Local Search Forum

Anyone noticing issues with Google Business Profile visibility in maps after/during reverification? We have seen reports on @LocalSearchLink about ranking drops during and after reverification. Let us know if you've seen this too!

Struggling with video verification? We've been seeing a ton of threads on the @LocalSearchLink on issues with video verification. Give the article below a read and find out the top 3 reasons your verification might not be working

Anyone noticing any big changes in local search rankings since Google’s August 2024 Core Update started rolling out? 👀 Might be too soon, but remember how the March update shook up local SEO? 🤔 Curious if this one will do the same?

@DonRaqami @dougison Interesting thought!

We've seen emojis in Q&As, review responses, services, etc. but have you seen emojis in the GBP name? We've seen a few examples of people using emojis in the business name, which shocks me Google approves - especially since it's against guidelines!

@dougison It would be interesting to see how long it lasts for sure. Especially since it's against guidelines. Not sure it would help with rankings though. Without doing any further digging, our thought is that it just makes it more appealing to users to click on

@LocalSearchLink Interesting, how long will it last? They are no. 1. Do you think that had any effect on the rankings?

If you missed the webinar today, join us for our next one! ✨Dominate Your Local SEO Market: Category-Specific Strategies for Keyword Success ✨ w/ industry legends @mblumenthal and @davidmihm on 9/20 at 1 PM ET 👉 localu.org/webinar-keywor…

Should you invest in link building for local SEO?💰 If your leads come from Google's local pack, focus your budget elsewhere. But for organic traffic, double down on link building! 🔗 Learn more in @JoyanneHawkins' new WhiteboardFriday: mz.cm/3X6DcSY 📈

Citations first? Or Google Business Profile first? Unlike the chicken or the egg riddle, @DarrenShaw_ provides the answer, and it's a good one. ⬇️⬇️ #post-194541" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">localsearchforum.com/threads/citati…

🚨Scam Alert!🚨 Scammers are calling business owners, claiming their Google Business Profile needs "renewing" for a fee. If unpaid, they mark the business as closed on maps. Easy enough to do with a "suggest an edit" in maps. Has this happened to you or a client?

Barry and many others are reporting major ranking volatility 👀 What are you seeing? We ran some organic ranking reports yesterday and noticed some drops in rankings to location pages for a brick and mortar business.

@cody_baird @moseskagan @JoyanneHawkins @SterlingSkyInc @DarrenShaw_ @whitespark @localuniv Thanks for the kind words Cody!

@moseskagan Not the sources you would expect. I would start with @JoyanneHawkins and @SterlingSkyInc @DarrenShaw_ and @whitespark @LocalSearchLink @localuniv They are true OG local marketing, local search and social. Their blogs, social posts and forum content is all you need.

What are the most cutting-edge resources for learning about marketing for small services businesses (like, say, a property management company)? (Not the classics, and not necessarily books; want the most up-to-date tactics, delivered in any media format)

Shoutout to @krystal_taing for sharing this today! Seems like Apple is making moves in the maps space! Should Google be worried about users switching to Apple Maps in their browser? 🤔 Who else is excited for some good ole competition in the arena? 🗺️🍏📱

@BeHuTo The tool most definitely needs to be fixed. The workaround is certainly more time consuming

@LocalSearchLink The tool only worked for a few cases out of the hundreds we manage. The workaround is time-consuming, as it involves exchanging multiple emails with Google Support to explain that the tool isn't working and to request their assistance.

Google review management tool is not working 😡 First, it was just agency accounts, but now tons of posts say it's broken! Status never changes, no appeal option, and no search feature. Would love to hear your experiences and workarounds! 💬🛠️

Wondering what to show during video verification if you are a service area business? One of our forum members shared their experience and it is insightful. ⬇️⬇️🗺️ #post-194161" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">localsearchforum.com/threads/reveri…

@brian_valentin We've seen the same. It's frustrating in cases where you need to dig or go back/forth with clients to get supporting material. Did you make any changes recently for the profiles to go into pending edits? Thankfully you didn't have to re-verify!

@LocalSearchLink We have clients with listings verified but "pending edits" so front end isn't updated. When going to @GoogleMyBiz support they require a ton of extra items and sometimes request duplicates of what is already sent. It's beyond frustrating, and feels like pure incompetence.

We've been seeing a lot of chatter in the forum about GBP verification issues ranging from listings suddenly going into re-verification, or sitting in pending verification for long periods 😕 Wondering what's going at Google on to cause this. What's your experience been❓

Too funny not to re-share 🤣

Notice a Surge in GBP Re-Verifications? 🚨🤔 Lately we've heard more chatter about Google prompting re-verification when businesses change their primary category or make any other major edits to the profile. Have you experienced this? Drop your thoughts below! 💬👇