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Search Notes

What I'm seeing in local search, Google Business Profiles, and AI answers, written for the owners and marketers on my list. Short, opinionated, and usually something you can do this week.

  1. · 3 minYour GBP is ready. Your website isn't.AI agents read your website's structure, not its design. Here's what they see, why it matters, and a free tool to check your site.Websites · AI visibility · Google Business Profile
  2. · 5 minYour GBP is becoming a data feedGoogle's new GBP features make profiles easier to run and also turn them into a data feed for AI. Here's what that means and what to do.Google Business Profile · AI visibility · Reviews
  3. · 4 minGoogle Gets More Yelpian With New Review PoliciesGoogle's new review policies sound reasonable but enforcement looks Yelp-like, plus what to stop, keep, and document.Reviews · Google Business Profile
  4. · 3 minYour Service Area Is Too BigA huge service area dilutes your relevance. Here's why a tighter one ranks better, and how to pick where to focus.Google Business Profile · Local search
  5. · 4 minWhat If Google Rewrote Your Profile?Google is using AI to write parts of your business profile, and why feeding it good, current inputs matters more than ever.Google Business Profile · AI visibility · Reviews
  6. · 4 minThe Citation MythWhy paying monthly for directory citations rarely helps, and the few cases where citations still matter.Local search · Google Business Profile · Tools
  7. · 2 minAsk Google Maps just changed local searchAsk Google Maps makes local search conversational, so Google reasons about your business as an entity instead of matching keywords.Local search · AI visibility · Google Business Profile
  8. · 3 minYour GBP photos are killing your profileGoogle reads your profile photos to judge what you do and whether you're real. Here's what to upload, and how often.Google Business Profile · Local search
  9. · 2 minWhy your competitor ranks with fewer reviewsWhy review velocity and recency can beat a bigger review count in the local pack, and how to fix yours.Reviews · Google Business Profile · Local search