You’re considering a change of one size or another to the name your business, in the name of better local rankings. The basic plan is to get a “keyword” and city or other place name into your name. To make that change you might feel the need to … [Continue reading] about Generic, Local-SEO-Friendly Business Names: the Pros and Cons of Using One
Blog
Can’t Fix a Spammy Google Maps Name? Try a Partial Edit

Let’s say you have a local competitor with a Google My Business page with a spammy name like “Your Best HVAC Company Cleveland.” You know the real name of their business is “Harry’s Heating,” and you’ve submitted the real name as an edit in Google … [Continue reading] about Can’t Fix a Spammy Google Maps Name? Try a Partial Edit
How Long Does It Take for a User-Submitted Yelp Page to Rank on Page 1 for a Branded Search?

One week or less, from what I’ve seen. A 7-Eleven opened nearby last year, but Yelp didn't have a page for that location. The locally-owned convenience store that used to be at that location had and still has a Yelp page. (Nobody’s reported it … [Continue reading] about How Long Does It Take for a User-Submitted Yelp Page to Rank on Page 1 for a Branded Search?
Scraping Gray SEO Barnacles off the Local Spam Flotilla

“Barnacle” SEO, or the process of getting a page other than a page on your site to rank well in Google’s local organic search results, can be a great way to grab extra local visibility. If your competitors get barnacle SEO to work for them, more … [Continue reading] about Scraping Gray SEO Barnacles off the Local Spam Flotilla
What Kinds of “Contacts at Google” Can Local SEO Companies Have?

Some local SEO companies tout “contacts” at Google who can straighten out problems (like competitors’ spam or a penalty you think you’ve received). Sometimes that suggestion is plain untrue, other times it’s an exaggeration, and most times it’s … [Continue reading] about What Kinds of “Contacts at Google” Can Local SEO Companies Have?