Richard Beverly's Blog

The midway point of the year isn’t far off, and it’s safe to say that a lot has gone on in local SEO already this year.  So far in 2021, we’ve seen big changes to Google Posts , updates to review summaries in Google My Business (GMB), high scores from Local RankFlux , and 2-Packs showing on Google mobile results . But, in the past couple of months alone even more tests and updates have been impacting GMB. In this GMB news roundup, we take a look at the biggest headlines affecting local SEOs recently. Think we’ve left something out? Put it in the down below! Competitor quotes in GMB Messaging It’s often recommended that businesses make use of GMB’s Messaging feature to better communicate with customers. But you might want to hold your horses. LocalU shared  that when searchers reached out via GMB Messaging, quotes from competitors were being shared. So, if you’ve got messaging switched on in your profile, you could be unwittingly sharing competitor information with your potent

Great news for agencies and brands managing 100+ locations: you can now set up custom plans for Local Search Grid credits! This means no more repetitive, manual purchasing of additional credits for businesses using this powerful tool at considerable scale. What’s New? Since launching Local Search Grid in February of this year, we’ve spoken to dozens of agency and brand customers who were excited to use the tool, but were unable to make it work with their otherwise fully-customized BrightLocal Enterprise plans . Now that Local Search Grid has been added to these custom plans, no matter how many Grid Points, keywords, Locations or reports you need each month, you can easily set up recurring, automated purchases of the required credits by speaking to the Enterprise team . Not sure how many credits you’ll need for your required reports? Just want to get some recommendations from an expert? No problem! The Enterprise team will be able to configure your custom plan to make sure you’re g

The pandemic has taken its toll on businesses across the globe, particularly local businesses that rely on regular footfall. During this time, it’s been more important than ever to have a solid digital strategy and gain visibility online. Here, Jonathan Birch, Creative Director at Glass Digital, shares six ways local businesses can ensure they’re seen online and excel at marketing during Covid-19. With Covid-19 driving businesses into online-only approaches , it’s vital for local businesses to use digital channels to keep their audiences in the know. But, as well as keeping the discussion open, it’s also important that local businesses prepare to make the changes needed to compete in this quickly changing new landscape.  While for some that means making a totally new move to selling online, for others it may mean tweaking their SEO strategy to adapt to customers’ current needs and wants as driven by the pandemic. In this article I will be sharing six of the top ways your local busin

The world of local marketing never stands still, and staying on top of the trends can take its toll.  That’s why we created Local Quizness – a monthly quiz to help you recap the biggest stories affecting local businesses and marketers. Test your knowledge in 10 quick questions – and rest assured you’re aware of the news that matters most. Happy with your score? Share this on Twitter using the hashtag #LocalQuizness ! If there are any you missed, check out all the links below: Local U – Google Testing Mobile SERPs With No 3-Packs BrightLocal – Local 2-Packs Spotted in Google Mobile SERPs Search Engine Roundtable – Google My Business Review Removal Request Status Tool Local RankFlux Search Engine Roundtable – Large Unconfirmed Google Local Search Algorithm Update Yesterday Search Engine Land – Google Hotel search showing free listings in results Local U – Why You Should Think Twice About Activating GMB Messaging CNN – Angie’s List changes its name in a complete rebranding Lo

Google’s Local 3-Pack might soon be a Local 2-Pack (on mobile at least). This week, Joy Hawkins at Local U (via Mariano Rodriguez from  LawRank ) shared findings of 2-Packs being spotted in local search results on mobile.  Since the news was first shared, more and more people have reported seeing a set of just two results when performing local searches on mobile. Seeing a 2-pack on Android Mobile. Anyone else? #localseo pic.twitter.com/bpICh5W2tX — Ben Fisher (@TheSocialDude) March 30, 2021   Both Android and iPhone users are being presented with 2-Pack results: I’ve been seeing it on iPhone/safari: pic.twitter.com/ArBEDQuzJ2 — Frank Olivo (@FrancoOlivo) March 31, 2021 What’s new? When performing a local search, users are usually presented with three top results. This is referred to as the ‘Local Pack’ or the ‘3-Pack’. Here’s how that usually looks on mobile: Now, we’re seeing results on mobile where just two businesses are present. What do we know? This news, which

We’re pleased to announce the arrival of a new BrightLocal Academy module all about how to use our latest tool: Local Search Grid . The module is called Put Your Rankings on the Map With Local Search Grid and is part of the ‘ Level Up Your Local SEO with BrightLocal’ course. It includes lessons on: How to uncover deeper ranking insights How to set up a report to get the insights you need How to spot opportunities for growth and get ahead of the competition The module also has two short quizzes to test your knowledge and understanding. What is the ‘Level Up Your Local SEO with BrightLocal’ course about? The ‘Level Up Your Local SEO with BrightLocal’ course uses the power of interactive content to guide you through the theory of local SEO and shows you how to tackle it more effectively using BrightLocal. So if you’re not sure where to start with BrightLocal, or want to uncover new insights in your data to improve results quicker, then this is the course for you!  How can I ac

How many of February’s biggest local marketing news stories did you spot? Answer our quick-fire 10 question quiz to test your knowledge of last month’s news, and catch up on any stories you might have missed so you can feel certain you’re up-to-date on all of the news that matters.  And, if you wanted to show off your score, you can do that over on Twitter using #LocalQuizness .  To refresh your memory of February’s news, take a look at the linked stories below.  Search Engine Land – Google My Business adds messaging to desktop interface Tom Waddington on Twitter – Available online filter showing for some SAB search results Search Engine Roundtable – Google Maps Spam Efforts Lead To Removal Of Reviews & Business Profiles TechCrunch – Yelp puts trust and safety in the spotlight BBC News – Facebook and Google news law passed in Australia BrightLocal – Are We Experiencing a Local Algorithm Update? [Local RankFlux Data – February 2021] Yelp – Yelp Releases New Restaurant Pr