19Aug By Jenny BernardeNo Comments

googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local Search at Scale, Local Search Clinic, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Webinars

Local Search at Scale with Ben Fisher

How to register and ask your question(s) How to register Attending a BrightLocal webinar on Crowdcast is simple. You’ll need a Crowdcast account to join, but registering takes just 2 minutes.  1. Click the green ‘Save my spot!’ button at the top of the Crowdcast window. If you can’t see this button, or the Crowdcast embed, please visit the Crowdcast page directly to register.  2. Enter your email address or choose to log in through your social media. Hit the green arrow, or press enter to continue.  3. Click ‘Email me a login link’ where you can confirm your registration via email. Don’t see the email? Please check your spam folder! 4. After you’ve confirmed, you’ll be redirected to the Crowdcast event page. Remember to add the event to your calendar to make sure you don’t miss it! If y...

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15Jun By Roger AvilaNo Comments

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

Local SEO Checklist: 48 Steps to Improve Local Search

With over 46% of all searches having local intent, any local business that wants to thrive in the coming years will need to keep a close eye on their local SEO traffic. That’s where local SEO comes in. If you’re new to local SEO, you might be wondering where to start. This checklist will give you each and every step to follow, to find success in local search. Understanding How Local SEO Works Google has about 83% market share in the search market. If you’re running a local SEO campaign for a client, it makes sense to focus primarily on Google Search. Google’s Local Search algorithm has three key ranking factors. Proximity, Relevance, and Prominence.  Here is a quick summary of these three key local search ranking factors: Proximity refers to the physical distance from the searcher. Rele...

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19May By SaltluxNo Comments

artificial-intelligence, best chatbot, chatbot, chatbot app, chatbot online, chatbot website, creating chatbots, google chat bots, knowledge-graph, robot chat, technology

How Knowledge Graphs Can Benefit Your Search

Are you making the most of your collected data? The data you accumulate through your products and services can be a game-changer for your organization. Imagine if you can put that information to the proper use! Knowledge Graphs can allow you to make the most of your information to access, search, and utilize data for your enterprise search needs.What Is a Knowledge Graph?A Knowledge Graph is a progressive way of interconnected search, an accurate query search resolution system that combines entities like people, objects, and places. Knowledge Graphs are popular for applications into search engines¹. It is a search method that leads to the most relevant information.More technically, Knowledge Graph interlinks data pieces related to users’ query keywords and intentions behind. Knowledge Grap...

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9May By John VuongNo Comments

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

5 Benefits of Doing Well in Search Results

When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), one of the most important goals is to rank well in search results. But why is that important? That’s a great question, and it’s the focus of today’s blog post. Why is ranking highly on Google so important to small businesses and what do you get from it? We’ll at five benefits today. Read on to find out why ranking highly matters to your company! Increased Site Traffic If you’re running a website, you want people to find it. Ranking high in search results is one of the best ways to ensure that your website gets seen by potential customers or clients. According to research, websites that show up on Page One of Google capture between 70% and 90% of the clicks from consumers. Ranking high in search results can lead to more traffic for your we...

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24Apr 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 Tactics That Work – Local SEO Search Inc.

SEO is an important part of modern marketing. It’s a time-consuming process, and it can be difficult to know where to start or what the best strategy is. Fortunately, this guide will give you a quick overview of search engine optimization (SEO) that works well now. Given how quickly the digital marketing landscape is changing, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest best practices. Keep reading if you’re ready for your website to rank more highly in Google this year! Use Keywords in the Right Places One of the most important aspects of SEO is choosing the right keywords to target. But, once you’ve selected your keywords, where should you use them? Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your keywords. First, use your keywords in the first 100 words of your content – ...

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23Apr By John VuongNo Comments

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

4 Top Factors Affecting Search Engine Ranking

What does it really take to get Google’s attention in search engine ranking? We write often about search engine optimization (SEO) and how to execute it, but sometimes it’s helpful to know why you’re doing certain things. To find out, let’s look at four of the top factors that affect search engine rankings in Google’s algorithm, along with how to improve them through SEO. If you want to rank more highly, keep reading! High-Quality Content First and foremost, Google wants to meet the needs of searchers. As Google’s John Mueller shared in late 2021, the thing all websites need to rank well is “awesomeness”.  That’s not a very concrete goal, but we know that having high-quality content that meets the needs of your users is an important part of awesomeness. When there are blog posts and other...

