Local Marketing Institute Podcast

This week’s guest is Cindy Krum, CEO of MobileMoxie. Cindy shows us how a local business should measure their entire digital footprint, not just their website and GMB listing. Your digital footprint can also include ads, social media posts, YouTube videos and much more. We get a sneak peak at how her tool can help track the entire digital footprint of a business. There’s also an unplanned, guest appearance by Tom Waddington talking about Local Service Ads.
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// THIS WEEK'S TOPICS AND QUESTIONS //
- How voice search continues to grow for local businesses
- Hybrid (storefront AND service area businesses) not showing address in Google
- How Google shows businesses that are “located in” a destination
- How do you fix a GMB listing if the “located in” is wrong?
- Google clarifies how co-working offices need signage and staffing
- If I stop using Yext, will my business listings go back to their old settings?
- How to submit your business to Apple Maps
- What is a Google Local Service Ad / smart ad website?
- Does linking to my GMB website from ads, social media, etc. help my ranking?
- Should the info on my GMB website mirror what’s on my main website?
- Can I have multiple GMB listings for the same business with slight variations?
// LINKS MENTIONED THIS WEEK //
- https://localmarketinginstitute.com/local-voice-search/
- https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?#address
- https://mapsconnect.apple.com/
- https://support.google.com/business/answer/7032839?hl=en
// CONTACT US //
Cindy Krum - https://mobilemoxie.com/
Eric Shanfelt - https://localmarketinginstitute.com/
Ben Fisher - https://www.steadydemand.com/
Jason Brown - https://reviewfraud.org/

Each week, Greg and Ben answer your questions on digital marketing for local businesses ... local search engine optimization (SEO), Google Business Profile, social media, email marketing, websites, online advertising and more.

Updates and Questions

• Any vehicle with a VIN is now eligible to display in GBP in the US.
• Google Posts insights are officially deprecated.
• You can now post videos on Google Reviews.
• Personal injury spam networks are back.
• Google announces AI chat based search.
• Should I use GMB or GBP in the url when implementing UTM tracking?
• If I want to add new services to my business, should I add the categories to the existing one, or should I create a new business?
• What should I do if the Q&A shows the answers are from a manager account instead of the primary business owner?
• How do I verify listings on Apple Business Connect?
• What should I do if the threads on the forum are locked?
• How do I go about ranking when a competitor has the knowledge panel?
• How is a business removing legitimate negative reviews?
• How do I claim my profile if my Gmail has been shut down?
• Will changing my name and domain affect my search results?
• Are the new Google Analytics good?
• How do I report spam reviews and spam locations?
• How can I get access to chat support for GBP?
• What should I do if Google says my profile information is incomplete, but there is nothing to update?
• Where can I find the option to set the preferred provider for online ordering at a restaurant?
• What are some good resources for creating a Apple Business Connect account as a third-party?
• Is it possible to change the ‘popular times’ and ‘wait times’ for a restaurant on GBP?
• If I have multiple services in the same category labeled as separate businesses, should I consolidate or keep them separate?
• Does Google take reviews down after ten years?
• How do I get a duplicate listing removed?
• If a business has two listings, one with the business name, and one with the business and doctor’s name, is this within the guidelines?

Links mentioned in this session are available on our website at https://localmarketinginstitute.com

Each week, Greg and Ben answer your questions on digital marketing for local businesses ... local search engine optimization (SEO), Google Business Profile, social media, email marketing, websites, online advertising and more.

Updates and Questions

• SAB reinstatement address issues should be fixed.
• Be aware that the Facebook GMB URL has been taken over by a review company.
• Should you ask customers to write a Google review while they are still in the store?
• New Bright Local statistics to help get better reviews.
• FTC fines a company for deceptive review practices.
• Webinar Highlights, what’s coming in 2022.
• Are backlinks worth the money?
• Do you have any advice for new reinstatement issues from Google support response times?
• If there is a technical issue, what more can I do if I’m told there’s no news or ETA from Google support?
• How do you handle two businesses in the same physical space on GBP?
• Is there any evidence that using Google ads will help improve your organic ranking?
• What can I do if I’m appearing in search, but my business is still pending after reinstatement?
• Can I show my reviews on my website?
• Have there been any problems with posts on GBP?
• Is it okay to put different reviews on different pages based on the service page if I have all my reviews available in widgets?
• After submitting a reinstatement form for a suspended GBP, receiving a reply from Google and making changes, should I submit a new reinstatement form, or reply to the original response?
• What are your thoughts on Local Falcon vs Local Viking?
• If I previously used a PO box address for my GBP, should I change it?
• Is reporting competitors to Google a good strategy for an agency?
• I’ve reported obvious spam links to Google but they haven’t taken them down, is Google being inconsistent?
• Any suggestions for reporting lawyers with “free consultation” in the GBP listing?
• Does a GBP require the address on the website to match the address on the profile?
• Can you create location pages using the category options listed on GBP?
• Could you talk about proximity and SAB profiles?

