Google has recently updated its help center article on business profile verification methods. The updated method is the ‘Video recording’ method. The option had been available sporadically but it is now being offered to more people who want to verify their listing. Don’t confuse this with the older ‘Live video call’ method, which was primarily…
Yelp releases data every year that shows the star rating distribution for all reviews left on their site. I recorded the numbers that were listed in their reports for the last 4 years to see what trends they show. There are two main things that stick out: The number of people that leave 2, 3,…
Google Maps has just deprecated the “Follow” button and Welcome Offer feature that was first launched back in 2018. If you aren’t familiar with this feature, you’re likely not alone. When Google cancels a feature it is normally due to lack of adoption. Considering how little attention this feature received in the local SEO space,…
In October 2021, I wrote an article for Local University on the two types of panels appearing for colleges & universities on Google. In this article, I detailed the difference between Main Entity Panels – which are a unique type of panel connected to Google’s Knowledge Graph – and the Expanded GMB Panel – which…
In December 2021, Google rolled out the ability for healthcare businesses to set and manage COVID-19 testing attributes directly. Prior to this update, there were 2 primary methods to add COVID-19 testing information to your Google Business Profile. Initially, Google began sourcing this data from a number of healthcare organizations and government agencies so businesses…
Google Business Profiles (GBP) are meant to help businesses make money and gain exposure. When GBP breaks, it can have costly effects on businesses. 5 major issues are plaguing GPB at the moment. You will either need to wait for Google the fix the issue while you slowly go out of business or take matters…
A branded search for colleges and universities on Google can bring up two unique types of panels. In this article, we will look at these panels, their unique features, and why Google chooses one over the other. Type 1: Main Entity Panel The first type of panel is what I am calling the Main Entity…
In the last few weeks, the number of Google Maps notifications I’ve received from businesses I manage via my Google Account has steadily increased to level: annoying.With the help of my colleague Josh Mallett, who figured out where the setting was – here’s a short video of how you can turn those GMB Messaging Notifications…
Several weeks ago, a thread came up on the Local Search Forum where Jim Frolling noticed a business had their primary category in Google My Business changed from “tire store” to “wheel shop”. He noticed that this appeared to happen to every single listing on Google that did not have their address displayed publicly (known…
On July 8th 2021 Ben Fisher noticed that there was a strange line added to a GMB message his business Steady Demand had received when he viewed it on a desktop: The ‘Message’ button has been on posts (when viewed on a mobile) for a while now, with the testing starting in September of 2020.…