5 days ago How Much Do Local Pack Results Depend on Location? It’s no secret that SEO pros spend a lot of time looking at search results and map packs. So much time, in fact, that sometimes we …
12 days ago Did you know that your business name is the #2 ranking factor according to Whitespark’s 2023 ranking factors study? Many people might assume your business name isn’t something that you can really use to help …
19 days ago If you read Google’s spam report from 2022, it seems like they are doing a decent job of tackling fake reviews. In 2022, they blocked or removed over 115 million policy-violating reviews, with the majority …
26 days ago Google has a section inside Google Business Profile that helps businesses understand the keywords searchers typed into Google to find your business. This section is often extremely valuable for businesses and marketers to find out …
28 days ago One recent test we did involving Google ads was with image extensions. We wanted to see what would happen to the click-through rate (CTR) if we used an image of a green arrow pointing …
28 days ago Many people think that local SEO is all about the 3-pack rankings, but we disagree with this. Over the years, we have tracked a ton of local SERPs. We are fascinated to see recently that …
1 month ago We have been doing a lot of testing around images in the last year at Sterling Sky. You can read about the tests we did on geotagging photos and the cover photo you select in …
2 months ago Have you ever heard the expression “content is king?” While this may hold some truth, it fails to capture the difference between creating brand-new content and optimizing existing content. Knowing the difference is HUGE! First, …
2 months ago Updated March 4, 2021, and July 31, 2023 There are many questions that often come up about how to properly interpret Google Business Profile Performance (formerly known as Google My Business Insights). I’m going to …
2 months ago Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably have noticed that video has become one of the most widely used verification methods for Google Business Profiles (GBPs) over the last year or so. …
2 months ago Are you wondering how you can leverage AI to boost your Google Business Profile and save yourself a ton of time? An effortless way to utilize AI is to optimize your Google Posts. ChatGPT is …
3 months ago Did you know that Google explicitly gives manual penalties to websites for having thin content? Thin Content Penalty: A business owner recently reached out to us via the Local Search Forum and told us about …
3 months ago Do you need to delete your Google Business Profile (GBP) each year if you are a seasonal business? Summer is here and you may have already seen fireworks going off in anticipation of the summer …
3 months ago Joy Hawkins, the owner of Sterling Sky and Local U, recently hosted a local webinar with Tommy Mello, the owner of A1 Garage. Tommy shares his journey of building a $200 million garage door company …
3 months ago If you’re aware of Google’s guidelines, you probably know that Google has a guideline for home-based businesses. It states, “Important: If you don’t serve customers at your business address, do not enter an address under …
4 months ago Recently I was in a Facebook group where a user posted this question: “One of my clients is giving a donation to the charity they support with every review you leave, good bad or ugly. …
4 months ago It’s a rare day that you don’t see most people with a cell phone in their hands. The portable communication economy has been firmly in place for years, and consumers from 18 to 60+ are …
4 months ago Some people might think that SEO is easy – you figure out what works and you wash, rinse, and repeat on every site you work on. But, only if it was that easy – cookie-cutter …
5 months ago Adding as many Google Business Profile (GBP) categories as possible (as long as they are relevant) will have a positive impact on rankings without diluting them. Each profile can have up to ten categories. The …
5 months ago This is a question I get pretty frequently in the Local SEO community: What URL should I link my GMB listing to? The homepage? A location page? Something else? We wanted to test & measure …
5 months ago As a business owner, it’s essential to know how your customers are finding you. Luckily, Google Business Profile (GBP) makes it easy to track this information. The GBP can help you understand how people found …
5 months ago Local SEO is an essential aspect of online marketing for businesses that want to attract customers within a specific geographical location. It’s important to ensure that your website is optimized for local search so that …
5 months ago Are you a business owner who wants to improve your online presence? One key factor in improving your visibility on Google Maps and Search is picking the right category for your Google Business Profile. Since …
5 months ago Are you having trouble receiving your Google Business Profile postcard verification code? Have you recently requested a postcard for verification or re-verification of a recently verified profile after making a change? Don’t worry, you’re not …
5 months ago Questions & Answers (Q&A) are one of the best and most underused keyword research tools. Why? Because the Q&A is localized, meaning you are going to find and see how questions are asked in a …