Everything You’re Doing WRONG in Local SEO: Jason Brown

In this episode of Local Marketing Secrets, Danny Leibrandt sits down with Jason Brown — the no-BS spam-fighter behind ReviewFraud and a former Platinum Google Business Profile Product Expert. Jason has been featured by CNBC, BrightLocal, and NBC’s Today Show for exposing shady local SEO practices, from fake listings to review manipulation. He even helped the FTC craft its policy on fake reviews.

Jason shares the raw truth about the current state of Google Maps spam, how to remove fake reviews (step-by-step), and why more businesses are getting suspended — even when they play by the rules. You’ll hear about review farms in Indonesia, lead gen scammers abusing LSA responsiveness, and the exact documentation needed to reinstate your profile if it gets suspended. Plus: why responding to reviews boosts conversions, how to use citations correctly, and why black hat SEOs are still getting it wrong.

If you care about ethical local SEO and protecting your business online, this is a must-listen.

Jason Brown, Founder of ReviewFraud:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-brown-keyserholiday/

X: https://x.com/keyserholiday

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/keyserholiday.bsky.social

ReviewFraud: https://reviewfraud.org/

Danny Leibrandt, Founder of Pest Control SEO:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DannyLeibrandt  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dannyleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyLeibrandt   

Website: https://dannyleibrandt.com 

Pest Control SEO: https://pestcontrolseo.com/ 

Local Marketing Secrets Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LocalMarketingSecrets 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TCL0LhZbsJS6mzanqnnT1?si=224075c9fbda42f5  

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/local-marketing-secrets/id1741176782 

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0bb5254-5d6c-4940-8211-085157cc1239/local-marketing-secrets 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Jason Brown

03:04 The Importance of Reviews in Local SEO

06:01 Combatting Fake Reviews and Spam

12:08 The Impact of Reviews on Business Reputation

14:58 Understanding Google Business Profile Suspensions

17:51 Navigating the Reinstatement Process

25:45 Documenting Your Business for Google

28:36 Optimizing Your Business Name for SEO

34:59 The Role of Citations in Local SEO

41:33 Increasing Conversion Rates on Google Business Profile

44:54 The Impact of Reviews on SEO

46:49 Advice for Local SEOs and Business Owners

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