Read more from Zoran Dobrijevic


Google’s most significant updates in 2023
Zoran Dobrijevic | February 12, 2024
Last year, Google rolled out numerous updates. In addition to enhancing spam detection and AI integration, the search giant aimed to establish dominance over other review platforms and urged retailers to integrate their inventories for…
Why your business should use Google Business Messenger
Zoran Dobrijevic | October 27, 2023
Customers are increasingly spoiled for choice when it comes to connecting with businesses. They can have their queries answered through the static information on websites or social media, or they can call or email with…
Listen up, business leaders: Online reviews aren’t just for consumers and can drive business performance
Zoran Dobrijevic | March 8, 2023
Online reviews are an important tool for consumers in today’s digital age. Reviews help customers make informed decisions before making a purchase and give insight into the quality of the product or service. It’s effectively…
Change Your Stars: How to Respond to Online Reviews
Kyle Harris | February 1, 2023
Before buying a product or subscribing to a service, many internet users consult customer reviews to build their own opinion. Considered more authentic than brand advertising, customer reviews are now a real sales argument for…
Revealed: How photos and upvotes impact review visibility
Zoran Dobrijevic | January 10, 2023
And that’s a wrap! December brought the curtain down on another eventful year in local search, and there were no major updates and releases during what is a major holiday season in large parts of…
Google launches a host of new features for Search, Shopping, and Maps
Zoran Dobrijevic | November 29, 2022
The holiday season is here and the pace of change is picking up in local search. Now is the time to catch up with all the news you need to know from one of the…
Google doubles up its updates and tightens review guidelines
Zoran Dobrijevic | October 31, 2022
We may be heading towards the end of 2022, but the change of pace never lets up in local search. Let’s run through all the updates you need to know before the holiday season arrives!…
Google reveals new “Products” tab for Google Business Profile (GBP) listings
Zoran Dobrijevic | September 29, 2022
The seasons changed in September—as did the world of local search. Find out how Google updated its algorithm, geared up for the holiday season, and got granular with review content. Here’s all the news you…
Google launches major “helpful content” algorithm update
Zoran Dobrijevic | August 31, 2022
Even during the laziest days of late summer, the world of local search keeps turning. In fact, this August brought more than its fair share of major changes and noticeable updates. Here’s all the helpful…
Google calls time on the GBP app and fights back against a new review scam
Zoran Dobrijevic | August 4, 2022
The world of local search rang in the changes this July. Google was particularly active as it bade farewell to a major app, pushed out a few new features, and took steps to counteract a…
Google updates its algorithm and Meta fights fake reviews
Zoran Dobrijevic | June 30, 2022
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and there’s lots to catch up on from the world of local search. These are all the changes, updates, and announcements you need to know. Google releases…
Google highlights Q&A content on Maps and asks Local Guides to update old reviews
Zoran Dobrijevic | May 31, 2022
May saw the arrival of many updates in local search. Some are major, others are minor, and at least one of them is set to demonstrate the extraordinary value of user reviews. Here’s all the…
Revealed: Industry benchmarks for customer reviews in 2022
Zoran Dobrijevic | May 10, 2022
It has been especially difficult for businesses to evaluate if they meet benchmarks for online reputation management over the past two years. Year-over-year analyses have relied on frustratingly imperfect information as industries dealt with not…
“Open now near me” searches grow 400% in one year
Zoran Dobrijevic | April 29, 2022
As always, change is afoot in local search. Join us for a whistle-stop tour through all the updates you need to know, from a significant new search trend to a big shake-up in local ranking…
The Local Product Feed is now a major ranking factor on Google
Zoran Dobrijevic | April 14, 2022
For the last 10 years and particularly since the onset of the pandemic, Google has tried to compete with Amazon by offering its own unique online shopping experience. Unlike Amazon, which mails you everything you…
Google’s aggressive filtering rejects legitimate GBP customer reviews
Zoran Dobrijevic | March 31, 2022
As Q1 2022 wraps up, the world of local search is once again evolving. Join us for a quick rundown of all the updates you need to know, including customer reviews being inadvertently nixed, UI…
Google rolls out Pirate update and a host of Google Maps upgrades
Zoran Dobrijevic | February 28, 2022
In the world of local search, some updates are more significant than others. This month, we saw Google tinker with some settings, retire some features, and threaten some serious consequences with its latest algorithm update.…
Google Business Profile enhances security and adds new shopping features
Zoran Dobrijevic | January 31, 2022
Time moves like lightning in local search, and there are already plenty of new developments in the first month of the year. Once again, it’s time to double check those Google Business Profile (GBP) updates…
November 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | November 30, 2021
The holiday shopping season has arrived, and some shiny new updates from Google are already waiting under the tree. Read up on what’s new in local search this month, so you can stay up to…
October 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | October 29, 2021
Another month, another laundry list of changes in local search. If you’re feeling like it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with Google search results changes, you aren’t alone. Data shows that changes in Google…
