How Consistent Business Listings Build Local Search Rankings

by Jim Merrick | Aug 31, 2026 | For Business Owners, Marketing Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business SEO

There is a local SEO problem that affects the majority of local businesses — and most of them have no idea it is happening. Their business name is spelled slightly differently on different directories. Their phone number has changed but some old listings still show...

The Google Business Profile Guide for Local Business Owners

by Jim Merrick | Aug 27, 2026 | For Business Owners, Marketing Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business SEO

If you could do one thing today to improve how your local business gets found online it would be this: claim and fully optimize your Google Business Profile. But as we explore in depth in our post on why getting found online is not enough, visibility without community...

Why Getting Found Online Is Not Enough — You Also Need to Be Trusted

by Jim Merrick | Aug 23, 2026 | Community Trust, For Business Owners, Marketing Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, Word of Mouth Marketing

Every local business owner has heard the same marketing advice at some point: you need to get found online. Get on Google. Claim your listings. Optimize your website. Show up in local search results. This advice is correct. But it is incomplete in a way that costs...

How to Ask for a Referral Without Feeling Pushy

by Jim Merrick | Aug 19, 2026 | All About Referrals, For Business Owners, Marketing Strategy, Word of Mouth Marketing

Here is a truth most business owners will quietly admit: they almost never ask for referrals. Not because they do not want them. Not because their customers would not give them. But because asking feels uncomfortable. It feels like asking a favor. It feels like...

Why Word of Mouth Still Wins in a World of Digital Advertising

by Jim Merrick | Aug 17, 2026 | All About Referrals, Community Trust, For Consumers, Marketing Strategy, Word of Mouth Marketing

We live in the most sophisticated advertising era in human history. Algorithms can target a specific person based on their browsing history, location, income bracket, and the precise moment they are most likely to buy. Brands spend billions of dollars every year...

The 5-Minute Daily Habit That Builds a Business Your Community Trusts

by Jim Merrick | Aug 13, 2026 | All About Referrals, Community Trust, For Business Owners, Marketing Strategy, Word of Mouth Marketing

Most local business owners know they should be marketing more consistently. The intention is there. The time is not. Between running jobs, managing staff, handling customer calls, and everything else that comes with running a local business — sitting down to write a...

« Older Entries