Local SEO - The Expert’s Guide

Local SEO Audit https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/

Local SEO is changing fast. As AI reshapes search and Google's algorithms continue to evolve, many of the tactics agencies relied on just a few years ago aren't delivering the same results. The agencies staying ahead are the ones adapting their strategies now.

In this webinar, I'm joined by Holly Starks to discuss how her approach has evolved since transitioning from black hat to white hat SEO, what's actually moving the needle in local SEO today, and where she believes agencies should be focusing as we head into 2026. We also dive into the impact of AI on search, the biggest mistakes agencies are still making, which processes are worth automating, and the practical systems Holly uses to do SEO more efficiently.

If you own an SEO agency or manage Google Business Profiles for clients, you'll walk away with actionable insights you can start applying immediately.

Chapters:

00:00 Local SEO Is Changing: AI, Rankings & What Works Now

03:11 How AI Is Changing Local SEO & Customer Leads

05:50 Cora Optimization, Keywords & Entity SEO

12:57 Content Pruning & On-Page SEO Strategies

17:39 Backlinks, Brand Authority & Link Disavows

24:52 Google Business Profile Audits & SEO Automation

34:01 Link Building, Trust Signals & SEO Risks

39:50 The Future of Google Maps, ChatGPT & AI Search

43:39 Google Business Profile Ranking Factors

46:41 Ranking in AI: Fan-Out Queries & YouTube SEO

Local SEO Audit https://www.sterlingsky.ca/contact/

Is SEO broken, or just widely misunderstood?

In this deep dive, Joy Hawkins is joined by SEO veteran David Quaid to tackle the most heated debates in the industry today. From the reality of "scaled content" penalties to the truth about how Google actually evaluates authority, David shares the forensic approach he’s used to help multiple startups scale past $100 million.

What you’ll learn in this video:

🔹 Communicating SEO Value: Why your clients aren't reading your PDF reports and how to tell a better story with data.

🔹 The "Position 17" Rule: David’s specific strategy for identifying new content opportunities without cannibalizing your existing rankings.

🔹 Indexing Deep Dive: The difference between "Discovered – currently not indexed" and "Crawled – currently not indexed," and the specific URL tweaks that can fix them.

🔹 Internal Linking & Authority: Why you should limit your homepage to 10 key links and how to manage the "85% authority tax."

🔹 The Truth About LLMs: How AI search engines like Gemini and Perplexity are changing referral traffic and how to track it using Looker Studio.

Chapters

0:00 Is SEO Broken?

1:44 David’s Background: Scaling Startups to $250M

4:07 Why Clients Don’t See SEO Value

7:22 What Will Replace Rankings?

12:17 The Truth About AI Reporting (Search Console vs. Reality)

22:11 The Process for Finding New Content

30:10 When to Start a New Domain (EMDs)

33:41 The Danger of Service Area Pages

45:16 Fix: Discovered vs. Crawled Not Indexed

54:02 Internal Linking & Authority Shaping

57:05 Content Pruning vs. Managing Authority

1:06:45 URL Slugs: Short vs. Long

About Sterling Sky Inc:

We specialize in helping local businesses grow through data-driven SEO strategies. If you’re seeing traffic drops or need a professional audit of your local search presence, reach out to us at: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/

Connect with David Quaid:

Follow David on X or LinkedIn for more deep-technical SEO insights.

https://x.com/DavidGQuaid

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/

#SEO #LocalSEO #GoogleAlgorithm #SearchEngineOptimization #DigitalMarketing

EP 26126

READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Websites:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/

https://localu.org/

https://localsearchforum.com/

Blogs:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/

https://localu.org/blog/

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/can-reddit-links-impact-google-rankings/

There’s more content than ever… and somehow, less of it actually sticks.

AI can pump out posts in seconds. Feeds are crowded. Attention spans are brutal.

So the real question is: why should anyone care about what you make?

In this conversation, I sat down with Ross Simmonds, founder of Foundation Marketing and one of the sharpest thinkers in content right now, to get into what’s actually working.

We talk about:

🔹Why most content gets ignored (even when it’s “good”)

🔹What makes something memorable in a sea of sameness

🔹Why you should bother creating content when AI is stealing it

If you’re building a brand, growing an audience, or you feel like your content is disappearing into thin air: This one’s worth your time.

