Local Search Forum

The Local Search Forum is your "LINK" to all things Local Search! Run by @SterlingSkyInc and @JoyanneHawkins

[Sterling Sky Inc @SterlingSkyInc]

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!

[Sukh Matharu 👾 @SukhjitSMatharu]

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

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

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?

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

@DonRaqami @dougison Interesting thought!

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

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!

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

@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

[Local University @localuniv]

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

👉 https://t.co/8xQgqlfaPU

[Moz @Moz]

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: https://t.co/RpaWb278XQ 📈

[Colan Nielsen @ColanNielsen]

Citations first? Or Google Business Profile first? Unlike the chicken or the egg riddle, @DarrenShaw_ provides the answer, and it's a good one.
⬇️⬇️
https://t.co/ieARIG27bm

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

🚨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?

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

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.

[Barry Schwartz @rustybrick]

Google Search ranking volatility continues to be superheated over the past two weeks - is this Google testing the next core update? https://t.co/JYtL5x8QJw

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

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

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

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? 🗺️🍏📱

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

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

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

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! 💬🛠️

[Colan Nielsen @ColanNielsen]

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. ⬇️⬇️🗺️

https://t.co/ZAo71inAH7

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

@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!

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

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❓

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

Too funny not to re-share 🤣

[Brian Grant @KCCO_BrianG]

@LocalSearchLink @JoyanneHawkins Oh, the irony…

[Local Search Forum @LocalSearchLink]

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! 💬👇