Google: Maps & Local
What location data can tell us about the COVID-19 pandemic
Tools used for ad analytics can provide enormous social insights and even speed recovery, but they require clear safeguards....
Live with Search Engine Land: Local SEOs talk ‘buggy’ Google My Business, COVID-19
Search Engine Land's Greg Sterling hosted an hour-long discussion with leading local SEOs to talk about how local or multi-location businesses...
Google temporarily disables local reviews
The company has hit pause on review creation or responding for now....
Google helping to build pilot coronavirus testing website
Engineers are contributing to the project aimed at helping people find nearby drive-through COVID-19 testing...
Fake and inaccurate reviews driving billions in ‘wasted’ consumer spending [Report]
Roughly 90% of adult internet users rely on reviews, but with growing awareness of fraud and manipulation....
In feature battle with Google, Yelp improves restaurant waitlist functionality
Yelp is trying to stay one step ahead of Google with tools that benefit both consumers and business owners....
Google: Spam less than 1% of Maps content
The company cited spam fighting data in a post on contributed content....
Google backtracks on using (relevant) keywords in your Google My Business description
An update to the help page about adding keywords to improve visibility in local search results was disputed by local SEOs and quickly...
Facebook buys AR startup building a 1:1 digital map of the physical world
The acquisition appears to be about augmented reality, but Scape Technologies' capabilities go way beyond...
Google Posts being rejected because of non-compliance with image guidelines
Google is apparently seeking to upgrade the quality of images in Posts....
Happy 15th birthday to Google Maps, the company’s second most important product
Google updates the app that embodies its commitment to local...
Apple’s big maps makeover now available across U.S., Europe coming soon
Apple Maps needs a 'breakout' feature. Could that be...
SEO year in review 2019: Zero-click searches, BERT, local spam and more
What’s past is prologue. Here’s our recap of the stories that will shape search for years to...
Google now showing ‘request quotes’ button above local pack on mobile
Large button appears above 3-pack, connected to GMB messaging....
Consumers more invested in reviews, but also more skeptical of authenticity — survey
Users now consult multiple sites and expect reviews to be relatively fresh....
Google now shows carousels of reviews on local business profiles
Reviews carousels surface when relevant to the query and the business has enough high quality reviews, a Google spokesperson...
LocalU acquired by Sterling Sky founder and SEL contributor Joy Hawkins
Hawkins says the Local Search Forum & the LocalU forum will merge....
Google extends ‘Incognito Mode’ in Maps to iOS users
Bulk delete in Timeline is coming to Android next...
TripAdvisor buys SinglePlatform to enhance services for restaurants
The acquisition is part of a strategic shift to deepen restaurant relationships and diversify revenues to better compete with Google....
Google confirms Nov. 2019 Local Search Update
Google added neural matching in local search, which is why many are seeing local ranking changes in the past...