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18Apr By John VuongNo Comments

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

5 Online Marketing Myths – Local SEO Search Inc.

There are a lot of myths floating around about online marketing. Some people think that it’s easy and that you can just throw up a website and start making money. Others think that it’s a waste of time and that no one ever really succeeds with it. The truth is, online marketing is neither easy nor hard – it’s simply a different way of doing things. In this blog post, we will dispel five common myths about online marketing and show you the truth behind them! Myth #1: Online Marketing is Easy There’s a common misconception that online marketing is easy. After all, how hard can it be to create a few social media posts or send out a couple of emails? However, the reality is that online marketing requires a lot of time, effort, and planning. To be successful, you need to understand the various...

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10Apr By Brian HarnishNo Comments

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

Analyzing Your Local Organic Search Competition

A local organic competition analysis is an essential early step in defining your strategy as it helps you understand what you’re up against in organic search results. From this competition analysis, you can move forward knowing that your information will help you achieve the results you’re looking for. By looking at content, it is possible to figure out: What topics the competition is writing about. How many words they’re writing on average. The frequency of their content updates. Going through this process helps you understand what they are doing so you can adapt your content strategy and beat theirs accordingly. By looking at links, it is possible to figure out things like: How many links the competition is getting. What kind of links. Where they’re getting their links from. How often th...

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30Mar By Kevin RoweNo Comments

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

Top 25 Local Search Ranking Signals You Need to Know

Getting a local business to rank is challenging for three reasons: An uptick in mobile uses because more people are using their phones to find businesses near them. A surge of businesses recognizing the value of local SEO are making results more competitive. Google Local Pack, which was once the top seven, is now just the top three. So, what does it take to appear at the top of these competitive local results, to get you in front of the people searching for products and services like yours? Here, you’ll learn about 25 specific local ranking signals you need to understand and optimize for in order to perform as well as possible in local search. First, let’s take a look at how these changes with Google’s Map Pack/Local Pack are a game-changer for businesses. Recent Map Pack Changes You Need...

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25Mar 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

Search Engines: Expectations vs. Reality

Can search engines really do EVERYTHING? It may seem like it, but the truth is they don’t always meet our expectations. As a small business owner trying to use search engines to increase your business, it’s important to understand the expectations vs. reality of Google and other search sites. Let’s look at a few expectations people have about Google that are a bit unrealistic, and what the truth really is. Expectation: Google Will Always Provide Accurate Results Google is a search engine that uses a complex algorithm to provide the most accurate results possible. The algorithm takes into account many factors, including the relevance of a website to the search terms, the number and quality of links to a website, and how recently a website has been updated. Google is known for providing acc...

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14Mar By Miranda MillerNo Comments

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

What Is Local SEO & Why Local Search Matters

Local search is an integral part of any SEO strategy targeting customers in a specific region, city, or neighborhood. Simply put, local SEO is where you focus to improve your rankings and visibility in local search results such as Google’s Map Pack/Local Pack. Organic SEO is how you improve webpage rankings in organic search. How your website ranks in those organic results can positively influence your Local Pack rankings, as well. Organic listings are another great opportunity for your local business to appear in front of motivated searchers when Google determines that the query has local intent. So, although local and organic SEO are interconnected in these ways, each requires a unique strategy with different optimization tactics. Let’s start at the beginning – what is local SEO and why ...

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8Mar By Miranda MillerNo Comments

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

What Is Local SEO & Why Local Search Matters

Local search is an integral part of any SEO strategy targeting customers in a specific region, city, or neighborhood. Simply put, local SEO is where you focus to improve your rankings and visibility in local search results such as Google’s Map Pack/Local Pack. Organic SEO is how you improve webpage rankings in organic search. How your website ranks in those organic results can positively influence your Local Pack rankings, as well. Organic listings are another great opportunity for your local business to appear in front of motivated searchers when Google determines that the query has local intent. So, although local and organic SEO are interconnected in these ways, each requires a unique strategy with different optimization tactics. Let’s start at the beginning – what is local SEO and why ...