September 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | September 30, 2021
Fall has finally arrived and we’re slowly approaching the end of another eventful year. Yet the pace of life remains brisk in local search, where change is the only thing that never changes. Join us…
August 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | August 31, 2021
The summer may be winding down, but local search never does. From new attributes to an algorithm update (and Google changing its mind about something—gasp!), it all happened in August. These are the developments you…
July 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | July 29, 2021
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…
June 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | June 30, 2021
No more Google My Business short names, restaurant ratings appearing directly in Google Maps, and a two-part core algorithm update. It all happened in local search this June. Join us for a quick rundown of…
May 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | June 2, 2021
Warmer weather, relaxed restrictions, and a series of updates and upgrades in local search—it’s fair to say that May 2021 had a little bit of everything. Let’s take a closer look at the changes that…
April 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | May 3, 2021
As 2021 gets into full swing, so too do the changes in local search. Join us for a quick rundown of all the updates you need to know about, from enhanced delivery/pickup features to a…
March 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | April 1, 2021
An algorithm update, free listings on Google Hotels, and a shiny new “estimated cost” field in the local pack. March brought a series of iterative changes to local search—some experimental in nature, others seemingly overdue—so…
February 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | March 1, 2021
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…
January 2021 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | February 2, 2021
The calendar may say 2021, but local search is still adapting, evolving, and learning from last year’s wild challenges. In fact, January brought significant changes including new listings UI, unsolicited features, crowdsourced confirmation of health…
November 2020 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | November 30, 2020
An eventful year may be winding down, but there’s no such thing as a lull in local search. This month, Google pushed ahead with a few updates that have been months in the making—but it…
October 2020 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | October 30, 2020
This month in local search, Google made great strides in call histories, review solicitation, and… haircuts? Let’s cut straight to the chase and break down exactly what you need to know about the latest updates…
September 2020 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | September 29, 2020
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…
August 2020 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | August 31, 2020
Although there were few surprises this month in local search, Google released a number of significant updates as they lean in to plans they’ve been preparing all year—including changes in shopping, a greater emphasis on…
Instantly boost your Google My Business rankings by removing spam
Zoran Dobrijevic | August 4, 2020
Googles finds more than 25 billion spam-filled pages every day. Last year, Google users submitted more than 230,000 reports of spam, 82% of which resulted in pages being taken down. Very simply, spam is part…
July 2020 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | July 30, 2020
As the pandemic becomes business as usual, Google My Business (GMB) updates have gone from emergency hot-fixes to routine patches. This month has seen some quality-of-life improvements for both customers and businesses, while multiple improvements…
How attributes are transforming Google My Business
Zoran Dobrijevic | July 21, 2020
Last year, most people were unaware of attributes despite them being a feature of Google My Business (GMB) in many business categories. They provided useful information to consumers (and some handy SEO side-effects) but were…
Google My Business: When to use secondary hours vs. nested locations
Zoran Dobrijevic | July 14, 2020
In June, Google announced that it would allow businesses to post a variety of secondary hours on their Google My Business (GMB) listings. For the first time, businesses were able to define and post special…
June 2020 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | June 30, 2020
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…
May 2020 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | May 28, 2020
Google’s updates are not slowing down. As we grow accustomed to life with COVID-19 and how to do business amid social distancing practices, updates to the local search ecosystem have stopped becoming stopgaps and are…
April 2020 Local Search Roundup
David Welsh | April 30, 2020
Full shelter-in-place orders were in place all over the world for much of April 2020. Unsurprisingly, most local listing developments were in direct response to the pandemic. But that doesn’t mean these updates will cease…
13 ways to prepare for the post-pandemic consumer
Zoran Dobrijevic | April 8, 2020
Many businesses would love to dedicate more time to embrace every possible online optimisation. But the business of running a business usually takes precedent, and you know what that means: understanding how to improve your…
March 2020 Local Search Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | April 7, 2020
While COVID-19 dominated almost every news headline, the local search world kept on keeping on last month. There was plenty of coverage for the ways in which the pandemic is impacting online listings, but the…
Local search and COVID-19: What we know so far
David Welsh | March 31, 2020
A lot has happened in local search since we first described how to handle your Google listings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although none of these developments change the advice we gave just a couple of…
