Last Week in Local: Local Search, SEO & Marketing Update from LocalU
What happened in Local Search Marketing during the past week. Important ideas, trends and tactics. A weekly conversation about the articles that attracted our attention recently. You can find our links from each episode at https://localu.org/blog
Episodes
Tip of the Week
- How to Create Unique and Helpful Service Area Pages for Local Businesses - Elizabeth Rule - Sterling Sky Inc - https://www.sterlingsky.ca/how-to-create-unique-and-helpful-service-area-pages-for-local-businesses/
Erin’s Links
- Google Business Profile Services Displays Incorrect Pricing (Sometimes Free)
- - Barry Schwartz via Sukh & Carrie @ Sterling Sky - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-business-pr...
Tip of the Week
- Be sure to pay attention to Chris’ segment on updating favicons, site names, etc so your mobile visibility doesnt suffer: Google rolled out new site names, favicon and sponsored label on desktop search - SearchEngineLand - https://searchengineland.com/google-rolled-out-new-site-names-favicon-and-sponsored-label-on-desktop-search-394084
Chris’ Links
Tip of the Week
- Mike Blumenthal’s Twitter Thread on a Step-by-Step Guide to Fighting Fake Google Review Attacks
https://www.nearmedia.co/how-to-fight-a-fake-google-review-attack/
Mike’s Links
- Step-by-Step Guide to Fighting Fake Google Review Attacks
https://www.nearmedia.co/how-to-fight-a-fake-google-review-attack/ - Mike Blumenthal on Twitter: Summary of Guide to Fighting Fake reviews
https://twitter.com/mblumen...
Tip of the Week
- When Can Service-Based Businesses Have Multiple Google My Business Listings? Joy Hawkins - Sterling Sky
https://www.sterlingsky.ca/multiple-google-my-business-listings/
Mike’s Links
- Does adding a list of offered amenities to store location pages improve SEO? - SearchPilot
https://www.searchpilot.com/resources/case-studies/adding-amenities-to-store-location-pages/ - How to Identify Authentic Calls or T...
Tip of the Week
- Do Services in Google Business Profiles Impact Ranking? - Joy Hawkins - Sterling Sky
https://www.sterlingsky.ca/services-in-google-business-profile-impact-ranking/
Mike’s Links
- Mutiny on the Bountiful? Proposed settlement challenges review hijacking
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/02/mutiny-bountiful-proposed-settlement-challenges-review-hijacking - Why Amazon Will Still 'Go Big&...
Tip of the Week
- Overlooked and Underrated Tactics for Local SEO Success - BrightLocal https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/overlooked-and-underrated-tactics/
(photos, reviews, traditional SEO factors, category changes, Q&A, etc.- Thanks to @JoyanneHawkins @BubblesUp @clairecarlile @ColanNielsen @GregGifford @imcrystalhorton @Plotboilers (amongst others) for sharing!
- And if you still have a little time - register for t...
Tip of the Week - The Importance of Optimizing for Cost Keywords [Case Study] - https://www.sterlingsky.ca/cost-keywords/
TL;DR:
- Google LOVES numbers so including them on your site increases your chances of ranking higher.
- Optimizing for cost keywords increases rankings, increases traffic, and brings in conversions.
- Your competitors are likely already doing this and reaping the benefits, so you should too!
Chris’ Links
Tip of the Week - HOW MULTI-LOCATION BRANDS CAN LEVERAGE APPLE BUSINESS CONNECT (FORMERLY APPLE MAPS CONNECT)
https://localu.org/apple-business-connect-multi-locations/
Joy’s Links
- Leaked Yandex Ranking Factors
https://twitter.com/alex_buraks/status/1619370810959093760 - Apple Business Connect for Multi Location Businesses - Krystal Taing
https://localu.org/apple-business-connect-multi-locations/ - Post Insights Being Depr...
Tip of the Week - What’s the 1 thing we covered that you should read if your time is limited?
Are Service Area Pages Duplicate Content?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imj9k37grO8
Mike’s Links
- Amazon's drone delivery unit hit with layoffs just as 10-year-old project finally launches
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/20/amazon-drone-unit-hit-with-layoffs-as-long-awaited-program-launches.html - Failings in Apple Bus...
Last Week in Local is a look back at the interesting and important articles from the previous week. It covers critical industry trends, interesting local news and tactical insights for anyone interested in Local Search.
Tip of the Week - What’s the 1 thing we covered that you should read if your time is limited?
Should You Invest in Apple Business Connect?
https://www.nearmedia.co/should-a-business-put-energy-into-app...
