Last Week in Local Sept. 25, 2017
Mike Blumenthal

Last week in local 9/25/2017

Join Local U for the latest public episode of Last Week in Local, a weekly conversation about the articles that attracted our attention during the past week ending September 25th, 2017. This week features Joel Headley & Mary Bowling.

If you have a special topic you would like us to discuss for our other weekly feature, the Deep Dive in Local, or if you would like to be on one or the other of our segments, reach out and send us the topic and your availability. If you are interested in sponsoring this weekly show also please let us know.

 

Let us know what you think. Welcome to Last Week in Local!

SuperEarly Bird Special Ending

Local U Advanced Santa Monica – Online Marketing Conference

Join Joel, Mike, Joy & others

Google Top Contributors Q&A About Google My Business and Local Search

Google adding export functionality to index coverage report.

iOS Google App has content recommendations, which can move users away from one site and on to another.

Google app for iOS adds ‘People also view’ feature that recommends related articles

Siri web search switches back to Google, but, powered by Search API, they aren’t personalized, tracked, or with some features.

Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search results on iOS and Spotlight on Mac

Rick Osterloh, hired last year at Google, to unify hardware efforts brings in house phone hardware expertise from those that worked on Pixel at HTC.

Google signs agreement with HTC, continuing our big bet on hardware

Microsoft launching health care division, focused on machine learning and perhaps gathering data via wearables.

Microsoft launches new healthcare division based on artificial intelligence software

Indian transit agency begins to add GPS to buses so that Google Maps gets more useful

Indian buses are never on time, so Google is trying to track them in real time

Investments in HERE mapping: are they paying off?

Exclusive: German carmakers’ HERE spent 640 million euros on R&D in 2016

Kohl’s gets further in bed with Amazon

Kohl’s to accept Amazon returns in 82 stores – Reuters

Mary’s Links:

Phil Rosek’s advice on using review “encouragement” software.He points out some of the pitfalls you may encounter and encourages you to really learn to understand the process before relying on software to do everything for you.

Why Your Review-Encouragement Software Is a Meat Grinder | LocalVisibilitySystem.com

Project Beacon

“Beacons help mobile devices determine a user’s location more accurately. When a user’s smartphone has a better understanding of their location, you can unlock a wide range of new features, and set up your business to use location-related features across Google:

  • Help your business show up on personal maps or saved places, where users have opted in to Location History.
  • Gather photos, reviews, and other user-generated content for your business from people who’ve actually visited.
  • Provide features like Popular times and typical visit duration to help customers plan their visit to your business.
  • Help provide Location Insights about how customers engage with your store. Visit your Google My Business Insights Page to learn more.
  • Access more features as they become available.”

About Project Beacon by Google – AdWords Help

Research on Advertising in the Automotive Sector
The full report is $195 an there’s an executive summary available in exchange for your contact info.

Insights into Local Advertising – Automotive Vertical – BIAKelsey

Nice quickie from Dan Leibson on the 3 legged local algo 

The TriModal Local Ranking Algo in One Screenshot – Local SEO Guide

#1 Tip from Each of 50 SEOs on Attorney Marketing

Law Firm SEO Strategies: 50+ SEO Specialists Share Their Best Tips – Rankings.io

Yext Competitor Synup raises capital in hopes of growing 10x in the next 3 years

Synup Raises $6 Million In Series A; Aims to Achieve 10x Growth in the Next 3 Years

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow for:

Google Top Contributors Q&A About Google My Business and Local Search

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