34:23

In this episode of Crawling Mondays, host Aleyda Solis interviews local‑search experts Greg Gifford (VP of Search at Searchlove) and Cary Hill (Local Search Analyst at Local University). The conversation maps out the core components of local SEO, starting with the classic “triangle” of Google My Business (GMB), reviews, and a well‑optimized website, and expands it into a “square” that adds content and link‑building as distinct pillars. They discuss practical ways to generate authentic reviews—primarily by simply asking customers and using platforms like GatherUp—while emphasizing timing and tone. The panel reviews their go‑to toolset, highlighting PlaceScout as indispensable, alongside Whitespark, BrightLocal, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Sitebulb, and others for rank tracking, citation management, and technical audits. Common audit failures are identified: missing city or service terms on the site, incomplete GMB profiles, and lack of structured location signals. For link building, they stress community‑based outreach, sponsorships, and leveraging existing local activities rather than traditional PR campaigns. Measurement tactics include call‑tracking, UTM tagging of GMB website links, monitoring branded search in Search Console, and manual screenshot comparisons. Spam and fake listings are flagged as a persistent problem, with spammers creating exact‑match‑keyword names and PO‑box listings at scale; the experts describe reporting processes and the challenges of department‑listing bugs for industries like car dealerships. The episode closes with actionable takeaways: put the business name and purpose on every page, be persistent and seek community help, fully optimize GMB (categories, photos, Q&A, posts, UTM), and ensure website copy is uniquely tailored to the business and location.

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