Show Links:

https://rosssimmonds.com/book/

https://foundationinc.co/podcast/ross-simmonds-show/

https://x.com/cybercpu/status/2046813626175267249

What's the best type of content to get links?

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosssimmonds_whats-the-best-type-of-content-to-get-links-share-7452739059107688448-6VPc

Chapter:

00:00 - Introduction: The State of AI and Content Scraping

01:08 - How Gemini and AI Tools Impact Creator Traffic

02:16 - The Long-Term Shift: Moving Beyond the "10 Blue Links"

05:01 - Three Business Models That Thrive in the AI Era

07:27 - Content Strategy for Lawyers and Home Service Businesses

10:44 - Reddit Marketing: A Real-World Insurance Case Study

14:46 - When and How to Start a Brand Subreddit

17:50 - Managing Negative Reviews and Brand Sentiment on Reddit

25:48 - How to Write Reddit Posts for Engagement (Not Just SEO)

29:04 - The Risks of Buying Reddit Comments and "Spammy" Marketing

33:23 - The Role of an Agency in Managing Reddit Presence

35:22 - Content Formats That Earn the Most Backlinks

40:17 - The Biggest Mistake Brands Make with AI Content

44:49 - Remixed Stories: Repurposing Content for Longevity

46:25 - Create Once, Distribute Forever: Book Insights

47:54 - The Future of AI-Generated Avatars and Brand Trust

51:14 - Attribution and Tracking Success in a Multi-Touch World

53:07 - Social Ad Strategy: TikTok vs. Meta vs. Reddit

55:53 - Using Reddit Ads to Influence Search Results

01:03:08 - Marketing for Emergency Services (Locksmiths, Plumbers)

01:04:21 - The "Four Es" Content Philosophy for Local Businesses

01:06:34 - Rapid Fire Questions: Marketing Trends, Dead Platforms, and Originality

01:13:48 - Outro and Where to Find Ross Simmonds

Ep 26119

#localseo #seo #localsearch

__________________________________________

READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Websites:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/

https://localu.org/

https://localsearchforum.com/

Blogs:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/

https://localu.org/blog/

👉 https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/

Fake reviews that won’t get removed. Listings suspended without warning. No clear answers from Google.

In Part 2 of this exclusive episode, ex-Googlers explain what actually triggers suspensions, what qualifies a review for removal, and how to recover your profile fast.

If your business depends on Google visibility, this is the side of the system you can’t afford to ignore.

Links:

https://www.thegbpexperts.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradwetherall/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelheadley/

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction: Understanding Google Business Profile issues

01:03 - The truth about flagging negative reviews for removal

04:01 - Brute forcing support vs. algorithmic approaches

05:22 - 3-step process for dealing with negative reviews

06:33 - The "Trust Score" concept for users and businesses

08:31 - Why authority matters when flagging content

11:41 - Can factually correct edits hurt your trust score?

12:42 - Local Guide levels: What it takes to get edits processed

14:11 - Is the Google Product Expert forum still effective?

16:14 - Google's shift toward cost-consciousness and data purging

18:51 - Gmail vs. Corporate domains: Which does Google trust more?

22:06 - Security tips: Managing primary ownership and managers

23:16 - How to avoid business profile suspensions

25:54 - Dealing with suspension backlogs and support queues

27:19 - Pro tip: Contacting support in different languages

30:12 - "Duress Verticals": Why some industries are scrutinized more

33:54 - Proactive steps to prevent suspension (Photos & Activity)

36:00 - Business vs. User-generated photos: Which is better?

39:58 - Why owner replies are engagement signals, not ranking factors

42:37 - Future Outlook: AI local packs and the evolving role of GBP

43:30 - What to prioritize in the next year (Citations & Third-party sites)

46:59 - Final thoughts and where to find the experts

To add these to your video, simply copy and paste the timestamps and titles into the video description in YouTube Studio\!

EP 26102 part 2

#localseo #digitalmarketing #localsearch

__________________________________________

READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Websites:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/

https://localu.org/

https://localsearchforum.com/

Blogs:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/

https://localu.org/blog/

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/

Why reviews disappear, why edits don’t stick, and why support often feels like a dead end.

We break down how Google actually evaluates trust, filters reviews, and decides what gets published or ignored.

