Last Week in Local: Local Search, SEO & Marketing Update from LocalU

Mike's Links:

• Travel and Eating Out Are What Americans Have Been Missing Most - NearMedia.co - https://www.nearmedia.co/travel-eating-out-demand/
• Amazon reportedly plans to make drivers double as furniture installers - Mashable.com - https://mashable.com/article/amazon-reportedly-test-plans-drivers-install-furniture/
• Police: Man assaults Menard's employee, hits officer with hammer after mask dispute - Fox9.com - https://www.fox9.com/news/police-man-assaults-menards-employee-strikes-officer-with-hammer-after-mask-dispute
• Google My Business: Edit Your Profile, Hours, Photos & More From Web Search - Barry Schwartz - SERoundtable.com - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-my-business-edit-web-search-31250.html
• Google Search adds keyboard shortcut to edit your query - 9to5Google.com - https://9to5google.com/2021/04/15/google-search-keyboard-shortcut/
• New consumer update of business on google now showing up in the wild - via YourBizWatchdog on Twitter - https://twitter.com/yourbizwatchdog/status/1382797758797611012?s=20

Mary's Links

• Local is now digital: Understanding the new local shopper - The Google Blog - https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/local-shopping-trends
• Google Merchant Center: A Local SEO Goldmine for Retailers - Andrew Shotland - Search Engine Journal - https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-merchant-center-local-retail-data/401551/#close
• Review Topic Clusters as Local Business Content Strategy - Miriam Ellis - Moz.com - https://moz.com/blog/review-topic-clusters

Carrie’s Links:

• We've heard a few reports recently of reviews not publishing on Google - Joy Hawkins via Twitter - https://twitter.com/JoyanneHawkins/status/1383078294166384648
• Soft 404 vs NOINDEX - which is better for ranking - via Barry Schwartz at SERoundtable.com - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-soft-404s-or-noindex-empty-pages-31263.html
• 57% of US Small Businesses Now Fully Reopened After COVID Restrictions Eased  = SmallBizTrends.com - https://smallbiztrends.com/2021/04/57-percent-small-business-now-fully-reopened.html
• Google Testing Dot next to Updates to indicate a “new GMB” post is available - Joy Hawkins - LocalU.org - https://localu.org/google-maps-highlighting-businesses-that-have-posted-recently/
• Survey: Why Do Consumers Want To Text A Business? - Aaron

Last Week in Local is a look back at the interesting and important articles from the previous week. It is 20-30 minutes long and covers critical industry trends, interesting local news, and tactical insights for anyone interested in Local Search.

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Mike’s Links:

• Can You Positively Impact Local Rankings with My Maps Citations? - Darren Shaw - Whitespark.ca - https://whitespark.ca/blog/my-maps-citations
• Technical SEO Online Class | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com - Dana DiTomaso - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/technical-seo
• 3 Vital Click-Based Signals for SEO: First, Long, & Last - Cyrus Shepard - Moz.com - https://moz.com/blog/click-based-seo-engagement-signals
• Why Businesses Need to Tell Visual Stories with Their Employees - Adam Dorfman - NearMedia.co - https://www.nearmedia.co/visual-stories-employee-images/

Carrie’s Links:

• Google Clarifies Phone Numbers Are Not Allowed in Google My Business Posts - Joy Hawkins - LocalU.org - https://localu.org/google-clarifies-phone-numbers-are-not-allowed-in-google-my-business-posts/
• Websites Not Bound by ADA Accessibility Rules, 11th Circuit Finds – Courthouse News Service - Local Search Forum - https://www.courthousenews.com/websites-not-bound-by-ada-accessibility-rules-11th-circuit-finds/
• Facebook Removes 16k Groups for Trading Fake Reviews - Infosecurity-magazine.com as reported in Twitter by Jason Brown - https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/facebook-groups-trading-fake/#disqus_thread

Last Week in Local is a look back at the interesting and important articles from the previous week. It is 20-30 minutes long and covers critical industry trends, interesting local news, and tactical insights for anyone interested in Local Search.

