Andrew Shotland
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About Andrew Shotland

Andrew Shotland is the proprietor of Local SEO Guide, a leading local search engine optimization blog and consultancy.

Andrew Shotland's latest articles

Apple

National retailers: Stop ignoring local SEO

National retailers’ digital divisions often think of their websites as e-commerce sites first and local store sites second. Columnist Andrew Shotland explains why this mindset may be hurting their ability to get the most out of organic search.

Apple

10 Things I Learned About Local SEO In 2014

We may not be in school anymore, but as we in the SEO business know, the education process never ends. With that in mind, I’d like to share with you some of the things I learned about this bizarre trade we practice over the past year: 1. Never Again, Google; Never Again First they came […]

Google

The Post-Google Local Survival Guide

Ask any local SEO worth their salt, and they will tell you that the Pigeon algorithm update has been a kind of big shift in local search results. Traditionally, when an algorithm update causes a major shift in the SERPs, SEOs adjust their strategy and tactics accordingly. Consider this: we had a single location client that […]

Google

Picking Through Google’s Pigeon Droppings…

Local appears to have been hit with the most far reaching update since Venice, and one that has flung more kaka than Hummingbird — so “Pigeon” seems pretty apropos, perhaps because Google appears to be treating many local SERPs like so many statues in the park. Pigeon Is A Major Flux In SERP Order & Features Result […]

Google

How To Get A Medical Marijuana Dispensary Into Google Places

I was stoked when Chris Silver Smith turned us all on to the potential issues with marijuana and local search last month. As an early dabbler in helping marijuana dispensaries figure out local SEO, I, too, think it’s high time to help marketers recognize the challenges and opportunities in this fast-growing industry. One of the biggest […]

Apple

Why Duplicate Business Listings Are Like The Walking Dead

In the Local SEO biz, we spend a lot of time fixing duplicate business listings. Duplicate records of your business appearing throughout the Local Search ecosystem can cause a variety of issues like messing with your Google Local rankings, causing you to lose business, and may even make you feel like you’re experiencing a zombie […]

Local

Local SEO Scam Of The Month: Craigslist SEO

Most SEO consultants I have met are pretty decent, hard-working folks. But there are plenty of SEO con artists out there, and it kills me every time I see a small business (or a big business) get taken. Recently, I had the privilege to witness a true Picasso of SEO con artists. I am sharing […]

Apple

5 Trusted Accounts Every Local SEO Should Have

As local marketers, most of us know how to set up a Google Places for Business account or create a Facebook Page. But, these are not the only accounts you should be creating in order to get the full benefit of your local SEO campaign. Below are five trusted accounts every local SEO should have […]

Google

Did Hummingbird Just Kill Your Local SEO?

Let’s cut to the chase: no, it didn’t (see Betteridge’s Law of Headlines). But Search Engine Land tells me the Hummingbird stuff really drives the page views these days, so you only have yourself to blame. :) That said, Google’s Hummingbird algorithm, along with all of the other awesome updates Google has made over the […]

Apple

The Local Marketer’s Guide To Apple Maps for iOS7

While the launch of iOS7 has received a ton of press and blogger nitpicking about every last detail, little has been said about how the new version of Apple Maps affects local marketers. I feel like most marketers are still ignoring Apple Maps because it got a lot of Apple Maps Sucks-type press a year […]

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