If you rely on Google Maps to drive calls, leads, or foot traffic, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

https://www.thegbpexperts.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradwetherall/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelheadley/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction : Why your Google reviews disappear and profiles get suspended

00:47 Meet the Former Googlers : Intro of Brad Weatherall and Joel Headley

01:41 The Mystery of Missing Reviews : Understanding the cyclical nature of review removals

03:46 The Balancing Act : How Google experiments with algorithms and causes collateral damage

05:51 Why Seasonality Matters : Why Google avoids major algorithm tweaks in Q4

07:22 Behind the Scenes : How Google targets spam and uses automated scripts

12:18 Review Parties and Proximity Signals : The risks of getting too many reviews at one location

15:34 Tactics for Getting Filtered Reviews to Stick : Discussion on editing reviews and profile links

17:48 The "Recaptcha" Logic in Reviews : How mouse movement impacts Google's trust

21:44 New Google Guidelines : Speculation on why Google discourages mentioning employee names

27:10 Do Reviews Ever Truly Get Deleted? : Understanding the hidden database where content is stored

31:04 One Google, Many Teams : Why advice contradicts enforcement across Policy, Product, and Support

33:36 Is Reaching Out to Support Worth It? : The reality of modern automated machine decision-making

39:13 Pro-Tips for Navigating Support Levels : Understanding Levels 1, 2, and 3 and the language trick

53:48 The "Escape Hatch" : How to trigger the manual verification process

59:49 Coming Up on Part 2 : Teaser for the next episode on negative reviews and suspensions

Ep 26102 pt1

#localseo #seo #localsearch

__________________________________________

Grow Your Business With Local SEO

At Sterling Sky, we're passionate about helping businesses like yours achieve their local SEO goals. We know that the digital landscape can be confusing and ever-changing, so we've made it our mission to provide you with the expert guidance and support your need to succeed.

We've helped countless businesses achieve their local SEO goals, and we're confident that we can help you do the same.

READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Websites:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/

https://localu.org/

https://localsearchforum.com/

Blogs:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/

https://localu.org/blog/

In this episode, we sit down with SEO legend James Dooley, who has built and ranked over 1,000 domains and generated more than 2 million enquiries online. If you’re wondering how to rank a website on Google in 2026, this is the conversation you need to hear.

01:36 - The Key to Winning in 2026: Holistic Marketing

02:07 - Finding Profit in Narrow Niches

04:11 - Social Media for Local Businesses: Ranking Your Posts

06:22 - Optimizing Facebook Posts for Search

08:27 - Explaining Semantic Triples

09:44 - Strategies for Forcing Google to Index Content

12:28 - Leveraging Facebook Groups for Visibility

16:21 - The Power of Self-Promoting Listicles

19:14 - Facebook Pages vs. Profiles for SEO

21:11 - LinkedIn vs. Other Platforms: Hashtags and Links

22:42 - Cracking the Code on Reddit Ranking

26:22 - AI Overviews: Impact on Lead Volume and Quality

30:52 - The Future of LLMs: ChatGPT vs. Claude and Gemini

36:06 - Crafting the Perfect URL Structure

39:05 - When to Create Specific Service Area Pages

41:46 - Essential Elements of a Service Area Page

45:54 - The Truth About Duplicate Content on Local Sites

52:24 - Algorithm Update Trends: Brand and Social Signals

55:36 - Why Traditional Link Building is Diminishing

58:56 - Avoiding Toxic Links and PBN Scams

1:02:44 - Proactive Reputation Management

1:04:50 - James's Recommendations for Learning SEO

1:06:22 - How Long Does It Take to Rank a New Site?

1:12:18 - How Paid Traffic Indirectly Boosts Organic Rankings

1:15:06 - The Mistake of Using Separate Domains for PPC

1:19:37 - Social Media Ad Strategies for Lead Generation

1:23:13 - Local Pack vs. Organic Leads: Quality Comparisons

1:25:01 - Speed to Lead: The Importance of Rapid Response

1:27:28 - Utilizing WhatsApp and SMS for Lead Nurturing

__________________________________________

Grow Your Business With Local SEO

At Sterling Sky, we're passionate about helping businesses like yours achieve their local SEO goals. We know that the digital landscape can be confusing and ever-changing, so we've made it our mission to provide you with the expert guidance and support your need to succeed.

