Andrew Shotland is the proprietor of Local SEO Guide, a leading local search engine optimization blog and consultancy.
Google has made its review markup guidelines fairly clear and has even issued penalties to sites that utilize spammy or misleading structured data markup. But columnist Andrew Shotland points out that many sites are still violating these guidelines, intentionally or unintentionally.
What does it take to get noticed as a service-area business? Columnist Andrew Shotland explains some of the challenges facing these businesses and offers tips for how to approach your local SEO efforts.
Google recently stated that users are beginning to drop location qualifiers when searching for local businesses. But is it time for local SEOs to stop focusing on these terms? Columnist Andrew Shotland discusses.
If you work in the local SEO space, you may have noticed that Google sometimes makes unwanted updates to your Google My Business listings. Columnist Andrew Shotland dives into the issue.
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.
Columnist Andrew Shotland takes a look at the "near me" phenomenon and shares data that helps illuminate how to rank for these queries.
The road ahead looks rough for local SEO practitioners and agencies, but is there hope? Columnist Andrew Shotland takes a look at what recent trends mean for those who serve local search clients.
Columnist Andrew Shotland shares some common problems that occur during site migrations to HTTPS and explains the importance of updating your citations.
We all know that data can sometimes be unreliable, but columnist Andrew Shotland makes the case for why we shouldn't just rely on free Google tools for data collection and analysis.
Local citations are often thought to be the bread and butter of local SEO, but are we placing too much importance on them? Columnist Andrew Shotland discusses the results of a study which suggests we might be.
Columnist Andrew Shotland shares insights gleaned from a large-scale statistical analysis of local search ranking factors in Google.
Unable to attend SMX Advanced this year? Columnist Andrew Shotland recaps the "Ask The SEOs" session for those who missed it.
Planning and executing a local search campaign requires a lot of data and insight, making a good local SEO tool stack invaluable. Columnist and local search expert Andrew Shotland shares his.
SEO value is rarely considered in acquisition deals. Using Sports Authority as an example, columnist Andrew Shotland discusses how a website's SEO should factor into these discussions.
As Google increasingly incorporates direct answers and other types of featured snippets into search results pages, columnist Andrew Shotland points out that businesses may want to get smarter about marking up their pages.
Columnist Andrew Shotland discusses the impact Google Local Business Cards may have on local businesses and local SEO. Will they help, or will they hurt?
Performing local search engine optimization for franchise locations can be a real pain. Columnist Andrew Shotland explores some common issues for local search marketers, as well as solutions.
Columnist Andrew Shotland finds most local ranking solutions to be lacking for a number of reasons. Is there any way to solve this problem?
Having trouble getting traction for your SEO campaign due to bureaucratic red tape? Columnist Andrew Shotland suggests that you consider thinking local.
Should local search marketers be worried about Google's new local display format in SERPs? Columnist Andrew Shotland takes a look at the impact from multiple angles.
Google is currently beta testing its program to promote local home service providers in search ads, so columnist Andrew Shotland asked some experts in the field for their initial impressions.
Troubleshooting Google My Business issues is difficult enough for a single location, so how can multi-location businesses keep up? Columnist Andrew Shotland shares his strategy.
Columnist Andrew Shotland presents a case study in how to rebrand and switch domains while preserving (and even improving) your search engine optimization.
Expanding your business by acquiring a new location? Columnist Andrew Shotland discusses how to preserve its existing search equity while rebranding.
Columnist Andrew Shotland discusses Google's ranking adjustment dealing with doorway pages and suggests ways that local businesses can avoid getting slammed.
Have questions about local SEO? Columnist Andrew Shotland has anticipated these questions and is answering them, Reddit-style!
Columnist Andrew Shotland took on a client who'd lost rankings as a result of a site redesign. Here's what he did to help them recover.
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 […]
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 […]
Many large, multi-location brands found that their traffic dropped after Google released its Pigeon algorithm. Columnist Andrew Shotland discusses why.
You might be surprised to find that, for one vertical at least, the results after Pigeon were not at all what one would have expected.
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 […]
While doing some research in Costa Mesa, CA last week, I hit a Google test bucket that specified the East Side Costa Mesa neighborhood as my location in Search Tools: Google has long understood super well-known dense neighborhoods like SoHo, NY. But there’s a good reason why neighborhoods, particularly smaller city neighborhoods, have not been […]
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 […]
To: Local Directories From: Google Re: Local Search Rankings Hey guys… You may have noticed that over the past year, a lot of the organic traffic to your sites has been… well, we guess the right word is “tanking.” As you know, it is our […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]