🎙️ Subscribe to the Podcast
🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
📧 Subscribe to the LocalU/Sterling Sky Newsletter
💬 Join the LocalU Premium Forums

Mike’s Links:

• Google Testing Mobile SERPS With No 3-Packs - Joy Hawkins - LocalU.org https://localu.org/google-testing-mobile-serps-with-no-3-packs/ 
• Breaking free of your GMB “Independence” Ranking Issue- Jason Brown  - LocalU.org - https://localu.org/breaking-free-of-your-gmb-independence-ranking-issue/ 
• How to Get More Photos on Your Google Listing & Why It's Important - Darren Shaw - Whitespark.ca - https://whitespark.ca/blog/photos-on-google-listing/
• Google My Business Suspension Email Notifications Barry Schwartz - SERoundtable.com - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-my-business-suspension-email-notifications-31177.html
• Odd Relationships in Local Search - Phil Rozek - Local Visibility Systems - https://www.localvisibilitysystem.com/2021/03/30/odd-relationships-in-local-search/

Carrie’s Links:

• Squarespace buys Tock - NearMemo from Nearmedia.co - https://www.nearmedia.co/episode-9/

LocalU Advanced Sponsor Info – April 7, 2021 – Tickets

• dbaPlatform is our primary sponsor for LocalU.  dbaPlatform is “Mission Control: for Local Search,” a powerful suite of tools for digital marketing agencies and multi-location brands which includes local rank tracking, automated content scheduling, and enterprise reporting in a single robust dashboard. 
  • As a certified Google Partner, dbaPlatform has private API access to sync live inventory to Google business profiles thereby surfacing and promoting store products directly to consumers online. Use any or all of dba’s 10 core influence and automation tools to empower your local marketing and convert online buyers into local purchases. Learn more about their tools at dbaPlatform.com.
• Gold Sponsor, The Respondery helps businesses respond to their customer reviews by providing custom, on-brand review response services designed to engage and please the viewer, impress future customers, diffuse negative feedback, and expand brand loyalty on the big 3 – Google, Facebook, and Yelp.  Get ahold of the team if you’re interested in this service at TheRespondery.com
• Gold Sponsor, Zipsprout connects businesses with grassroots local e

Join Mike & Carrie as they discuss the latest news in local - with a bit of an in-depth discussion about messaging vs chat vs SMS and what it means in the fight against Google giving "too much" info in the search results.  Also, Mike updates his masking research, Court denies discovery in fake review case, & much more.

• Data: As States Reopen, Local Businesses Grapple with Mask Dilemma - Mike Blumenthal - NearMedia.co - https://www.nearmedia.co/data-as-states-reopen-business-grapple-with-masking-dilemma/
• ‘They don’t care’: US supermarket chain shutters stores after hazard pay rules - The Guardian - https://apple.news/AsDqBY3L9SUeIdbMcSKZ8iQ
• Gursten v Doe: Court Allows Fake Online Google My Business Reviews to Harm Competition - MichiganAutoLaw.com - https://www.michiganautolaw.com/blog/2021/03/29/gursten-v-doe-court-allows-fake-online-google-my-business-reviews-to-harm-competition/
• What Are Google Local Services Ads and Why Should You Care? - Tom Waddington - BrightLocal.com - https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/google-local-services-ads/
• The Local Finder vs. Google Maps: How Different Are They? - Miriam Ellis - Moz.com - https://moz.com/blog/local-finder-vs-google-maps
• Why Chat Matters to Google - Adam Dorfman - NearMedia.com - https://www.nearmedia.co/why-chat-matters-to-google/
• Google Placing Competitors on Knowledge Panel - Darren Shaw via Twitter - https://twitter.com/DarrenShaw_/status/1375519086684237824 
• 
  

Carrie’s Links:

