In an exciting turn of events, the company formerly known as ApexChat announced its rebranding as Blazeo, marking a significant leap from its origins as a customer service-focused chat firm to a comprehensive ad conversion platform. With a robust team of 400 employees and a track record of assisting 35,000 local businesses across a spectrum of industries, Blazeo is setting a new standard in how local businesses find, qualify, and secure new customers through a blend of advanced AI and human interaction. [Read more…]
Vendasta’s Big Move: Chennai’s Tech Scene Gets a Boost
In an exciting development for Chennai’s burgeoning tech landscape, global tech leader Vendasta has announced its expansion and relocation to a brand-new office space. Nestled in the heart of the city’s thriving tech hub, the move underscores Vendasta’s commitment to innovation and growth while amplifying its global footprint. [Read more…]
Have You Heard of Negative SEO? Now there’s Negative LSA (Local Service Ads)
Ben Fisher has pointed out on Twitter/X that there is a new type of “negative SEO” being done to Google’s Local Service Ads, also referred to as LSAs. According to Mr. Fisher, “A competitor makes a new LSA for a competitor and because the link to GBP is automatic the system will essentially nuke the competitor out of existence. ” [Read more…]
Google Shutting Down Business.Site Websites
Google is shutting down the Business.Site websites on March 1, 2024. When local businesses created a Google Business Profile (formerly called “Google My Business”), the local business had an option of having Google make a “website” for them, which was on a subdomain at business.site. For example, localbizname.business.site. However, in an email sent today, Google has decided to completely shut down the business.site websites. [Read more…]
Playsee Unveils Groundbreaking AI Local Expert, AILEX: Your Personalized Guide to Hyper-Local Adventures
Playsee, the popular neighbourhood-centric social media platform, has introduced AILEX (AI Local Expert), an industry-first chatbot that transforms how users explore their surroundings. AILEX takes personalized recommendations to a whole new level, making Playsee the first of its kind to offer hyper-localised suggestions using artificial intelligence. [Read more…]
PinMeTo Achieves ISO 27001 Certification, Setting New Standards in Location Marketing
In a move for the local search marketing industry, PinMeTo, a prominent SaaS platform specializing in local search and marketing technology, has obtained ISO 27001 certification. This internationally recognized accolade reaffirms PinMeTo’s unwavering commitment to information security and data protection, reinforcing the company’s position as a trusted and secure partner for businesses worldwide. [Read more…]
Moz Launches Free Local Business Content Marketing Guide
In a bid to transform the way local businesses approach online content marketing, Moz, the leading SEO and marketing platform, has released its latest resource: the Local Business Content Marketing Guide. This comprehensive guide is poised to provide local business owners with invaluable insights and tools to navigate the digital landscape effectively. [Read more…]
New Local Search Solution, The Local Agency™, Aims to Revolutionize Digital Marketing for Businesses
In a bid to alleviate the challenges and costs associated with launching and growing a business online, Ryan Klein, Founder and CEO of The Local Agency™, is launching a solution designed to simplify and enhance digital marketing efforts. The Local Agency™ is set to redefine the landscape of digital marketing by offering a strategic, scalable search process that empowers businesses to expand their visibility, drive traffic, and boost sales. [Read more…]
Tiger Pistol Partners with Yext
Tiger Pistol, a cutting-edge collaborative advertising platform, has joined forces with Yext, a leading digital experience platform, to empower users in building digital experiences across various channels while effectively managing local listings data. This collaboration reinforces Tiger Pistol’s dedication to selecting top-tier partners and offers brands an unprecedented opportunity to enhance their capabilities in local social advertising. [Read more…]
Contractors Penalized for Not Displaying License Numbers on Google My Business Websites
According to reports that have been sent directly to me, contractors in California are being penalized by the State of California. They’re being penalized for not displaying their license numbers on their Google My Business websites. Apparently the State of California considers a Business.Site website to be advertising (just like a website hosted on a unique domain name). Therefore, if a contractor does not display their California license number on the Google My Business site, as defined in the CSLB Rules and Regulations. [Read more…]
Bing Places Adds New Features
Bing Places for business has added some new features that help local businesses update their Bing Places listings if they were impacted by COVID-19. Bing Places has added Bing Announcements, GoFundMe Campaigns, Special Hours, and Temporarily Closed features. [Read more…]