Last Week in Local is a look back at the interesting and important articles from the previous week. It covers critical industry trends, interesting local news and tactical insights for anyone interested in Local Search.
Mike’s Links
Amazon begins drone deliveries in California and Texas -https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/12/amazon-begins-drone-deliveries-in-california-and-texas/
Grubhub used every trick in ...
Mike’s Links
- Amazon begins drone deliveries in California and Texas -https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/12/amazon-begins-drone-deliveries-in-california-and-texas/
- Grubhub used every trick in the book to manipulate customers in DC and is paying - https://apple.news/A-Bq_tBJgR0q7ggQkMuTEjw
- Her Child’s Naked Dance Killed Her Google Account. New Appeals Path Restored It. - https://dnyuz.com/2022/12/30/her-childs-naked-dance-killed-h...
Mike’s Links
- Amazon Fresh Stores Have Gone Stale
- Hackers Used Amazon Ring Cameras to Livestream 'Swatting' Attacks
- The Voice Assistant Battle! (2023)
- Google Search In Video
- Apple Maps vs Google Maps
- Marco Giordano - 3 Great SEO tools on Twitter
- Does Upvoting a Review on Google Keep It at the Top Longer?
- Does Click-trhough Rate all order of Google reviews
- Google's New Local Pack Full Design Now Live?
Carrie’s Link...
Mike’s Links
- Meta, Microsoft, AWS, and TomTom launch the Overture Maps Foundation to develop interoperable open map data - https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/15/meta-microsoft-aws-and-tomtom-launch-the-overture-maps-foundation-to-develop-interoperable-open-map-data/?utm_source=tldrnewsletter
- Google doubles up on E with updated search quality raters guidelines (E-E-A-T) - https://searchengineland.com/google-doubles-up-at-e-with-update...
Mike’s Links
- MBlumenthal - Ne Review filter Cliff notes on Twitter - https://twitter.com/mblumenthal/status/1601936203108225025
- Google's New Review Algo: What We Know - https://www.nearmedia.co/a-guide-to-googles-review-filter/
- Google’s cost-cutters come for Waze, will lose status as independent company - https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/12/googles-cost-cutters-come-for-waze-will-lose-status-as-independent-company/
- Alex To...
Mike’s Links
- Move from Content Creation to Content Creativity In 2023 - Local University - https://localu.org/move-from-content-creation-to-content-creativity-in-2023/
- Survey Of 755 Link Builders Shows What Works In 2022 - https://www.authorityhacker.com/link-building-survey/
- Cyrus Sheard thread on Link Builder Survey on Twitter - https://twitter.com/cyrusshepard/status/1597669127728295936?s=12&t=D-tkb6_tCMfY7R-XfzNP0Q
- FTC, Sta...
Mike’s Links
- A Guide: Why Are My Reviews Missing on Google? - https://www.nearmedia.co/a-guide-why-are-my-google-reviews-missing/
- API endpoint update from Google - https://localsearchforum.com/threads/api-endpoint-update-from-google.59655/
- How to Get Zocdoc off Your Google Business Profile - https://www.sterlingsky.ca/how-to-get-zocdoc-off-your-google-business-profile/
- Google Maps Tests New Sidebar Navigation - https://www.seroundt...
Mike’s Links
- Ep 90: Google Review Bug Saga, Impact of Local Business Reviews, Google’s Misguided Store Finder - https://www.nearmedia.co/ep-90/
- Joy Hawkins on Twitter - https://twitter.com/JoyanneHawkins/status/1592574701179895809
- Google Search Console Goes Adds Shopping & Merchant Features - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-console-shopping-tab-34426.html
- Stefan Somborac on Twitter- Google Autogenerates Ads from Poin...
Mike’s Links
- Google's Suggested GBP Updates Nuke Reviews - https://www.nearmedia.co/googles-suggested-gbp-updates-nuke-reviews/
- Author Rick Wartzman on how Walmart stopped being a ‘boogeyman’ - https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2022/11/10/author-rick-wartzman-on-how-walmart-stopped-being-a-boogeyman
- Amazon Losing Edge - Mike - https://twitter.com/mblumenthal/status/1591790967517941765
- Colorado gig drivers make an average of j...
Mike’s Links:
- POPABLE AND WALMART JOIN FORCES TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET AFTER THE PANDEMIC - https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/popable-and-walmart-join-forces-to-help-small-business-retailers-get-back-on-their-feet-after-the-pandemic-301662834.html
- Google is shutting down its dedicated Street View app next year - https://9to5google.com/2022/11/01/google-street-view-app-shutting-down/
- Semantic P...
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