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21Jan By Paul SchmidtNo Comments

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

How Construction Companies Rank In Search

SEO in the homebuilding industry requires a mix of local, on-page, off-page, and technical organic search skills to maximize your ranking potential.The right balance of these skills and tactics for your organization depends on your:Targeting (regional vs. national).Business type (custom vs. tract builders).Availability of resources to get the work done.And growth goals.While the above factors will help you personalize and tailor your SEO strategy to your unique needs, you need a solid foundation to build from (see what I did there?).Here are four areas marketers in the homebuilding space should be well aware of to help your residential construction company succeed in search.1. Required On-Site Content Areas For HomebuildersYour site is going to have sections devoted to prospects and custom...

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15Jan By Eduard KleinNo Comments

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

Attract More Customers with Better Search Visibility –

How often have you visited a restaurant without checking the reviews first? Given that the food industry is so saturated, you can’t expect enough people to show up to your restaurant if you’re not adequately visible online. There are many ways to enhance your restaurant’s discoverability, from having a responsive and appealing website to reviews and social proof. However, the best way to get started is with search engine optimization (SEO). Restaurant SEO Restaurant SEO helps to optimize your website and social media profiles for the search engine. This is achieved through the creation of targeted content based on your audience’s search intent. This type of SEO includes elements such as on-page, off-page, and technical SEO—all of which collectively help your restaurant rank higher in the s...

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7Jan By Jeff RiddallNo Comments

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

How Google Reviews Impact Map Pack & Organic Search Rankings

There is little doubt there are local SEO and general business benefits to earning and encouraging customers to leave keyword-rich reviews. In many cases, customers will leave reviews whether you ask them to or not.Even negative reviews can have a positive effect if they are resolved promptly and in a positive way. Perhaps the worst thing a business can do is not respond to a review to show the customer you are listening.And in addition to the impact they have on conversion, reviews are a local ranking factor that can either bolster or hinder your rankings, depending on a number of factors.Let’s learn more about how local reviews impact your Map Pack and local organic search rankings.The Benefits Of Customer ReviewsCustomer reviews are a powerful indicator of the standing a local business ...

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1Jan By PhilNo Comments

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

Local Search Rankings Dropped? Follow These 10 Most-Useful Troubleshooting SOPs

Like my post? Please share! You’ve got to figure this out soon, or at least start moving in the right direction.  It was a big rankings drop, and one that will cut into business sooner or later.  You don’t want general advice, but you also don’t want to look at 172 different things only to be told you need to refill your blinker fluid. You may not be able to fix whatever the problem is right now, and you’re not counting on seeing your local rankings rise up right away.  But you do need to narrow down the list of likely problems soon. That’s the trouble: YOU probably need to narrow down the list.  Most people who know more than you do about local SEO don’t know anything about your business – and cannot or will not learn enough to help any time soon.  Only you know your customers, competitor...

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21Dec By Alix CoeNo Comments

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

Google Confirms Biggest Local Search Algorithm Update in Five Years

Many local businesses have noticed huge fluctuations in their local search rankings over the last few weeks, with Google now confirming an important update to the local algorithm.  Rolling out between November 30th and December 8th, this update has been named ‘Vicinity’ by Sterling Sky. This is the largest change to the local algorithm since Possum in 2016 and has caused widespread ranking disruption. Google confirmed the update in a tweet on December 16th: Our November 2021 local search update has concluded. It began Nov 30 and ran through Dec 8. It involved a rebalancing of various factors we consider in generating local search results. General guidance for businesses remains the same as covered here: https://t.co/uyXFfmUEIR — Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) December 16, 2021 Wh...

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6Dec 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

How Website Hosting Works – Local SEO Search Inc.

When you have a business website, it’s important to choose a high-quality hosting service. However, in order to do that you need to understand how website hosting works and what to look for in a provider. If you compare your website to your physical store, your hosting would be like the land that the store is built on. It’s foundational, and having the right location can make or break your company. Let’s look at how hosting works and how to get high-quality service. What Does a Web Hosting Company Do? A web hosting service runs servers where websites store the files they need to operate. The host ensures that those files are available for viewing when someone visits the website. For example, when you upload a video to your website, it gets stored on the hosting server. Everyone who visits...