Sales Calls Selling Amazon Alexa Voice Search Listings
Local businesses are getting unsolicited sales calls from a company saying they’re from Amazon Alexa. The local business apparently can purchase a listing on Amazon Alexa for a one-time fee of $69 plus a monthly maintenance fee of only $19 per month. I’ve spoken with at least four separate businesses across the United States, from South Florida to Texas to Indiana to South Carolina. They all say they’ve been called by someone saying they’re from Amazon Alexa, selling a similar listing service. [Read more…]
Google My Business Congratulates Local Biz for Getting 1 Click
I manage several Google My Business accounts for my clients. Google My Business provides data about how many visits the business has received, as well as how many people have seen the local business listing. This data is available for verified businesses when they log into their Google My Business account. The Insights data is delayed by a few days, but is available in a weekly, monthly, and quarterly view, both on the Google My Business app and through a web browser. Recently, however, Google has begun sending businesses an email with some data about the number of clicks that they’ve been receiving on their listing, especially on the posts they’ve been making. [Read more…]
Google My Business Bug Causes 404 Errors on Websites
There is a bug in Google My Business website URLs that causes a 404 error on most websites. Users who use the Google Maps app to click through to a local business’ website address with certain tracking parameters will encounter a 404 error. Depending on how the 404 error is configured on the local business website, it may cause the user to simply search for another business. For a local business, 404 errors can be a nightmare and cause them to lose valuable leads and sales. [Read more…]
What Happened When I Removed My Google My Business Listing
Recently, I made the decision to completely remove my company’s Google My Business listing. There are several reasons why I chose to not have my company’s website listed in Google Maps any longer. But what’s more interesting to me is the fact that the website has seen no ill effects by doing it. In fact, I’m seeing a lift in traffic to the site, as well as better search engine rankings overall (for the keywords I’ve been tracking). [Read more…]
Yelp Verified Business License Problems & Fake Address Issues
Back in March 2019 (just last month), Yelp announced a new initiative called Verified Licenses, which is supposed to bring peace of mind to booking a professional that’s listed on Yelp.com. I did some checking of my own on a few local businesses. I found that despite Yelp displaying a verification logo and link to license information, the actual license information of these businesses is bogus. In some cases, the license numbers aren’t even valid license numbers in the State where the business listed. [Read more…]
Research Reveals The Sad State of Google My Business Listings
According to recent research, only about 1.4 percent of local businesses, with a verified Google My Business listing, respond to reviews left about their business. Even less liked a Google review but ultimately didn’t even respond to the review. This recent research shows the sad state of Google Review responses. Local businesses, even those who have claimed their Google My Business listings, don’t feel that it is important enough to respond to Google reviews. [Read more…]
Google Local Guides Can Upload Videos on iPhone
As you might be aware, I’m a Google Local Guide. Whenever I’m out and about I tend to post reviews and take photos of just about every single establishment, local business, and tourist attraction that I go to. Google Local Guides get points for every review, photo, and edit of everything that’s listed on Google Maps. There’s a strict point system, and different levels, based on how many points you have as a Local Guide. Currently, uploading a video gets you the most points. [Read more…]
Google Testing 3 Pack of Videos in Local Search Queries
Google is putting a 3-pack of videos in the search results for certain local search queries. The videos that are showing up in the search results 3-pack do not appear to be from YouTube or Google videos. Here is an example of a search query that shows the 3-pack of videos. [Read more…]
Google Testing Indexing of Google My Business Posts
It appears to me that Google may be testing allowing Google My Business posts to get indexed in the search results. Previously, the Google My Business posts have not been getting indexed in Google’s search results. However, it appears that a limited number of them (about 3,100 of them) are getting indexed. I’m not sure if this is Google testing certain posts and allowing a limited number of them get indexed–or if it’s a mistake. From what I can tell, though, it appears to be a limited test of about 3,000 GMB posts. [Read more…]