Greg Gifford on His Journey Through Local Marketing

In response to the findings of BrightLocal's Brand Beacon Report 2024, this episode sees us speak to enterprise expert Steve Wiideman about all things multi-location SEO.

In this wide-ranging and tactical nugget-filled conversation, Steve covers the challenges and opportunities available to multi-location SEOs today, and shares his proven processes for working with brands.

Listen  to learn:

• Steve's expert take on the findings of the Brand Beacon Report 2024
• Why social media isn't the quick fix for multi-location brands that some think it is
• How agencies can develop a one-pager that sets out everything the HQ of a brand needs to know about local SEO
• Why some brands struggle to get on board with local SEO
• Preventing roadblocks and getting buy-in when working with enterprise brands
• The multitude of ways brands can use AI, and what to avoid when generating content with AI
• The data-backed secrets of success for a brand location page
• Advice for SEOs uncertain about the future of search in a world with AI

As you can see from the list above, it's a long one, but absolutely worth getting stuck into if you're working with big brands or looking to do so.

Resources:

• BrightLocal's Brand Beacon Report 2024: https://www.brightlocal.com/research/brand-beacon-report/
• Wiideman Consulting Group: https://www.wiideman.com/
• A Data-Driven Strategy for Optimizing Location Pages to Rank in Google: https://www.wiideman.com/location-pages-for-seo
• Wiideman Search Engine Marketing Tutorials and Checklists: https://www.wiideman.com/learn
• Steve on X: https://twitter.com/seosteve
• Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seoexpert/
• Steve on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@seosteve
• Steve on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seosteve/

In this episode, we speak to Google Business Profile *Platinum* Expert, Marketing Metrology's Stefan Somborac, about what it's like to volunteer to help, and most importantly learn from, local businesses posting in the Google Business Profile Help Community (what a mouthful!)

Listen to learn:

• Why the new EU reinstatement process forms part of a "perfect storm" for GBP managers worldwide
• What access Product Experts get to Google projects and staff, and how this can help with their work
• How being a Product Expert and helping out business owners is like "a rewarding puzzle"
• The best way to get your issue solved efficiently in the GBP Help Community (and things to avoid!)
• And much more!

Resources:

• Google Business Profile Help Community: https://support.google.com/business/community?hl=en-GB
• Post to the help community: https://support.google.com/business/thread/new?hl=en-GB&sjid=915863440136637775-EU
• Google Business Profile Guidelines: https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en-GB
• Local Search Clinic with Stefan Somborac: https://www.brightlocal.com/webinars/local-search-clinic-with-stefan-somborac/
• Live Masterclass: GBP Suspension and Reinstatement: https://www.brightlocal.com/webinars/live-masterclass-gbp-suspension-and-reinstatement/
• Stefan on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/StefanSomborac

Schema might not be a ranking factor, but that doesn't mean you can leave it in the 'to do' pile. In this episode, structured markup master Crystal Carter lifts the lid on all things schema:

• Why it's not as scary as you think it is
• Why it's business-critical for some industries
• What to do (and not do) if you receive a schema warning
• How to use a CMS to get schema sorted quickly and easily
• How to validate your schema and which tools to use

Take a listen to hear two seasoned podcasters (and good friends) diving into a key, but sometimes forgotten, area of local business marketing, and witness the most passionate episode of 'Room 404' yet!

RESOURCES

What is structured data validation?: https://www.wix.com/seo/learn/resource/structured-data-validation

The Strategic Value of Structured Data Implementation on SME Websites: https://moz.com/blog/strategic-structured-data-sme-websites

Wix SEO Webinars: https://www.wix.com/seo/learn/webinars

Schema.org: https://schema.org/

Local SEO Schema: Types and Templates for Easy Structured Data Markup: https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/local-seo-schema-templates/

Adding Structured Data Markup to Your Site's Pages: https://support.wix.com/en/article/adding-structured-data-markup-to-your-sites-pages-2546962

Crystal's website: https://www.crystalcarterseo.com/

Follow Crystal on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/crystalontheweb

Follow Crystal on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/crystal-carter-digital

In this episode, Near Media's Mike Blumenthal highlights the Google trends we should all be paying close attention to, discusses the evolution and importance of images in Google Business Profile, and introduces upcoming Near Media consumer research that could change how we look at searcher behavior.

Listen to learn:

• What the future of Google Business Profile might look like
• Where to go to improve your Google and Google Business Profile knowledge
• The part ads and monetization play in the future of Google Business Profile
• PLUS a surprising fact about what consumers do and don't care about in reviews

RESOURCES

• Follow Mike on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mblumenthal
• Mike's profile on the Google Business Profile Community Help Forum: https://support.google.com/profile/1779682?sjid=8164595187474410917-EU
• Mike has an open email policy: mike@blumenthals.com
• Mike's older local search blog, which he keeps alive as an archive: https://blumenthals.com/blog/
• The Near Memo - Near Media's Podcast: https://www.nearmedia.co/memo/
• Sterling Sky blog: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/
• BrightLocal blog: https://www.brightlocal.com/insights/
• Whitespark blog: https://whitespark.ca/blog/
• Near Media: https://www.nearmedia.co/
• How to Upload and Manage Google Business Profile Photos: https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/google-business-profile/optimization/photos/
• Dispute a removed Google Business Profile photo or video with this form: https://support.google.com/business/gethelp

In this episode, Sterling Sky's Director of Innovation, Noah Learner, teaches us how to extract meaning when looking at cold, hard data, puts overpromising podcasts (who, us?!) in Room 404, and lays out his 5-point framework for local SEO testing and reporting success.