• Why You Should Think Twice About Activating GMB Messaging - Joy Hawkins, LocalU - https://localu.org/why-you-should-think-twice-about-activating-gmb-messaging/
• Text vs. Chat – Why We Think SMS Is Best -Aaron Weiche - Leadferno - https://leadferno.com/blog/text-vs-chat-why-we-think-sms-is-best
• LocalU is next week - 4/7 - We closed scholarships on Friday and awarded 59 spots! More than any past event. - https://localu.org/apr7
• Google My Business Sent Out User Survey - Barry Schwartz - SERoundtable.com -https://www.seroundtable.com/google-my-business-sent-out-user-survey-31159.html

4 local review trends to watch in 2021 - Joy Hawkins - SEngineLand.com - https://searchengineland.com/4-local-review-trends-to-watch-in-2021-346645

Join the staff of LocalU as they discuss the latest in Local Search news!  

Mike Blumenthal's Links:
People With Disabilities Say This AI Tool Is Making the Web Worse for Them - Vice.com - https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7az74/people-with-disabilities-say-this-ai-tool-is-making-the-web-worse-for-them
H-E-B reverses mask decision for customers after backlash - Austin.CultureMap.com - https://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/03-08-21-h-e-b-keeping-mask-mandate-for-customers-after-backlash-required-stores/
A New Story is Starting for Sendible - Sendible.com - https://www.sendible.com/insights/new-story-starting-for-sendible
Local Pack-O-Meter - Local SEO Guide - https://www.localseoguide.com/local-pack-o-meter/
The Near Memo, Episode 7 - NearMedia.co - https://www.nearmedia.co/episode-7/
New GMB Style with an LSA Connection - TomWaddington.com - https://tomwaddington.com/new-gmb-style-with-lsa-connection/
Google My Business Launches Tool to Manage Review Removal Requests - Local University - https://localu.org/google-my-business-launches-tool-to-manage-review-removal-requests/
Local Content Silo Videos - Greg Gifford - SearchLabDigital.com - https://searchlabdigital.com/local-search-tuesdays/?wchannelid=8kg9e7nlzn&wmediaid=94qb7krwwe
Google Maps Showing Street View Images For Service Area Home Businesses - Barry Schwartz - SERoundtable.com - https://www.seroundtable.com/amp/google-maps-street-view-images-service-area-business-31088.html

Carrie Hill's Links:
Can now mark a review as “Not Helpful” on maps. Via Tom Waddington on Twitter - https://twitter.com/tomwaddington8/status/1373284620662358017
Business Texting & Messaging by LeadFerno - Aaron Weiche - https://leadferno.com

LocalU Advanced Sponsor Info – April 7, 2021 – Tickets
dbaPlatform is our primary sponsor for LocalU.  dbaPlatform is “Mission Control: for Local Search,” a powerful suite of tools for digital marketing agencies and multi-location brands which includes local rank tracking, automated content scheduling, and enterprise reporting in a single robust dashboard. 
As a certified Google Partner, dbaPlatform has private API access to sync live inventory to Google business profiles thereby surfacing and promoting store products directly to consumers online. Use any or all of dba’s 10 core influence and automation tools to empower your local marketing and convert online buyers into local purchases. Learn more about their tools at dbaPlatform.com.

Gold Sponsor, The Respondery helps businesses respond to their customer reviews by providing custom, on-brand review response services designed to engage and please the viewer, impress future customers, diffuse negative feedback, and expand brand loyalty on the big 3 – Google, Facebook, and Yelp.  Get ahold of the team if you’re interested in this service at TheRespondery.com

Gold Sponsor, Zipsprout connects businesses with grassroots local event, nonprofit & association sponsorships for marketing & SEO campaigns.  Helmed by Linkbuilding pioneer Garrett French, their tool connects grassroots, non-profit and other organizations with businesses looking to sponsor good works in their local communities. Check them out at Zipsprout.com

Gold Sponsor, Places Scout, offers a suite of tools that are invaluable for local rank tracking, spam fighting, and competitor monitoring. They also offer GMB Tools such as the GMB Scorecard Report & Widget – a great lead generation or sales tool that is customizable to the metrics your agency is most concerned with.  They also offer the GMB Radar Change report – designed to help you monitor changes to your GMB listing(s) without looking at it multiple times a day.

