Job posting schema, Google Posts for hotels, new restaurant review details, and the ability to… remove phone numbers from business listings?! Local search served up a little bit of everything this July. Here are all the updates you need to know about. June/July core algorithm update: Part two Google released the second half of its […]
Desktop messaging, review snippet stars, restaurant search filters… February’s local search updates may not have reinvented the wheel, but they have improved quality of life for business owners, marketers, and anybody seeking to drive local growth. Let’s get straight to it. Google adds black-owned business label and scroll-to-text on product results With the relevant timing […]
September was a mixed bag in local search. While Google’s COVID-related updates continued as expected, the search giant’s primary competitors—Apple and Bing—both adjusted their review integrations in a way that hurt a different big player in the review market. Unsurprisingly, the pandemic is prompting consumers to reconsider how they judge and choose businesses, so changes […]
COVID-19 has demanded a number of updates to the local listings ecosystem, primarily to better communicate health and safety protocols with customers. Many of these changes, however, appear to be general improvements that have been precipitated by the pandemic but offer value that reaches far beyond crisis response. Expect these features to become mainstays even […]
Local platforms are proving to be a vital communication tool during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing businesses to quickly connect with their local audiences regarding store closures, special opening hours, additional health and safety measures, and more. Google is focusing its efforts on local—prioritizing certain features, disabling others—Yelp is supporting pandemic-affected businesses, and we have some […]
February was a tumultuous month for Google. Multiple updates, minor tweaks, and even a couple of glaring errors saw much change in the local search ecosystem this month—especially in Europe. Here’s everything you need to know. Google links to third-party rivals on European SERPs In a move that can only be detrimental to Google, branded […]
It’s Google algorithm update time again. That’s not the biggest story this month, however, as both Google and Yelp have pushed out much more important updates. Google has made big changes to its SERPs, both in the organic and paid space. While the former is a mixed bag, the latter will likely be making some […]
When given choices about where to spend money, consumers want the best. Internet Yellow Pages sites, Google Places listings and social networks offer consumers convenient channels for unbiased ratings and reviews from other customers. Good reviews can do wonders for your business, but just one negative review could create enough doubt in a consumer’s mind that […]
An Ottawa restaurant owner was convicted of criminal libel this week after she harassed a customer who had posted a negative review of her restaurant. Instead of ignoring — or, better yet, responding nicely — to the less-than-favorable online reviews, the owner unleashed her anger at the customer by setting up a fake dating profile […]
Fromholzer’s 2011 study on Generation Y’s usage of PYP and IYP offered some great insight into how twenty-somethings are searching for business information. However, although the study claims 9% of 18-24 year olds use IYP every month, as a member of Generation Y, I believe that number to be much higher. It is my hypothesis […]