Local Search
Should You Add City to Your Business Name at Google My Business?
Should you add city to your business name at Google? This question recently came in from John Simonson from Webstream Dynamics at the Local U forum (paywall): A (small) multi-location retailer who just starting using Yext was told by a Yext rep to append to their business name their city so to distinguish between their…
Read MoreWhy Is My Verified Business Not Showing on a Keyword Search?
Most mornings upon waking, I head into the Google My Business Forums and answer a few questions. I get that I am doing free work for Google but I have always found that there is some personal satisfaction helping other small businesses deal with the realities of Google Local search. This conversation was particularly engaging…
Read MoreHow are the Big Changes in Local Search Impacting Local Businesses and What Can They Do?
This is the 21st installment this year of our Deep Dive Into Local series. For the week ending Monday, June 6th, Mary Bowling and Mike Blumenthal shared their thoughts about the previous week in local. The complete video, including links and commentary on critical happenings of the previous week is posted in the Local U…
Read MoreGoogle Trusted Verifier Program: It was there and now it’s not
Early today at Linda’s forum and in the Local U forum it was reported that Google had rolled out a new Google Trusted Verifier Program that allowed folks in the field to verify a business instantly. However it now appears that the help files were released prematurely and they were all removed from Google. Or…
Read MoreMake 2016 the Year Your Local Search Skills Rock It
Google’s thrown so many changes at us that it’s often hard to tell what to pay attention to. And we have so many options for marketing local businesses, it’s tough to weed out the nice-to-haves from the must-dos. Â A LocalU Advanced event can help to clear all that up for you and we have 2…
Read MoreGive Yourself the Gift of LocalU Advanced
Or better yet, get your company to give itself the gift of an enlightened local search marketer who’s re-energized, has amazing new knowledge and resources and has made valuable new contacts in the industry to call upon when needed. How does that happen, you ask? By attending one or both of LocalU’s Advanced events in…
Read MoreUpcoming LocalU Hangout on Facebook Marketing for Local Business
Please join us for a live Hangout on Facebook Marketing for Local Business on Friday September 25 at 11 am Eastern Time. The discussion will be hosted by Mike Blumenthal and the panelists will be Mike Ramsey, Matt Siltala, Will Scott and David Mihm. If you’re puzzled by the many recent changes to Facebook as…
Read MoreLocalU Interview Series: Darren Shaw
Howdy, it’s Mike Ramsey here and I have a confession: I love interviews. When I got started I did a local search interview series and I personally learned a ton from it.  A lot has changed in the industry since the first round of interviews and it is far past time for another series celebrating…
Read MoreUse This Link to Ask For Google Reviews on Mobile (& the Desktop)
Now that Google has finally updated their mobile browser display and is, after a very long hiatus, allowing users to leave reviews on Android and iOS mobile browsers, the question arises of how to best direct your customers to leave a review. What is the best link to share with them so that they can…
Read MoreGoogle ‘More Reviews’ Links Removed From Knowledge Panel
Google has confirmed that the link to reviews from around the web, labeled “More Reviews,” has been removed from the Knowledge Panel in local search results. The feature was present in one form or another for many years and included links to most review sites. “Reviews from around the web” continue to show in the…
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