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17Nov By Matt SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Launches New Local Search Features

As more searchers look up the query “news near me” than ever before, Google is launching new features for local search results and new tools for journalists.Google reports that searches for “news near me” have tripled over the past five years, reaching an all time high in May 2020.Screenshot from: blog.google/products/news, November 2021.In response to the demand for local news, Google is adding new features to search results to help people find locally relevant stories.AdvertisementContinue Reading BelowGoogle is also releasing new and upgraded tools for reporters to produce more work that’s tailored to a digital medium.Here’s an overview of everything Google is rolling out.New Features For Local News In Google SearchNew features coming to Google Search will make it easier for people to f...

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29Oct 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

5 B2B Search Trends You Should Be Aware Of

Like everything else on the internet, search engine optimization (SEO) is constantly changing. While the basics of SEO have remained the same over the years, there are always new factors that can impact a website’s ranking. As a result, it’s important to stay on top of trends so you can ensure that your website is meeting the current standards.  If you’re ready to learn about some things you can do to give your website a better chance at ranking, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s talk about some of the B2B search trends you should know about.  Custom Websites Are More Appealing Did you know that more than 40% of people won’t buy anything from businesses with websites that aren’t designed well? The reality is that a business’ website also acts as its first impression to potential custo...

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26Oct By Marshall NymanNo Comments

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

8 Ways To Drive Local Business In Competitive Markets With Search

Local search marketing is key for any location but when faced with a competitive market, it’s essential that you have strategies to help you stand out.The closer the user is to a location, the more likely it will rank. However, in denser areas, a location will face more competition.By accelerating efforts around Google My Business (GMB) and location page management, a location’s relevance and prominence can increase a business’s rankings resulting in increased local visibility, especially in competitive markets.In this post, we will break down strategies for both GMB and location pages to drive more local business.How Google Ranks Local ResultsGoogle states that “Local results are based primarily on relevance, distance, and prominence.”Relevance is how applicable the result is to what some...

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23Oct By Jamie PitmanNo Comments

Blog, BrightLocal Products, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, News, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, seo services

NEW in Local Search Grid: Primary and Additional Business Categories

Understanding the competitive landscape is a key part of any marketing activity, and local search is no different. To learn how to beat your local competitors in search, you don’t just need to find out who’s beating you, but crucially why. This is where Local Search Grid‘s competitor tables come in: each one provides you with an overview of how well your local pack rivals are performing in key SEO metrics like citations and reviews. Beyond these objective performance metrics, though, it’s worth keeping a close eye on the Google My Business (GMB) categories your competitors are using. Why? Because the categories you select have the chance to significantly impact the relevance of your business to searches. Did You Know? According to research carried out in 2020, ‘Primary GMB Category’ and ‘...

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18Oct By Joy HawkinsNo Comments

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

How to Get Images in Mobile Search Results

Posted Oct 18, 2021 by Joy Hawkins For those of us who work in marketing, it’s really easy to get caught up in what we see on our computers all day and forget what things look like in Google’s search results on mobile.  Google shows images beside the search results on mobile devices that often don’t show up anywhere on computers and they are an easy way for a business to stand out and draw more attention to their website. Not all search results show images on mobile It’s important to note that not every keyword shows images in the search results on mobile devices.  We tracked tons of keywords using BrightLocal and looked at screenshots of how search engine results pages (SERPs) on mobile varied bas...

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14Oct By lkolowich@hubspot.com (Lindsay Kolowich Cox)No Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing, Technical SEO

How to Tell Google Not to Index a Page in Search

Indexing as many pages on your website as possible can be very tempting for marketers who are trying to boost their search engine authority. But, while it’s true that publishing more pages that are relevant for a particular keyword (assuming they’re also high quality) will improve your ranking for that keyword, sometimes there’s actually more value in keeping certain pages on your website out of a search engine’s index. ... Say what?! Stay with us, folks. This post will walk you through why you might want to remove certain webpages from the SERPs (search engine results pages), and exactly how to go about doing it. De-Indexing a Page from Google There are a few occasions where you may want to exclude a webpage — or a portion of a webpage — from search engine crawling and indexing like: T...

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8Oct 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

5 Tips to Maximize Search Engine Optimization

If you have a website, you know that it’s hard to get noticed in the noise. There are over 1.8 billion websites online right now, with more going live every minute.  How do you get your website noticed by ideal customers? How can you stand out from competitors? The answer is search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is a long-term strategy of finding the keywords your ideal customers are using to search for your products and services and optimizing your website to focus on them. Maximizing SEO isn’t easy. Here are five tips that can help. Take Advantage of Local Keywords If you run an HVAC company, you might be tempted to focus on keywords like “HVAC” or “heating and cooling.” Unfortunately, you’ll find that those keywords are extremely competitive. Larger businesses with huge budgets have pro...