We've helped countless businesses achieve their local SEO goals, and we're confident that we can help you do the same.

READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Websites:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/

https://localu.org/

https://localsearchforum.com/

Blogs:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/

https://localu.org/blog/

Ever had a customer swear they left a 5-star review, but it never appears or vanishes without a trace? With sophisticated artificial intelligence and advanced pattern recognition capabilities, algorithms are getting better at identifying unusual activity.

This video explains how 'missing reviews' and spikes in customer review volume can flag your online reputation, especially on platforms like Google Reviews. It's not just random; ai models are becoming incredibly adept at detecting fake reviews and other anomalies.

🔗 Show Links & Resources

📈 Local SEO Research & Reports

◼Google Map Pack Study: How Call Buttons Affect Rankings

https://smallbizedge.com/reports/map-pack-call-buttons/

◼Industry Report: The State of Local SEO in 2026

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/the-state-of-local-seo-in-2026/

◼Analysis: The New Ranking Factor Landscape

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claudia-tomina_the-new-ranking-factor-landscape-google-activity-7425213430845976577-ucC_/

🛠 GBP Management & Policy Updates

◼Policy Update: GBP Identity & Review Policy Changes

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hiroko-imai_the-google-business-profile-policy-has-been-activity-7429686096822812672-GMWv/

◼SAB Guide: How to Move an SAB Without Destroying Rankings

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/move-your-sab-without-destroying-rankings/

◼Reference: Google Maps Business Support

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/overview

📊 Data & Visuals

◼State of Local SEO in 2026:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/the-state-of-local-seo-in-2026/

◼% of Keyword with Local Services Ads (LSA):

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/LSA-Ads-v2-padding-1-2048x1270.png

◼% of Keywords Showing Local Pack Ads :

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-03-30-at-10.51.31-1024x635.png

#localseo #seo #localsearch

__________________________________________

Grow Your Business With Local SEO

At Sterling Sky, we're passionate about helping businesses like yours achieve their local SEO goals. We know that the digital landscape can be confusing and ever-changing, so we've made it our mission to provide you with the expert guidance and support your need to succeed.

We've helped countless businesses achieve their local SEO goals, and we're confident that we can help you do the same.

READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Websites:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/

https://localu.org/

https://localsearchforum.com/

Blogs:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/

https://localu.org/blog/

⏯️ Chapters:

01:20 Guest Introduction: Claudia Tomina

01:42 #1 Reason Reviews Don't Publish: No Prior Engagement

03:02 Tips to Get Reviews to Publish (Branded Search Strategy)

05:18 Is Google Punishing Businesses for Using Their Own Review Link?

07:09 Do Review Request Campaigns Boost Rankings?

08:06 CTR Manipulation: Does It Work & Can It Hurt You?

10:37 Can You Recover Unpublished or Deleted Reviews?

11:50 Review Velocity & Patterns That Trigger Filtering

13:13 Real Case: Law Firm Burned by Bought Reviews

15:12 When Google Flags a Group of Negative Reviews as an Attack

18:26 Pre-Algorithm vs. Post-Algorithm Review Removal

20:33 The "4–5 Day Disappearing Review" Trend: Bug or Feature?

37:55 The Future of Google Bookings & Agentic Local Search

39:48 Google's Chat Feature: Why It's Not Taking Off

40:52 Are Google Posts Worth It? When They Work & When They Don't

43:46 AI-Generated Content on Google Business Profiles

45:32 Editorial Summaries vs. Review Summaries vs. "Know Before You Go"

47:29 Who to Follow for Local SEO Insights

50:41 Removing Negative Reviews: What Actually Works

52:49 What Causes Google to Block Google Posts

54:06 Starting a New Business: How to Allocate 5 Hours/Week for Marketing

55:56 What Content Is Working Right Now (and What's Dying)

58:06 Is Social Media a Direct Google Ranking Factor?

1:01:18 Real Local SEO Problem: Website URL Change That Generated Instant Calls

1:02:36 Primary Category Strategy & Why It Determines Your Rankings

1:07:06 Google Business Profiles Are Driving Fewer Calls — Why?

