Local SEO and Marketing Q&A Session October 21, 2022

Each week, Greg and Ben answer your questions on digital marketing for local businesses … local search engine optimization (SEO), Google Business Profile, social media, email marketing, websites, online advertising and more.

This Week’s Updates and Questions

  • Google has fixed problems with GBPs being suspended.
  • New review issue of losing reviews daily.
  • Online availability is now searchable.
  • Possible new feature of Google highlighting keywords in reviews.
  • What should I do if Google won’t let me reinstate because they think I’m an online business when I’m not?
  • How do I get GBP verification in a remote location?
  • What should I do if my GBP has been disabled?
  • How do I get a branded map pin in Google Maps?
  • What is the turnaround time for reinstatements?
  • Will adding Service Area Business to my GBP cause me to get suspended?
  • For a single location business, will adding a second location allow me access to the dashboard again?
  • Is incentivising customers to change their reviews a violation of the new review guidelines?
  • Are there any reliable landing page automation solutions for big scale MLB’s?
  • Why are independent car dealers showing up at the top of search more so than big franchises?
  • If I am targeting multiple verticals for web design but want to target a specific one, should I use my home page for that?
  • How should I structure my urls for nearby cities?
  • My GBP says that I can’t add a phone number – how do I add a phone number without getting an error message?
  • What should I do if I’m getting spammed with fake reviews?
  • Fake map listings are being spammed around my business using variations of the business name – what should I do?
  • What should I do if my ranking suddenly drops?

Links from This Week’s Questions

How to get a branded Google Map pin