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2Oct By Jessie LowNo 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

2021 Local Search Summit – Day 3 Action Items & Recommendations

2021 Local Search Summit - Day 3 Action Items & Recommendations - Whitespark The #WLSS is officially complete and our final event day covered E-A-T, Google Justifications, reports, effective copywriting and more. We opened the day discussing Diversity and Inclusion in Digital Marketing – this is a very important topic. We implore t...

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30Sep By Jessie LowNo Comments

Citations, googe optimize, Google My Business, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO, Whitespark

2021 Local Search Summit – Day 2 Takeaways & Advice

How To Pivot Your Facebook Advertising In A Post iOS14.5 World Many of you have probably heard about Apple’s iOS 14.5 update that limited the ability to set retargeting cookies on mobile. Well, not all is lost. Duane explained how you can pivot your Facebook advertising in a post IOS 14.5 world.  Oftentimes, we hear clients say, “we’re losing sales”. The truth is, they’re not actually losing sales. The reality is that sales are either super delayed, or they’re just not showing up in AD manager. You are not losing sales, you just can’t track what’s going on, and that is because Apple’s decided to ask people “do you want to be tracked” and rightfully so, most people say no. So what can you do to help improve your traffic and get the most out of your Facebook Ads? Here are a few of Duane’s Ti...

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29Sep By Jessie LowNo Comments

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

2021 Local Search Summit – Day 1 Tips & Insights

2021 Local Search Summit - Day 1 Tips & Insights - Whitespark Day 1 of the 2021 Local Search Summit is complete. 🔥 Today’s sessions covered the whole gamut of local search marketing advice. We’re sharing takeaways, advice, or a tip for each talk. If you couldn’t make it to the event, you can still catch the next two days wit...

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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 industry to learn how to ...

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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 ho...

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29Aug By Roger MonttiNo Comments

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

New Research Shows How to Win in Local Search

New research from Silicon Valley agency Milestone Inc reveals how local and organic search generate more traffic, produce higher engagement rates and it converts at higher revenue rates per transaction than other channels.Methodology: Millions of Sessions and Page Views AnalyzedThe Milestone Inc research paper analyzed 500 location based businesses, their sessions and page views in order to understand which channels produced more earnings at the best ROI.According to Milestone Inc:“Milestone Research reviewed over 500 location-based websites, 63 million sessions, and 176 million page views over 18 months from Jan 2020 to June 2021 to generate these findings.”Top Performing ChannelsOrganic search was the top performing channel, followed by local search.AdvertisementContinue Reading BelowWha...

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19Aug By Roger MonttiNo Comments

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

New Research Shows How to Win in Local Search

New research from Silicon Valley agency Milestone Internet reveals how local and organic search generate more traffic, produce higher engagement rates and it converts at higher revenue rates per transaction than other channels.Methodology: Millions of Sessions and Page Views AnalyzedThe Milestone Internet research paper analyzed 500 location based businesses, their sessions and page views in order to understand which channels produced more earnings at the best ROI.According to Milestone Internet:“Milestone Research reviewed over 500 location-based websites, 63 million sessions, and 176 million page views over 18 months from Jan 2020 to June 2021 to generate these findings.”Top Performing ChannelsOrganic search was the top performing channel, followed by local search.AdvertisementContinue R...

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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 ho...

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2Jul By Jamie PitmanNo Comments

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

What’s New in Local Search Grid? Reasons to Put Rankings on the Map!

In the months since we launched Local Search Grid, we’ve been hard at work adding new functionality and updates to make it the de facto geo grid of choice. Alongside the usual, subtle quality-of-life updates you’re not supposed to notice, we’ve launched some big new features that take understanding and improving your local search performance to the next level. Here’s why there’s never been a better time to put your rankings on the map! New Key Metrics in Competitor Tables One of the really neat things you can do with Local Search Grid is to track your competitors and find out why their Google My Business profiles might be winning in local SERPs. You can view the business category they’re using on GMB, see the number of reviews and their average review rating, and find out where you might h...