Listen to learn:

• Where Google truly pulls its GBP performance data from
• The truth about impressions in Google Search Console
• Why good reporting needs a combo of soft skills and data analysis
• How to react when datasets change
• How to get the most out of Looker Studio 
• and much more!

RESOURCES

• Follow Noah Learner on Twitter: www.twitter.com/noahlearner
• Follow Noah Learner on Bluesky: thekraken
• Noah Noah Learner on Clubhouse: thekraken
• Claire Carlile's BrightLocal Academy course on keyword research: https://academy.brightlocal.com/course/how-to-master-local-keyword-research
• Branch Tools Explorer https://branch.tools/
• Using Data as the Backbone to Driving ROI: Noah Learner (Two Octobers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J3XVWxmoRk&t=1s

In this episode, Uberall's Krystal Taing shares her obsession with multi-location SEO, slings her pet peeves into Room 404, and delivers a rousing 5-point plan for scaling enterprise local SEO success.

Listen to learn:

• How to overcome the challenge of building a local voice for each location while keeping the necessary things centralized at corporate.
• Why bulk uploading is key to scalability, even at as few as two locations.
• How to avoid cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all local SEO by testing across locations
• And much more!

Resources

• Follow Krystal on Twitter: @krystal_taing
• Andrew Shotland and the Local SEO Guide team: https://www.localseoguide.com/
• Krystal's GBP Help Community Profile: https://support.google.com/profile/1779728

In this episode, we drill deep into the brain of Andi Jarvis, a self-confessed strategy nerd.  

Andi is the Founder and Strategy Director of Eximo Marketing, a marketing strategy consultancy based in Belfast and Liverpool in the UK.  Eximo Marketing primarily works with established manufacturers who want to grow their business via direct-to-consumer. 

Listen to learn:

• The difference between strategy and tactics
• The biggest mistakes often found in a marketing strategy
• How to build a marketing strategy that aligns with your local business strategy

Follow Andi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andijarvis

Find Andi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andijarvis/

Eximo Marketing: https://eximomarketingstrategy.com/

The Strategy Sessions Podcast: https://eximomarketingstrategy.com/podcast/

Resources: 

Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why it Matters: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters/dp/1846684811

Mark Ritson: https://www.marketingritson.com/

BrightLocal on the web:

www.brightlocal.com

www.twitter.com/brightlocal

www.facebook.com/brightlocal

www.instagram.com/brightlocal

www.youtube.com/brightlocal
 

Claire Carlile on the web:

www.clairecarlilemarketing.com

www.twitter.com/clairecarlile

Local SEOs have a love-hate relationship with link building. 

We love links, but building them is time-consuming, manual, repetitive and ultimately has a relatively low success rate compared to other SEO tactics.

Fortunately, Dani Owens is here to help. Dani has a wealth of experience building local links for a wide variety of clients and niches. In this episode, she reveals:

• The differences between link building for local SEO versus traditional SEO
• Her simple three step process to ensure campaign success
• The biggest local link building no-nos
• Low-effort link building tactics that any business can implement
• Creative link building tactics that your competitors won’t be able to replicate

About Dani Owens:

Dani is a local SEO consultant and founder of Pigzilla, a private local SEO training community. Before starting Pigzilla, Dani worked at a digital agency for five years where she gained a lot of enterprise SEO experience for brands such as STIHL, Club Car, and Ariens & Gravely. Dani is currently building a local building service, LocalPR.com, which is launching soon.

Resources:

• Join the waitlist for Dani’s local link building service at LocalPR.com
• Enrol on Dani’s free BrightLocal Academy course: How to Create Relevant and Engaging Local SEO Reports
• Watch our Local Search Clinic with Gyi Tsakalakis for more great local linking building tips

Growing an agency is hard. There are so many things to get right and so many things that can go wrong. 

Growth isn’t as simple as getting new clients on the books–and that’s not exactly simple anyway. You also need to focus on client retention, hiring and training staff, managing team workloads, creating efficient processes, and building and nurturing a winning culture–all while keeping a watchful eye on profitability.

On this episode, we chatted to Blake Denman about his first-hand experience of growing his agency, RicketyRoo. He’ll guide us through his successes and missteps as he’s scaled RicketyRoo to a team of ten.

You’ll learn:

• Why choosing a niche is key to growth
• Why agency owners need to ruthlessly prioritize their time
• How Blake uses partners and relationships to drive leads
• Why digital marketing conferences were terrible for lead generation
• When to hire and how to get it right

Resources:

• This isn’t the first time we’ve tapped into Blake’s expertise on agency growth. A couple of years ago we hosted a webinar with Blake and Nifty Marketing’s Mike Ramsey about how they scaled up their agencies.
• If your plans to scale up your agency involve landing bigger clients, then make sure you listen to our episode with Jordan Choo.
• If you want more great agency content, check out our Advance Your Agency guides which cover a range of topics such as client education and pricing services.

About Blake:

Blake Denman is President and Founder of Rickety Roo, a local SEO agency which he founded in 2009. Blake has more than 14 years of local SEO and paid search marketing experience.