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How to turn your Google Business Profile into a revenue-generating channel
An enhanced GBP can drive more traffic, leads and sales to your local business. Focus on these areas when optimizing your Business Profile.
11 tips for using social to become an authority in your niche
Don't wait for Google to tell you to be helpful. Here's how to create authoritative "people-first" social media content for your brand.
Google prohibits incentivizing customers to remove or modify negative reviews
Now you can't offer incentives to ask people who left negative reviews to revise their reviews.
How to do a competitive analysis for local SEO
Here's how to identify your top local competitors on search engines and determine what it will take to outrank them.
Google updates Business Profile posts spam policies
The posts that do not comply with this guideline may be rejected and removed from Google Maps and Google Search.
Twitter launches Location Spotlight for all professional accounts
The new features lets local businesses display their address, hours and more information at the top of their Twitter profile.
Google adds Asian-owned attribute to business profiles
These labels can help some businesses with visibility and potentially increase conversions.
Google’s Local Services Ads platform has a problem with spam
Fake business names, virtual offices, multiple rankings... Google has a spam issue with LSAs and getting it fixed is easier said than done.
Google adds automated messaging through Business Profiles frequently asked questions
For small businesses, this can help reduce necessary resources to respond to customer questions in Google Search and Google Maps.
New searchable Instagram map gives visibility to local businesses
Instagram making it easier for users to discover restaurants, cafes, hotels and other local businesses.
Google to test AR prototype glasses, lenses for visual search and more
Is this the second generation of Google Glass, how will this change the future of search and marketing?
1-star review attacks plague restaurants on Google
Google is aware of the issue and has advised business owners to flag the reviews or contact Google support to get them removed:
Google My Business mobile app has stopped functioning forever
You can no longer use the app to make profile edits, communicate with customers and so on.
Google local justifications: Everything you need to know
Review the types of justifications, and which are applicable for your brand, to help you develop both onsite and GBP optimization strategies.
Google Maps adds new store location feature, Locator Plus, Reserve with Google integration, new analytics and more
The familiarity of these features might be welcomed by your website users but it might also make you more reliant on Google services.
Google adds LGBTQ+ owned attribute to business profiles
These labels can help some businesses with visibility and potentially increase conversions.
Google introduces three new travel products for hotels
Hotels will now have a much easier streamlined process for adding room rates and availability to their Google Business Profiles.
New Yelp feature: Request a Call
Missed phone calls are lost leads. Yelp's new feature could help generate more qualified leads for local service businesses.
Surprise: ‘Near me’ brand names don’t rank higher for ‘near me’ searches
'Near me' searches continue to grow, but the tactic of optimizing for these terms can now do more harm than good for local search rankings.
Google multisearch to gain near me support
Soon you will be able to search by image for matches of places, stores or restaurants near you.
Google now allows virtual food brands to have Google Business Profiles
Google has updated its business profile guidelines to allow some delivery-only food brands.
Business redressal complaint form adds option for ‘This business doesn’t exist’
You can now identify the content on Google Maps that you claim might lead to fraudulent activity by saying the business doesn't exist.
Is the Google Business Profile Manager going away for multi-locations businesses as well?
Previously Google said the Google Business Profile Manager will remain for larger businesses that manage multiple locations but maybe that is not true?
How to get reviews for local SEO: The must-do list
How do you go about knowing who and how to ask for a review? Here are some top tips on how to secure reviews for local SEO.
Yelp adds searchable eco-friendly business attributes
The new sustainability attributes will appear on Yelp business pages. In addition, Yelp will highlight attributes in search results.
Google may update business hours in local listings with AI
So make sure to routinely review your business hours to ensure they are accurate.
The right approach to multilingual marketing strategy
Is your brand lost in translation, missing out on opportunities or revenue? Learn how to correctly do multilingual marketing.
Google Business Profile review management tool expands support to those with many local listings
Previously, this tool only let those with a few listings manage their reviews.
Google Business Profiles add new recycling attribute
This new attribute may help your business stand out from the competition in the Google local results.
Google Search adds booking and appointment availability for healthcare providers
This is a pilot with a limited number of providers including MinuteClinic at CVS.
Google Maps blocked 100 million abusive business profile edits in 2021
Less than 1% of the content viewed on Google Maps was fraudulent or abusive, Google said.
Google Business Profiles new emergency help attributes for Ukraine support
Google also added hotel attributes to define if your hotel offers support to those displaced from Ukraine.
Google business profile reviews posting bugs should be resolved soon
Google has confirmed there was an issue with some reviews not posting and those reviews should be processed the end of this week.
Google’s free hotel booking links arrive on Search and Maps
The expanded capabilities may be good news for hotels, but not so much for online travel agencies.
Google ‘Confirmed by phone’ label in local panel may add trust to local listings
This label seems to be based off of Google Duplex calling businesses to verify their business operation details.
Google may require double verification for some business profiles
Google updated its help documents to say that it may require you to verify your business with an additional method.
How to use Google Business Messages to talk to your customers
Google's Business Messages is one of the best ways to connect with your customers and future customers.
New business openings nearly match pre-pandemic levels, Yelp says
However, most major cities actually experienced a decrease in openings.
Google Search local pack’s map is now interactive
The new map lets you zoom, pan, hover and click to see more details on the map.
Google testing questions and answers in the Google Maps interface
This feature first launched in 2017 in the local panel and Google appears to be testing it in Google Maps.