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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 amazin...

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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, I h...

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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 cred...

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20Apr By Joy HawkinsNo Comments

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

Rebranding Your Business | Checklist for Google My Business & Local Search

Posted Apr 20, 2021 by Joy Hawkins In the local search space, rebranding is something that happens quite often.  This is a checklist of all the places a local business needs to update online when they are changing their business name. Update website first. The logo needs to reflect the new name.  Often logos include taglines.  If you want it to be clear that something is a part of your business name, don’t put it on a second line. Any place that references your business name (About Us page etc) Update the Site name inside WordPress or whatever CMS you use. Update your domain registry. Update business license with the Secretary of State (US) and other places you have licenses listed. If in heal...

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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, rising t...

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31Mar By Joy HawkinsNo Comments

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

How to Track Google Posts in Google Analytics & Search Console

Posted Mar 30, 2021 by Joy Hawkins We have a big study on Google My Business posts that I’m presenting at LocalU on April 7th. While doing that study, there were several things we learned about Google Posts. Clicks in Google My Business Insights Don’t Match Clicks in Google Analytics.  If you’re looking inside Google My Business, they have data showing you how many clicks your posts received. The numbers you see here will not match the numbers you see inside Google Analytics.  There are many reasons for this which I have highlighted in this post. How to Track Google Posts in Google Analytics In order to track the activity from Google Posts in Google Analytics, you need to use UTM codes.  After a ...

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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 done ...

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28Mar By Kate Herbert-SmithNo Comments

academy course, Beginner, Blog, BrightLocal Products, googe optimize, google optimization, google seo, Local SEO, search engine optimisation, search engine optimising, search engine optimization, SEO

New Local Search Grid Module Added to BrightLocal Academy

We’re pleased to announce the arrival of a new BrightLocal Academy module all about how to use our latest tool: Local Search Grid. The module is called Put Your Rankings on the Map With Local Search Grid and is part of the ‘Level Up Your Local SEO with BrightLocal’ course. It includes lessons on: How to uncover deeper ranking insights How to set up a report to get the insights you need How to spot opportunities for growth and get ahead of the competition The module also has two short quizzes to test your knowledge and understanding. What is the ‘Level Up Your Local SEO with BrightLocal’ course about? The ‘Level Up Your Local SEO with BrightLocal’ course uses the power of interactive content to guide you through the theory of local SEO and shows you how to tackle it more effectively using...

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9Mar By Nyagoslav ZhekovNo Comments

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

The Most Popular Local Search Blogs

As mentioned above, one of Mike Blumenthal’s posts – “Google Testing (Or Rolling Out?) New 3-Pack Carousel” – was broadly shared and gained a large number of links. This article is the most linked-to local SEO article, even after we do adjustments for some domains sending unusually high numbers of links. Overall, the list is dominated by Moz (Local) with most posts written by Miriam Ellis, and by Sterling Sky (written mostly by Joy Hawkins and Colan Nielsen). Of the top 30 posts, only 7 were not published on either of these two blogs. After Mike’s article, the most linked-to non-Moz and non-Sterling-Sky article was Whitespark’s “2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Presentation” (written by Darren Shaw) which ranked 19th, followed by GatherUp’s “Do Consumers Support Businesses Requiring Masks...

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10Feb By Jamie PitmanNo Comments

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

Local Search Grid: Put Your Rankings on the Map

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

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28Jan By Matt SouthernNo Comments

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

Google Maps Search Trends For January 2021

Google is sharing insights about trending searches in Google Maps, a rare set of search data which may assist local marketers.Local search data for the month of January traditionally offers a look into peoples’ New Year’s resolution plans, with searches for gyms, healthy restaurants, winter vacations, and various forms of self improvement spiking during this month.Unique to January 2021, this set of Google Maps search data offers a look into what people are doing when they leave the home during a time when travel is discouraged.The data reveals people are doing a lot of the same things they do every January, with a different approach to it this year.Instead of searching for international travel destinations, people are searching for local travel. Instead of searching for the nearest gym, p...

