Get ready for an even stronger Google in 2020
Brands need to monitor and respond to reviews to improve their online experience because customers will vote with their search...
Local
CallRail adds call analytics integration with Google My Business
Call tracking makes more data available to marketers than GMB insights....
Google’s ‘My Business Provider’ program replaces ‘Trusted Verifier’ for GMB outreach
But agencies, SEOs, and resellers are not eligible to become MBPs....
Yelp cracks down on ‘review rings’ as Google continues to see widespread mapspam
Will the problem of fake listings and reviews destroy trust in major platforms?...
SMX Overtime: Managing Google My Business profiles, reviews and more
Local search expert Dan Leibson offers advice on how to manage GMB profiles and why it's important to implement a meaningful review...
How verticalization and zero-click will impact local search in 2020
In the coming year it will be interesting to see how Google balances the priority of verticalization against the growing popularity of Google...
A wishlist of improvements for Google My Business in 2020
Joy Hawkins shares the top 5 features she’d like Google My Business to update or change this...
The big list of Google My Business changes, upgrades and tests in 2019
The key GMB updates of 2019 with local experts’ perspective on what's most significant....
Good guides gone bad: How Google’s ‘Local Guides’ program fails businesses and consumers
Columnist Jamie Pitman talks to some of the leading figures in local search to find out what went wrong with the Local Guides program, and if...
Google now showing ‘request quotes’ button above local pack on mobile
Large button appears above 3-pack, connected to GMB messaging....
SMX Overtime: Managing your online business reviews
Product management expert Adam Dorfman answers questions from SMX East about asking for, and responding to, reviews on Google and...
Consumers more invested in reviews, but also more skeptical of authenticity — survey
Users now consult multiple sites and expect reviews to be relatively fresh....
Google now shows carousels of reviews on local business profiles
Reviews carousels surface when relevant to the query and the business has enough high quality reviews, a Google spokesperson...
LocalU acquired by Sterling Sky founder and SEL contributor Joy Hawkins
Hawkins says the Local Search Forum & the LocalU forum will merge....
Google extends ‘Incognito Mode’ in Maps to iOS users
Bulk delete in Timeline is coming to Android next...
How to level up from a Google My Business apprentice to a GMB master
Your business page is a dynamic asset so prioritize these updates to gain a distinct advantage over those that do...
TripAdvisor buys SinglePlatform to enhance services for restaurants
The acquisition is part of a strategic shift to deepen restaurant relationships and diversify revenues to better compete with Google....
Google My Business phone support has ended, but help from the experts has not
Google's social media channels are reported to be helpful as well as connecting with local search...
Nearly 60% prefer PC to smartphones for local search survey finds, but there’s a catch
There are material differences between user behaviors of different generations....
Google Maps becomes more ‘social’ with Local Guides follow feature
Local Guides are part of the reason GMB and Maps are so successful....