Join the staff from Local University as they discuss some of the most significant and interesting developments Last Week in Local Search.  This week Carrie Hil & Mary Bowling discuss Google Local Guides/Maps push, Claire Carlile's amazing new resource for landing your first Local SEO client, the continued importance of pricing your SEO services & the future of SEO, plus much more!

Mary’s Links:

• Top Most Popular Local Search Blogs - Nyagoslav Zhekov - Whitespark.ca - https://whitespark.ca/blog/top-local-seo-blogs/
• How to create topic clusters? (I got 1000% more traffic) - Samuel Schmitt - https://samuelschmitt.com/topic-cluster/
• India's draft e-commerce policy calls for equal treatment of sellers - Reuters.com - https://www.reuters.com/article/india-ecommerce-policy-idUSKBN2B50DJ
• eCommerce: Coming To a Tweet Near You - Localogy - Mike Boland - https://www.localogy.com/ecommerce-coming-to-a-tweet-near-you/
• Local SEO During COVID-19 with Phil Rozek - by Traject - https://bytraject.com/blog/local-seo-during-covid-19/
• Social Media Specialist at Steady Demand • Austin • Remote (Work from Home) - SteadyDemand.com - https://angel.co/company/steady-demand/jobs/1246437-social-media-specialist 

Carrie’s Links:

• Deconstructing Google’s Local Guides and Photo Updates Post - Mike Blumenthal - NearMedia.co - https://www.nearmedia.co/deconstructing-google-local-guides/
• LocalU.org/apr7 - tickets still on sale! Agenda Published! - https://localu.org/apr7
• How to Land Your First Local SEO Client - Claire Carlile - BrightLocal Academy -https://www.brightlocal.com/blog/new-academy-course-how-to-land-your-first-local-seo-client/
• Bing Local Pulling in Q&A from Websites - Colan Nielsen via Twitter - https://twitter.com/ColanNielsen/status/1370067209712721923
• Suds & Search: Joy Hawkins - https://searchlabdigital.com/blog/suds-and-search-53-joy-hawkins-owner-of-sterling-sky-localu-and-the-local-search-forum/
• Should I Pay Annually for the Local Data Aggregators? 3 Things We Learned. - Joy Hawkins - Sterling Sky - https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-data-aggregators/

Join the staff from Local University as they discuss some of the most significant and interesting developments Last Week in Local Search.  We discuss how much local ranking fluctuations change, managing GMB insurance info, Google News in AUS, LocalU Advanced on April 7, and much more!

Mike’s Links:

Ranking Fluctuations: How Much Do Local Rankings Change? - Whitespark.ca - https://whitespark.ca/blog/hourly-local-rankings/

Does Optimizing Content for "Near Me" Work for Local SEO? Sterling Sky Blog - https://www.sterlingsky.ca/near-me-optimization/

GMB Insurance Info Management for Healthcare Providers - Localu.org - https://localu.org/managing-insurance-information-for-healthcare-providers-on-google-my-business/

Search for COVID-19 vaccination locations and testing centers - Google Maps Help - https://support.google.com/maps/answer/9787040?p=covid19_vaccine_locations&visit_id=637506534100489751-3977310725&rd=1#zippy=%2Csources

Mary’s Links:

• Bill to Make Facebook, Google Pay for News Clears Last Major Hurdle in Australia - Wall Street Journal - https://www.wsj.com/articles/bill-to-make-facebook-google-pay-for-news-clears-last-major-hurdle-in-australia-11614163071
• Localized Marketing Benchmarks for Property - MeetSoci - https://www.meetsoci.com/insight/top-multi-family-2020/
• GMB Review Removal Rate Fairly Quick (outside U.S) - Tim Capper via Twitter - https://twitter.com/GuideTwit/status/1367407536790523913
• SEO Strategy vs. Tactics: What’s the Difference? A Lot! - Stoney deGeyter at Search Engine Journal - https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-101/strategy-vs-tactics/

Carrie’s Links:

• LocalU.org/apr7 - tickets still on sale! Agenda Published! - https://localu.org/apr7
• GMB Chat tomorrow at 11 EST #gmbchat - https://twitter.com/hashtag/gmbchat

Sponsored Posts

Thanks so much to our LocalU Sponsors!!

dbaPlatform is our primary sponsor for LocalU - dbaPlatform is “Mission Control: for Local Search,” a powerful suite of tools for digital marketing agencies and multi-location brands which includes local rank tracking, automated content scheduling, and enterprise reporting in a single robust dashboard. 

As a certified Google Partner, dbaPlatform has private API access to sync live inventory to Google business profiles thereby surfacing and promoting store products directly to consumers online. Use any or all of dba’s 10 core influence and automation tools to empower your local marketing and convert online buyers into local purchases. Learn more about their tools at

Join the staff from Local University as they discuss some of the most significant and interesting developments Last Week in Local Search.  We discuss YouTube Shorts, GMB Conversion Factors, GMB Cover Photos, an Algorithm update,  Local University Advanced on April 7, and much more.

Mike’s Links:

• Walmart Taps Sofia Vergara, Jamie Oliver, Patti LaBelle for Interactive Cooking Shows on E-Commerce Hub - Variety.com - https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/walmart-cookshop-sofia-vergara-jamie-oliver-ecommerce-1234915067/
• Google Discover surfacing YouTube in 'Short videos' carousel - 9to5Google.com - https://9to5google.com/2021/02/27/google-discover-youtube-shorts/
• Pivoting Toward the New Consumer Experience: The 2021 Brand Innovation Survey - Streetfight Mag - https://streetfightmag.com/2021/02/26/pivoting-toward-the-new-consumer-experience-the-2021-brand-innovation-survey/
• The Top 10 GMB Conversion Factors to Get More Leads - Whitespark.ca - https://whitespark.ca/blog/gmb-conversion-factors/
• Google Posts: Conversion Factor & Not Ranking Factor - Moz.com - https://moz.com/blog/google-posts
• Seed Audiences: the Most Practical Way to Make Blogging Work for a Local Business - Local Visibility System - https://www.localvisibilitysystem.com/2021/02/28/seed-audiences-the-most-practical-way-to-make-blogging-work-for-a-local-business/

Mary’s Links:

• 6 Local Search SEO Myths that Need Busting for Dental Practices - DentalEconomics.com - https://www.dentaleconomics.com/home/webinar/14198274/podium-6-local-search-seo-myths-that-need-busting-for-dental-practices
• Matthew Hunt - Investing in Employees via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:6771058728545337344/
• 5 Things You Might Want to Know About Google My Business Cover Photos - Local University - Claire Carlile - https://localu.org/5-things-you-might-want-to-know-about-google-my-business-cover-photos/ 
• Service Area Businesses: Are they at a disadvantage on Google Maps? - Zac Todd - Persuaded-io - https://persuaded.io/blog/service-area-businesses-are-they-at-a-disadvantage/

Carrie’s Links:

• What happens when Google removes 98% of your reviews? Joy Hawki

Join the staff from Local University as they discuss some of the most significant and interesting developments Last Week in Local Search.  We discuss more Uber news, guides to learning SEO and local SEO, Local University Advanced on April 7, and much more.