1:09:30 The Rise of Local Service Ads & Map Pack Ads (2024–2026 Data)

1:12:40 AI Mode vs. Traditional Google Maps: The Key Differences

1:14:02 Live Demo: AI Mode Search for "Best Sushi in Michigan"

1:19:29 Ranking Signals That Matter for AI Mode (vs. Local Pack)

1:26:19 Map Pin Placement: The Hidden Ranking Factor Most Businesses Miss

1:29:49 Service Area Businesses & the Hidden Address Problem

1:35:45 Rapid Fire Q&A: Overrated Tactics, Reviews vs. Backlinks & More

1:37:14 Where to Find Claudia Tamina & Closing Thoughts

Ep 26074

Google's increasingly aggressive crackdowns and harsher core updates are significantly impacting Local SEO and AI search professionals. Medium to Small Businesses are experiencing major traffic losses due to these changes, often without understanding the cause. This situation necessitates a strategic adaptation to the new landscape, focusing on content adjustments and off-site brand mentions to mitigate the effects of Google algorithm shifts and stay ahead of AI updates in search.

Lily Ray @amsive joins us to break down why small to medium businesses are being hit the hardest by Google and provides a strategic roadmap for content adjustments, brand mentions, and surviving the shift to AI-driven search.

#localseo #seo #localsearch

🕒 Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: The SEO Landscape in 2026

01:03 Who is Lily Ray?

02:02 Is AI Content Inherently Dangerous?

04:03 The Risks of "Scaling" Content & City Pages

06:15 Service Area Pages vs. Physical Locations

09:23 Why YMYL Topics Face Higher Scrutiny

10:41 How AI Overviews are Killing Organic Traffic

12:48 Action Items: Diversification & Digital PR

15:47 The New Role of SEOs: LLM Discoverability

17:41 Why Reddit & Forums are Dominating Search

18:55 Small Business Strategy: Video & Authenticity

21:14 Analyzing the Most Recent Core Updates

24:10 Google’s Preference for .gov & Authority Sites

27:28 How to Diagnose & Recover from a Hit

31:16 The Truth About Backlinks & Disavow Tools

34:14 Content Classifiers & Site-Wide Demotions

37:00 Local Pack vs. Organic: Why GBP Stays Safe

39:05 The Crackdown on Self-Serving Listicles

44:17 E-E-A-T: Common Misconceptions Debunked

48:12 The War on AI-Generated Fake Reviews

51:51 Rapid-Fire Questions & Future Myths

🔗 Resources:

Lily Ray’s Newsletter: https://www.amsive.com/insights/

Joy Hawkins' Newsletter: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/newsletter/

Google Search Console Guide: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9128669

__________________________________________

Grow Your Business With Local SEO

At Sterling Sky, we're passionate about helping businesses like yours achieve their local SEO goals. We know that the digital landscape can be confusing and ever-changing, so we've made it our mission to provide you with the expert guidance and support your need to succeed.

We've helped countless businesses achieve their local SEO goals, and we're confident that we can help you do the same.

READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Websites:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/

https://localu.org/

https://localsearchforum.com/

Blogs:

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/

https://localu.org/blog/

Ep 26104

Google Business Profile suspensions, disappearing reviews, and sudden listing removals are happening more often than ever, and most business owners have no idea why.

In this webinar, we sit down with a seasoned Google Business Profile product expert, Ben Fisher, Co-Founder at @SteadyDemand who works inside the mess every day, dealing with real suspensions, failed verifications, spam networks, and review wipeouts.

Links:

Steady Demand

https://www.steadydemand.com/

Tool http://peec.ai/

Sterling Sky Podcast

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo-the-experts-guide-podcast/

Localu Global Virtual Conference VOD

https://localu.org/localu-global-access-on-demand-recorded-january-28-2026/

Local Search Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/localsearch/

Video: 7 Local SEO Mistakes Costing Your Business THOUSANDS (Fix These NOW!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54_JsfQuLx8

#localseo #googlebusinessprofile #digitalmarketing

EP 26008

AI is changing local SEO fast—and your Google visibility may be shrinking even if rankings haven’t dropped. Using data from 179 Google Business Profiles, this video exposes how AI Local Packs are replacing the 3-pack, slashing calls and traffic. Learn why it’s happening, what it means for your business, and how to adapt now.