February 2020 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | February 27, 2020
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…
January 2020 LPM roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | January 30, 2020
The holidays are behind us and it’s time to go over the search engine updates that snuck by while we were gorging on sweet treats. There were a few noticeable changes from both the tail…
Digital Marketing 2020: 5 ways Google will upgrade business listings
Zoran Dobrijevic | December 9, 2019
Google’s “don’t be evil” motto is well known, but so is its tendency towards monopolistic practices. As the primary and ubiquitous source of business information, the search giant is fast becoming more authoritative than even…
November 2019 LPM roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | November 29, 2019
As 2019 draws to a close, Google is looking ahead to 2020 with its updates. While some have taken effect immediately, the majority of November’s updates are tests and pilots on what will be fully…
Take control of your online reputation with Review Response Assistant
Zoran Dobrijevic | November 14, 2019
Managing reviews and mentions online has become a critically important part of every modern business strategy. So today, we’re launching a new tool to make reputation management easier than ever before: the Review Response Assistant…
3 ways Google Posts can help you win this holiday season
Zoran Dobrijevic | November 12, 2019
Winter is the golden season for many businesses. In fact, some businesses—from local brands to nationwide chains—will generate more than half their annual revenue in November and December alone. That makes Q4 advertising a critical…
October 2019 LPM roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | October 30, 2019
In a timely ode to Halloween, October’s Local Presence Management (LPM) roundup is filled with both tricks and treats. The ubiquitous search giant was as busy as ever this month, stirring its cauldron to conjure…
Mystery solved: The great Google search spike
Zoran Dobrijevic | October 29, 2019
You may have noticed that your Google My Business (GMB) Insights metrics suddenly spiked for searches and views last month. You may have even quietly congratulated yourself on a job well done. After all, it…
3 reasons banks need separate ATM listings
Zoran Dobrijevic | October 22, 2019
From meeting with financial advisors to discuss mortgages and investments to requesting wire transfers, people in search of a bank branch are looking for a range of different services. Often, those looking up bank listings…
Why financial advisors should have practitioner listings on GMB
Zoran Dobrijevic | October 16, 2019
While customers often visit a business for the business itself, there are many instances in which the customer is not invested in the brand but rather an individual working within it. For businesses like doctor’s…
September 2019 LPM roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | September 30, 2019
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…
The Maps Race: Google vs. Apple
Zoran Dobrijevic | September 3, 2019
Every brick-and-mortar business knows it: maps channels are fast becoming the de facto driver for local lead generation. Whether you have 12 locations or 12,000, your local customers are not only browsing maps for your…
August 2019 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | August 29, 2019
This month Google focused on local updates specific to the restaurant, hospitality, and travel industries—along with some engine-wide updates that will likely require businesses of all kinds to rethink elements of their local marketing strategies.…
July 2019 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | July 30, 2019
Google doesn’t often make huge mistakes, but that’s exactly what happened this July. Hot on the heels of a suite of new features for Google My Business (GMB), early adopters of one such feature saw…
5 Ways Local Landing Pages are Crucial for Restaurants
Zoran Dobrijevic | July 9, 2019
As growing restaurant businesses expand to more and more locations, it becomes increasingly important for each location to have its own landing page. After all, small businesses may be able to get away with a…
June 2019 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | June 27, 2019
June was an eventful month in the world of local listings. Although Google’s core algorithm update took all the headlines, other changes have taken place that affect not only how listings are ranked but also…
6 Brand New GMB Features to Take Advantage of Now
Zoran Dobrijevic | June 25, 2019
Stop the presses! Google has added a whole breath of new features to Google My Business (GMB). But this isn’t so much the trickle of updates we’re used to seeing; it’s more of a tidal…
3 Ways Responding to Restaurant Reviews Can Boost Your SEO
Zoran Dobrijevic | June 24, 2019
In the restaurant industry, reviews can have a significant impact on a business’s success. With major websites like Yelp and Zomato dedicated to providing a place for customers to rate and review places to eat,…
May 2019 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | May 31, 2019
This past month, Google made a number of changes to their search engine results pages (SERPs). They’ve been naturally integrated so most users will have no issue adopting them—some may not even notice that this…
April 2019 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | May 16, 2019
Google has made major updates to the Local Three Pack, Google My Business (GMB), and Google Posts this month. These changes can’t be ignored as they are fundamental to how Google will function going forward.…
DAC Announces a New Local Listings Management Tool: Local Rank+
Zoran Dobrijevic | May 15, 2019
We’re excited to announce the launch of our latest product, Local Rank+. This tool is like no other offered in the local search market. It allows business managers to factor in proximity as a key…
Can I Get My Food Truck on Google My Business?