Links

• Joyanne Hawkins tweet - Facebook GMB
• Bright Local
• FTC Fine
• Google Support Ticket

Links mentioned in this session are available on our website at https://localmarketinginstitute.com

Each week, Greg and Ben answer your questions on digital marketing for local businesses ... local search engine optimization (SEO), Google Business Profile, social media, email marketing, websites, online advertising and more.

Updates and Questions

• Local Service Ads testing new layouts.
• All profiles can now be viewed in web search results.
• Google testing captions on business photos.
• Local Service Ads tests to allow you to exclude areas.
• Does a 360 tour help in local and organic rankings?
• Why is Google pausing my Local Service Ads?
• Does pausing ads for a short period of time affect the amount of leads I get?
• What information should I include on schema markup for SAB?
• What should I do if I can’t add a website or phone number to my GBP?
• If I am planning on expanding my services, is it better to add them to my existing GBP or create an additional one?
• What should I do if I can’t get to the GBP dashboard even with multiple listings?
• If I come to the community with a question is there a way to reach someone directly?
• How should I respond to bad reviews?
• Are former employees allowed to leave negative GBP reviews?
• Is it normal for businesses to ask you for additional information about your experience in your review?
• I changed my address and got suspended - what should I do?
• Can I link to a page with a bad ssl warning?
• I have a new GBP and my reviews aren’t showing - what should I do?
• If the GBP dashboard is still available for GBPs with multiple listings, is it the same for agency accounts?
• Is uploading videos from YouTube to your GBP now considered spam?
• ​​If someone leaves a one star review on GBP with no comment, are they technically untouchable?
• What should I do if I haven’t received my address verification postcard even after trying multiple times?
• Should I use UTM tracking in GBPM for more accurate information?
• Does using ISearchFrom or other search tools change your ranking?

Links mentioned in this session are available on our website at https://localmarketinginstitute.com

Each week, Greg and Ben answer your questions on digital marketing for local businesses ... local search engine optimization (SEO), Google Business Profile, social media, email marketing, websites, online advertising and more.

Updates and Questions

• Missing reviews survey.
• Product post bug.
• Justifications are showing up on Google Maps.
• WhiteSpark developes duplicate finder.
• What more can I do besides optimizing websites and getting good reviews to become more successful?
• Is it possible to get a listing to rank in multiple categories?
• Should I set up a new GBP for a new service I’m adding to my business?
• Has there been an increase in GBP suspensions recently?
• Is it possible to merge a business listing and a practitioner listing?
• Should I have a separate practitioner listing in addition to an office listing?
• Can you run a plumbing business out of your home and show the address or does not showing the address make a difference in ranking?
• Can I have multiple GBP listings at different locations with only one website?
• Is there a legitimate way to suspend my own GBP profile so it no longer displays anywhere?
• How do I rank in nearby cities in addition to the city in which the business is located?
• Is there any way to find out what the address is on a SAB when I control the GBP?
• Should I have my business name followed by my personal name on GBP when I go by my personal name on LinkedIn?
• If I have a template website do I need a different one for SEO?
• Would Google allow Real Estate Brokers to own the GBP of their agents?
• Should I use a tracking number for a location with two businesses and only one phone number?
• At an address with lots of businesses with the same category, should I switch to a home address and SAB?
• What should I do if I don’t get confirmation emails of redressal forms when reporting a spam listing?
• How do I delete departments in GBP if I have no access?
• When updating my listings and key citations after moving locations from a local agency, should I use my home address?
• What are the effects if the business changed its name but everything else remains the same?
• If a practitioner has a GBP and the practice/business also has a GBP, where would you suggest users place their reviews?
• What should I do if GBP keeps directing me to claim a duplicate one?
• What should I do if my business doesn’t show up when searching the business name, but does with a generic one?
• What should I focus on in my homepage when I have several categories I can rank for?
• Does a permanently closed business eventually disappear from the listings?

Links mentioned in this session are available on our website at https://localmarketinginstitute.com