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...

3 Local Marketing Things Every Local Business Must Do To Survive and Grow

by Jim Merrick | Aug 8, 2017 | Search Engine Optimization, Small Business SEO

It’s a scary statistic; 3 out of 4 small businesses ultimately fail. While there are many factors that determine success or failure, most small businesses don’t have any local marketing plan. That means that they don’t have enough local visibility, they don’t...

How Long Does it take to Improve Local Search Engine Ranking?

by Jim Merrick | Jul 27, 2017 | Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business SEO

If you hire someone to help you improve your local search engine ranking, you undoubtedly want to know how long it will take to see an improvement in your current ranking. Unfortunately, their isn’t a simple answer to this question. Improving your local search engine...

Why subscribe to a Business Listing Service?

by Jim Merrick | May 4, 2017 | Local Business Listings, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business SEO

A business listing service can help you quickly turn your local business listings into a powerful marketing strategy that helps you get found online and attract more customers. Why? Ask yourself a simple question: Are you doing more or less...