Every week we bring you a brief 15 minute video and the links of the best articles in Local Search. OK. It’s not always 15 minutes but we are never off by more than 10 minutes or so.;
Last Week in Local is now available as a podcast. Sign up here for your regular Local Fix. What better way to spend your drive time?
New Jersey becomes second state to ban cashless shops and restaurants — Ars Technica
Source: apple.news
Mike: The state has intervened to guarantee that cash is still accepted at every store.
Businesses that violate New Jersey’s new law will be fined $2,500 for a first offense and $5,000 for a second offense. Fines would climb from there.
Currently, the New York City Council is discussing a similar ban on cashless stores
Find Spammy Listings on Google Map Easily
Source: citationbuilderpro.com
Mary: Try this new spam fighting tool from @local_citation. It will speed up your research.
The rise (and further rise) of Google My Business spam – Search Engine Land
Source: searchengineland.com
Mary: @JamieCPitman of @BrightLocal walks us through GMB spam problems and emphasizes that we should contribute to reporting them.
Breaking down the new realities of local search: What we learned at SMX West – Search Engine Land
Source: searchengineland.com
Mary:@ConradSaam Please tell us where to find this data. “… data shows consumers heavily favor attorneys that have offices near them.” I have attorneys who NEED to see it.
Video Deep Dive: A closer look at ZipSprout’s Local Sponsorship Finder – Local UniversityLocal University
Source: localu.org
Mary: Carrie and I talk with @GarrettFrench and Claudia Cruz of @ZipSprout about local links. How are they different? How can you get more of them?
Increasingly, Your Brand Is Its Reviews | Street Fight
Source: streetfightmag.com
Mike: written with @DavidMihm at @StreetFightMag
For big brands without a local presence it might be Facebook or Pinterest where a brand’s story is told by consumers and the business but for any company with location reviews are now defining trust and the brand story.
What do the symbols mean in Google’s Map Pack and Local Finder? – Search Engine Land
Source: searchengineland.com
Mike: A summary of snippets that are included in the Pack results and their sources
Google Maps introduces public event creation, rolling out now – 9to5Google
Source: 9to5google.com
Mike: The ability to add a new event via the Contribute tab in the Google Maps app on Android is now going live. (Not yet on iPhone)
3 Areas to Audit on Local Sites to Create a Stronger SEO Foundation
Source: www.searchenginejournal.com
Carrie: Technical & SEO, Strategy & cannibalization, off-page audit (links/citations/maps) Great article from Jesse McDonald about Local SEO audits – some basic info in here great for Local SEO Beginners and more seasoned local SEOs
Michael Wallace on Twitter: “Star rating & number of review being shown directly on the map prior to clicking on any listing. I feel like this is an old feature be revamped?https://t.co/ZAAAM7uZF3”
Source: twitter.com
Carrie: Star rating & number of review being shown directly on the map prior to clicking on any listing.
Dawn Anderson on Twitter: “Just wow – “Trustpilot admits its technology allows subscribers to filter out bad reviews but told The Times the practice was akin to a book review. “A publisher likely wouldn’t put a negative review of their most recent book in promotional materials https://t.co/iD79rzdIWb”
Source: twitter.com
Carrie: Trustpilot admits to letting customers only let the best reviews through. This review gating is against the Google MyBusiness terms of service, and jeopardizes their relationship with Google Ads – how will it play out?
5 Google Business Profile Tweaks To Improve Foot Traffic – Moz
Source: moz.com
Carrie: Great piece by Miriam Ellis over at Moz – outlines 5 tactics you can use to improve your GMB foot traffic to your brick and mortar business.
Want to subscribe to our podcast? Now you can: Subscribe here.