Zoran Dobrijevic | May 15, 2019
Food trucks are an odd type of business. Sometimes they’re permanent fixtures, sometimes they’re seasonal—and they regularly take advantage of the “truck” aspect to do business in multiple locations. With this unique type of business…
5 Google My Business Features for Hotels (and One Big Hack)
Zoran Dobrijevic | May 7, 2019
Hospitality is one of the most competitive industries thanks to an overly crowded market full of everything from high-end luxury hotels and resorts to small, economy motels and hostels. Add the growing popularity of platforms…
6 Ways to Get More From Your Restaurant’s GMB Pages
Zoran Dobrijevic | April 23, 2019
Every type of business has its quirks, but restaurants might just take the cake when it comes to Google My Business (GMB). It starts within the first few clicks: unique features will magically appear when…
March 2019 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | April 9, 2019
March was an action-packed time in the world of Local Listings Management. It saw the release of major changes for Google, Yelp, and Instagram—changes that are significant for not only SEO specialists but for the…
Why Sentiment Analysis is Key to Effective Reputation Management
Zoran Dobrijevic | April 2, 2019
It’s no surprise that a business’s review score can affect its success. The most basic understanding is that high scores are good and low scores are bad. Many businesses focus on keeping their star ratings…
4 Ways to Fight Spam on Google My Business
Zoran Dobrijevic | March 26, 2019
If you’re working hard to get your business locations listed on the Google Local 3-Pack, you know how heartbreaking it is to be outranked by a spam listing. Fortunately, there are ways to fight back…
Table for Two? Google Assistant Now Supports Restaurant Reservations
Zoran Dobrijevic | March 14, 2019
In May of last year, Google performed a stunning demo of their new Google Assistant feature, Google Duplex. Using an unparalleled level of human voice realism, Duplex was able to book a hair appointment on…
Why Data Management is Only the Beginning of Local Search
Zoran Dobrijevic | March 12, 2019
Every business needs to have its correct name, address, and phone number listed online. In fact, it almost goes without saying: anyone can see the consequences of directing customers to an incorrect address or providing…
February 2019 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | March 8, 2019
Maintaining optimal listings on Google is an ongoing process. Data decays over time—that’s why it’s so important to keep an eye on your listings to make sure they don’t deteriorate. It’s also a sad fact that…
Want to Better Understand the Competitive Landscape? Get Granular
Zoran Dobrijevic | February 21, 2019
For many enterprise-level businesses, your biggest competition is other multi-location brands. While you can almost be sure that your main competitor will have locations near yours, that isn’t all you have to worry about. Local…
How To Help Your Nested Locations Thrive In Local Search
Zoran Dobrijevic | February 12, 2019
Businesses with distributed local footprints face a number of unusual challenges in digital, but few are as time-consuming as nested locations. Think about it: this is the only kind of setup where local businesses—such as…
January 2019 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | February 7, 2019
While most of us recovered from our holiday exertions as 2018 ticked over into 2019, Google and other players in local digital continued to hit the news wire with important updates. So let’s forget the…
December 2018 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | January 15, 2019
The holiday season is a busy time for everyone whether you work in local digital marketing or not. This makes it especially easy to fall back on the latest news affecting the industry. You need…
Manage Reviews with Ease Using Pre-Populated Responses
Zoran Dobrijevic | January 3, 2019
It has been shown time and time again that responding to online reviews is a necessity for any business. In fact, modern consumers expect a review response within 24 hours, and brands who provide direct…
November 2018 LPM Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | December 13, 2018
The winter months are the golden quarter for most businesses. But with your focus firmly on holiday sales and advertising, it’s easy to neglect your local listings—even though Google hasn’t stopped (or even slowed down!)…
Your Local Search Holiday Checklist
Zoran Dobrijevic | December 12, 2018
Winter is the Golden Quarter for many businesses—especially those with local footprints. With the holiday season capable of making or breaking a business, it is vital to make sure your Local Listings Management (LPM) strategy…
October 2018 Local Listing Management Roundup
Zoran Dobrijevic | November 1, 2018
Another month has passed, which means more developments in the world of Local Listing Management. This time we’ve seen some major changes with minor consequences, minor changes with major consequences—and a significant (if inevitable) demise…