Mike’s Links:

• Recreate Your Favorite Bar's Atmosphere - IMissMyBar.com - http://www.imissmybar.com/
• Uber loses a major employment rights case as the UK's top court rules its drivers are workers - CNBC.com - https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/19/uk-supreme-court-rules-uber-drivers-are-workers-not-contractors.html
• The Gig Economy Is Coming for Millions of American Jobs - Bloomberg.com - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-02-17/gig-economy-coming-for-millions-of-u-s-jobs-after-california-s-uber-lyft-vote
• The State of Online Reviews - Podium.com -https://www.podium.com/state-of-online-reviews/
• A look at how we tackle fake and fraudulent contributed content - Blog.Google.com - https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-101-how-we-tackle-fake-and-fraudulent-contributed-content/
• How is a Knowledge Panel for an Entity Triggered? - Bill Slawski, SEO By the Sea - https://www.seobythesea.com/2021/02/knowledge-panel/
• The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide - Miriam Ellis - Moz.com - https://moz.com/blog/essential-local-seo-strategy-guide

Mary’s Links:

• Uncover Google Discover Mysteries by John Shehata - Video & Slides | NewzDash - https://www.newzdash.com/guide/uncover-google-discover-mysteries-john-shehata
• Notice: Google My Business Auto Populating Services - SERoundtable.com -  https://www.seroundtable.com/google-my-business-auto-populating-services-30929.html
• Google Forced to Pay $1 Million For ‘Misleading’ French Hotel Rankings - SearchEngineJournal.com - https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-forced-to-pay-1-million-for-misleading-french-hotel-rankings/396216

Carrie’s Links:

• Learning SEO – A Roadmap with Free Resources - Version 1 Aleyda Solis - learningseo.io - https://learningseo.io/
• GMBChat Recap: February 9, 2021 - Carrie Hill - LocalU.org - next GMB Chat is Tuesday, March 9 at 11 am ET - https://localu.org/gmbchat-recap-february-9-2021/
• Troubleshoot GMB Login Issues | Request Ownership of a Google My Business Profile - Video - Joy Hawkins - Youtube & Google Help - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9oupL2pZBw&feature=youtu.be

Join the staff from Local University as they discuss some of the most significant and interesting developments Last Week in Local Search and a Deep Dive into the conversation around Paying SEO Conference Speakers at the end of our episode!

Mike’s Links:

• ‘The last straw’: the US families ending love affair with grocery chain after Capitol riot | Florida | The Guardian - https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/15/us-families-boycotting-publix-grocery-chain-capitol-riot
• In-SERP lead forms convert Google Ads searchers without a click-through - SearchEngineLand.com - https://searchengineland.com/in-serp-lead-forms-convert-google-ads-users-without-a-click-through-346000
• Google bans ads for locksmiths in Belgian search results - BrusselsTimes.com - https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/business/154387/google-bans-ads-for-locksmiths-in-belgian-search-results/
  • Kiosks Are Not Locksmiths - Sign the Petition - Change.org - https://www.change.org/p/google-inc-stop-kiosks-from-posing-as-real-local-locksmiths
• User-Generated Content and Machine Learning at Google - GoFishDigital.com Bill Slawski - https://gofishdigital.com/user-generated-content/
• E-A-T LOCAL for SEO - LocalSEOGuide.com - Andrew Shotland - https://www.localseoguide.com/e-a-t-local-for-seo/
• Google Tests Find Results On Other Search Providers In US - SERoundtable.com - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-find-results-on-other-search-providers-us-30927.html
• Google Surfaces Small Business E-Commerce Sites in Local Results - Mike Blumenthal - NearMedia.co - https://www.nearmedia.co/google-surface-local-e-commerce-sites-in-local-results/

Mary’s Links:

• Hotel Pack Shake-Up Provides New Opportunities for Hotels in 2021 - Online Ownership - Tim Capper - https://onlineownership.com/hotel-pack-shake-up-provides-new-opportunities-for-hotels-in-2021/
• Google My Business adds messaging to the desktop interface - Search Engine Land - https://searchengineland.com/google-my-business-adds-messaging-to-desktop-interface-346070