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How to optimize your Google local Knowledge Panel
Turn your local business profiles in the search results into portals that can deliver customers right from your listings.
Google now enables GMB profile edits from Search and Maps [updated]
The company is seeking more SMB engagement by making updates easier and more accessible.
Majority of chains call local-digital marketing an ‘untapped opportunity’
But 77% of multi-location brands complain executing locally at scale is very challenging.
Google adds ‘Black-owned’ business attribute to local listings
The attribute can show when listings appear in Search and Maps and is part of several initiatives aimed at supporting Black business owners.
Google rolling out LSAs and ‘Google Screened’ to select professional services nationally
After successful test, the program goes into general availability.
COVID-19 is the asteroid that struck American small business
Billions will be lost to digital marketing if SMBs close their doors.
How 9 major Google My Business updates in 2020 can help you rebound
A long road of recovery awaits but the good news is that your customers are paying attention to your GMBs so capitalize on that to help your business make it to the other side.
Google offering ‘upgraded’ GMB profile with Google Guaranteed badge for $50 per month
Google tested the idea of subscription-based services for GMB in April 2019.
Google will now notify GMB account owners by email when local listings suspended
Seen as a major step forward, the notice still won't explain the reason for a Google My Business account suspension.
With new ‘pilot program,’ Google again testing ads on local business profiles
The ads can't be removed or influenced by the business owner.
TripAdvisor, Yelp and others highlight venue safety, an emerging consumer decision factor
Cautious consumers want more information about COVID-19 precautions.
Google will now auto-delete your location history after 18 months
The update is part of a number of new privacy changes being implemented.
Google upgrades enterprise messaging capabilities in Maps and Search
Enhanced features include smart replies, visual product carousels, custom welcome messages.
Google to shutter CallJoy, virtual agent for SMBs, on July 22
Call intelligence service was another Area 120 project.
Nextdoor rolls out free Business Posts, best practices advice
Nextdoor is slowly building out a suite of paid and free promotional tools for national-local brands and SMBs.
Yelp offers upgraded COVID reopening tools for local businesses, restaurants
The company is also modifying Waitlist to help restaurants to better manage capacity during mandatory social distancing.
How local marketers can prepare for the ‘great reset’ [Video]
Consumers are reemerging to a different retail landscape than they’re used to. Location data can help businesses identify and market to these audiences as they form new habits.
Combine location data and external trends to build diverse audience strategies [Video]
Consumers are responding to unemployment and economic uncertainty, which may make your pre-pandemic audience segments less reliable.
Google My Business offers more flexibility with business hours
Check your Google My Business console to set your "more hours" to reflect COVID-19 precautions.
How location data can drive your marketing strategy during COVID [Video]
“If someone is out and about in the physical world right now, that alone is a signal that they are in-market,” said Foursquare CEO David Shim on Live with Search Engine Land.
Soapbox: Don’t kick SMBs to the curbside – for many, it’s their new lifeline
While technologies to enable curbside pick-up have been around for years, local business require solutions that work without IT support and infrastructure.
Google local ranking changes in early May? Thank a bug
Google confirmed fluctuations seen in local rankings was a bug and says it fixed the issue.
New Google My Business features aim to help SMBs pivot and survive COVID-19
The new tools and capabilities mirror the expanding role of GMB as a gateway to both offline and online services.
What’s the right messaging when customers are divided about reopening? [Video]
And, what to do when there’s no easy way to appeal to everyone.
Let’s hope COVID-19 isn’t a ‘mass extinction event’ for small businesses
SMBs spend billions annually on digital advertising and marketing services.
Is automotive a bellwether for Google My Business trends during COVID-19?
Compared automotive results with all others to find customers are actively interested in supporting businesses that share updates and respond to reviews.
Replay: Foursquare, PlaceIQ CEOs join Live with Search Engine Land
Group discusses how brands and marketers can use location intelligence as they plot a way forward.
More missing Google My Business reviews appearing as publication speed picks up
Google is now posting user reviews and photos in all countries and the vast majority of business categories.
What do local SEOs really think of Google My Business support?
The quality of support isn't likely to magically improve once the virus clears, so let's hope that the future doesn't so clearly reflect the past.
Stores have been closed so location data isn’t relevant, right? Wrong.
Driving online sales and other use cases for location data during the pandemic.
GMB usage declines, but poised to become more powerful post-coronavirus
Google, and the pandemic, have made GMB into the most important local marketing tool for SMBs and multi-location brands.
Destructive impact of coronavirus on SMBs greater than an ‘economic hurricane’
Yelp analysis finds the devastation is 4X the magnitude of the biggest economic shocks of the past decade.
Google adds website links to ‘Call Ads’
The optional link relieves call-volume pressure and can result in 'fewer accidental calls and more qualified leads' says the company.
When your Google My Business listing becomes your lifeline
During coronavirus, we see how GMB can be a business’s lifeline during a time of disruption. Here are some lessons learned.
Fake reviews problem is much worse than people know
Like a virus it infects all the major review sites, especially Google and Amazon.
SMX Overtime: Here’s why optimizing images in Google My Business is important
SEO pro Greg Gifford explains why professionally shot, high-res photos will win over user-uploaded photos if you take the time to manage it right.
SMX Overtime: When to use the Q&A in Google My Business and how to keep it fresh
SEO expert Niki Mosier of Two Octobers shares insights about managing Q&A and when it makes sense to add a service menu.
Local businesses can solicit GoFundMe donations via Bing Places
The donate feature is currently available for new GoFundMe campaigns, with support for existing fundraisers coming in the next few weeks.
Google reviews coming out of quarantine
New user reviews, photos, Q&A will return gradually, by category and country.
Google introduces new COVID-19 and Telehealth GMB links for healthcare providers
These new links are part of the company's larger effort to make healthcare information more accessible through Google Search.