Category: Google+ Local

Google Local has been on a tear lately with tests being reported on a regular, almost daily basis. Two that really caught my eye were local restaurant results found by Sergey Alakov and the other by Kevin Indig (h/t Megan Hannay). These many tests are a testament to Google’s continual effort to gain audience and more importantly, … Continue reading Google Local Restaurant Tests: Reservation Answer Box & Visual Attributes →

Here are some places that wrote/spoke/recorded last week on the inter webs: Google and Local Search Success – a great conversation with Joy Hawkins about Google Local, tips for success, editing and rank as well as a discussion about her new Expert’s Guide to Local SEO, Also available as a podcast. Video: Last Week in Local … Continue reading Mike B around the Web →

Brian Barwig of Integrated Digital Marketing has pointed out that Google has been rolling out a number of updates to the Goggle My Business Dashboard. The latest is one that provides an improved, easily accessible menu to the left had side of a the listing view. The new menu surfaces both listing and account specific … Continue reading Google Rolling Out Integrated GMB Update →

Here are some other articles and podcasts from last week that appeared elsewhere: Constructing the Enterprise Priority List for Local Search – Streetlight Magazine – In our biweekly chat with David Mihm and I discuss a local tactics for enterprises. “I think some local managers in corporations are getting pushback as to why their local traffic is falling, … Continue reading Mike B Around the Local Web →

The scuttlebutt in the world of Local SEO has long been that Google Insights was inaccurate and unhelpful as a guide to consumer behaviors. But is the newish Insights a better guide? How accurate is it and how can we test it? Prior to the rollout of the Google MyBusiness dashboard in June of 2014, the … Continue reading How Accurate is Google My Business Insights? →

My exploration inside the Google Spam Hall of Shame made me curious exactly how long a business name could be. While I have yet to find the absolute limit I have determined that it is somewhere between 97 and 107 characters. Not sure how I have lived this long without that piece of information. Armed with … Continue reading Just How Long Can a Google My Business Name Be? →

This week’s second Google Spam Hall of Shame award goes to not one deserving business but to a group, who have worked hard and persistently to achieve this honor (drum roll please….)- the personal injury lawyers of the City of Orlando. This achievement, of having every listing(ok two out of three1) in the 3 Pack and the … Continue reading Google Spam Hall of Shame – A Well Deserved Group Award →

This week’s Google Spam Hall of Shame nominee achieved a double double score in the race to be nominated and secure this week’s nod. The offender has 13 words (96 characters)1 in his business title and somewhere north of 20 fake reviews. I discovered the listing via my on-going review spam research and I loved his … Continue reading Google Spam Hall of Shame →

Sergey Alakov, Toronto SEO, shared a new mobile Knowledge Panel test that shows the use of tabs to hold the reviews and separate them from basic business information. Obviously Google does a ton (and a half) of these tests, most of which never go further. But Sergey pointed out several other interesting tests last week. This one, … Continue reading Mobile Knowledge Panel Tab Test →

It’s spring time and there is mania in the air…or at least there is for me.  I have written/created a few more pieces for those of you that can’t get enough of local. Here is my other writing from around the web: LocalU: Podcast: Last Week in Local April 24th, 2017 Joy Hawkins joins me for a … Continue reading Mike B Around the Local Web →

Joy Hawkins pointed out this obvious attempt at communicating via the Google listing when you are just getting too much walk in traffic and Google offers no real solution to run their business the way that they want. Although their messaging is such that it isn’t at all clear just when they do want your … Continue reading One Approach to Appointments Only Scheduling →

Two interesting developments in the Local Pack today. Joy Hawkins,  (via Dave DiGregio) pointed out that “Best Keyword + City” searches now return 3-pack results with average ratings of 4+. Sergey Alakov pointed out on Twitter that the rating drop down now display increased granularity with 1/2 point differences now selectable. Why is this important? Google is … Continue reading Best Searches Now Default to +4 Star Listings in the Local Pack & Increased Granularity →

As you know I have been exploring a Google review spam network. Google took down everyone that I pointed out to them in the network but neglected to dig one iota deeper and find the many related profiles. Their loss. My gain was finding Michael Park, legal reviewer extraordinaire! Either he is a spammer or … Continue reading Google Spam Hall of Shame →

Articles that I published or contributed to elsewhere around the local inter webs last week: Streetfight: Frustration With Digital Marketing Vendors Boils Over for One SMB. In my biweekly conversation with David Mihm, we discussed the how the hard sell in the local world was leading to bad outcomes for all of us. LocalU: Video Deep … Continue reading Mike B Around the Local Web →

Google is now displaying a Product/Page Link in the Knowledge Panel and providing direct entry of the link via the Google My Business dashboard. Last week Google added the ability for individual restaurants to add their menu links to the GMB dashboard and have them show in their branded KP result. At the time it appeared to support service … Continue reading Google Adds Product & Service Menu Links to the Knowledge Panel →

I don’t often express pride publicly but one thing I am very proud of is LocalU. Over the years this group of talented Local SEO’s has led the industry in educating and training small businesses and agencies in ethical, sustainable and leading edge Local SEO. One such effort is Joy Hawkin’s new training manual, The Expert’s Guide to … Continue reading The GMB User’s Guide Google Forgot To Publish →

Yesterday, bulk users received the ability to download 18 months worth of data across all of their listings. Today it appears that all accounts, whether bulk or not, have the same capability. This means that individual businesses will now be able to go back 18 months in their data analysis AND it means that agencies … Continue reading GMB Now Allows All Dashboard Accounts to Access 18 months of Data →

There are two recent Google My Business Insights roll outs that are happening that should benefit bulk listings and those businesses with higher levels of foot traffic. Bulk Insights Download Evan Older reports on G+ that Google is now shipping the ability to download aggregate data in a spreadsheet form on all of your listings. … Continue reading Google GMB Upgrades Bulk Listing Insights and Provides High Traffic Store Data →

The title, The Largest Review Spam Network Ever, might seem like hyperbole. While I don’t yet know the network’s full size, it is responsible for tens if not hundreds of thousands of fake reviews. If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other post0. More importantly… Who … Continue reading The Largest Review Spam Network Ever Or… Who is Shazedur Rahman and why should you care? →

In the routine of other research I am doing, I found several listings that definitely deserve nominations to the Google Spam Hall of Shame: Beachside Towing $45 towing in St Augustine and St Augustine Beach Florida More than a fake name and more than a few fake reviews. Was this a fake listing1? Not according to Google. Not … Continue reading Google Spam Hall of Shame →