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31Dec By Andrew HutchinsonNo Comments

instagram, Social Marketing Strategies, social media, social media marketing, tiktok, youtube

Google Adds Short-Form Video Carousel in Selected Search Results

This is interesting, and could, potentially, have implications for your 2021 content approach. This week, Google has begun testing a new carousel of short-form video results for selected queries, providing direct links to relevant TikTok and Instagram Reels video clips. The move aligns with the rising popularity of short-form video content, enabling Google to tap into that trend, while also maintaining the relevance of its search results. And there's a key element to Google's lean-in to short clips. As noted by TechCrunch: "Both Instagram and TikTok videos were available in the Short Videos row. When clicked, you’re taken to the web version of the social platform - not the native mobile app, even if it’s installed on your device. The end result is that Google users are more likely to re...

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27Dec By brbecker@hubspot.com (Braden Becker)No Comments

Blog Optimization, Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing

How We Octupled Image Search Traffic to the HubSpot Blog in 1 Year

This post is a part of Made @ HubSpot, an internal thought leadership series through which we extract lessons from experiments conducted by our very own HubSpotters. Cliché: A picture is worth a thousand words. (more…)

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24Dec By Digital MarketerNo Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, email outreach, Internet marketing, Online Marketing

Content and Topic: How to Rank on Search Engines

When setting out to write, most people have a topic in mind. But you need to organize your thoughts and do more research before you press "publish." For content marketers, a common goal is to rank for certain keywords in search engines. Promoting on social media and via email can give content a great boost, but if you want long-lasting visibility, ranking in the search engine results pages (SERPs) is a must. To do that, you need the best, most relevant on-site B2B content. And that's not always easy to come by. Here are some tips on how to create content that ranks. Investigate your topic Creating great content is a balance of trusting your instincts and confirming them with research. Before committing to a certain route for your content, have a plan for what you want to sa...

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24Dec By Lauren DonovanNo Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing

Live, interactive search marketing workshops start tomorrow!

Live, interactive search marketing workshops start tomorrow! 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

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23Dec By Lauren DonovanNo Comments

Digital Marketing, digital mkt, Internet marketing, Online Marketing

Unlock actionable tactics to measure search marketing success

Unlock actionable tactics to measure search marketing success 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

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23Dec By George NguyenNo Comments

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

COVID leaves its mark on e-commerce and paid search

PPC 2020 in review: COVID leaves its mark on e-commerce and paid search 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

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23Dec By Dhariana LozanoNo Comments

instagram, Social Marketing Strategies, social media, social media marketing

3 Ways to Use Instagram’s New Keyword Search Option to Grow Your Business

Instagram's recent keyword search change may not be the platform’s “sexiest” update, but it is a very useful one. As marketers, we’ve all been waiting for this one, because this update may help your posts get found even if you haven’t used a specific hashtag – which has been the only way to really search for content on the network until now. In this post, I’ll outline three ways in which you can use Instagram keyword search to help ensure that your posts get found, even when you don’t use hashtags. Customer Engagement and Account Growth One of the biggest opportunities for business' to take advantage of Instagram keyword search is being able to find customers. With the state of social media, taking time to engage with your potential audience is key for growth. You can now search for pos...

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22Dec By Lauren DonovanNo Comments

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

Unlock actionable tactics to measure search marketing success

Unlock actionable tactics to measure search marketing success 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

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22Dec By Barry SchwartzNo Comments

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

Google Search Console brings back request indexing tool

Google Search Console brings back request indexing tool 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

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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

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21Dec By Jason BarnardNo Comments

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

The expansion of People Also Ask in the search results

The expansion of People Also Ask in the search results 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

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21Dec By Lauren DonovanNo Comments

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

Live, interactive search marketing workshops start tomorrow!

Live, interactive search marketing workshops start tomorrow! 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

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21Dec By Barry SchwartzNo Comments

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

Google Maps local listing now showing web search results

Google Maps local listing now showing web search results 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

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21Dec By George NguyenNo Comments

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

What would it take for new search engines to succeed?

What would it take for new search engines to succeed? 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

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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 analysis. Made wit...

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21Dec By Barry SchwartzNo Comments

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

Google temporarily disables issue validation in Search Console

Google temporarily disables issue validation in Search Console 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

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20Dec By PhilNo Comments

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

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

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

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20Dec By Darren ShawNo Comments

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

The 2020 Local Search Ranking Factors Survey Analysis

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

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20Dec By Stephanie NewtonNo Comments

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

The Year in Local Search – 2020

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

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