Local SEO in 10

Would you rather get more leads, or better leads?Google Ads now lets businesses use qualifying questions inside lead forms to help identify which prospects are actually a good fit. That means you can start separating raw form submissions from the people who are more likely to become real customers.In this episode we explain how qualifying responses work, how Google can use those signals to improve Smart Bidding, and why this can make your ad spend more efficient over time.We also cover what kinds of questions to ask, how to avoid creating too much friction, when to use Google’s “More qualified” setting, and why your team still needs to respond quickly once a good lead comes in.The goal is simple: stop optimizing for the cheapest lead and start optimizing for the leads most likely to become revenue.Get More Local SEO TipsHave a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.About the HostsAdam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

A new wave of AI companies is promising much more than a fast website.They want to build your site, capture your leads, manage your customer database, schedule appointments, send emails, handle payments, and become the digital back office for your business.That can be incredibly convenient, especially for a new or growing company. But the more of your business that lives inside one platform, the more important it becomes to ask the right questions before signing up.In this episode we break down the real advantages, the potential risks, and the questions business owners should ask before letting one AI platform control both their website and their business operations.We also look at the long-term SEO question: what happens when you want to add a new service page, publish articles, expand into new locations, bring in an SEO company, or move the website somewhere else?The goal is not to avoid AI. It is to make sure the convenience you gain today does not become a limitation tomorrow. Questions to Ask Before Signing Up:Who owns my domain, website, content, and customer data?Can I export everything if I leave?What stops working if I cancel?Can I add new service pages, location pages, and articles whenever I want?Can I fully control the SEO on those pages?Can I edit URLs, title tags, meta descriptions, headings, internal links, redirects, and schema?Can my SEO company, marketing agency, or web developer access the site?Can they work on the website without getting access to my customer records or payments?Can I install Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, ad tracking, and call tracking?Can I tell which campaign generated each lead?Does the platform integrate with the tools I already use?What happens if the platform goes down or suspends my account?Where is my customer data stored, and who can access it?Can I take that customer data with me if I leave?Will this platform still work if my business doubles or triples in size?The big question is not whether AI can build you a website today. It is whether that website and platform will still support your marketing and your business three years from now.Get More Local SEO TipsHave a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.About the HostsAdam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

What if Gemini could look at your actual Google Business Profile data and help you figure out what to improve first?In this episode we show you how to connect Google’s AI assistant, Gemini, to your Google Business Profile and use it to uncover opportunities that could lead to more calls, clicks, bookings, and visits.We also share the exact question we would start with:“What are the top three changes most likely to increase calls, clicks, bookings, or visits, and which should I do first?”Then try these additional prompts:“Show me my Google Business Profile performance for the last 30 days.”“What are the top search terms people use to find my business?”“Which important services appear to be missing from those search terms?”“Which search terms suggest demand for a service I may not be featuring strongly enough?”“Where am I getting visibility but not enough customer actions?”“What do my recent reviews say customers value most?”“What complaints or concerns come up repeatedly in my reviews?”“What might make someone hesitate before contacting my business?”“What important information appears to be missing or incomplete on my Google Business Profile?”“Based on my reviews, what should I emphasize more on my website or Google Business Profile?”The goal is simple: stop staring at data and start using it to make changes that can generate more customers.Get More Local SEO TipsHave a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.About the HostsAdam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

Someone can suggest a change to your Google Business Profile, and for some edits, Google may give you just four daysto approve or reject it before deciding whether to publish the change.In this episode we explain where these suggested edits come from, which business details deserve the most attention, why your website can influence what Google believes, and what to do if incorrect information is already showing.A wrong category, phone number, website, address, or set of hours can cost you customers before you even realize something changed. We’ll also show you a simple monthly check that can help catch problems early.If your business depends on Google for calls, visits, or leads, this is one notification you don’t want sitting unread in your inbox.Get More Local SEO TipsHave a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.About the HostsAdam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

What does Google’s AI actually think your business does, who it serves, and why someone should choose it?In this episode we show business owners a simple way to use Google’s AI as a mirror for their online presence. You may discover missing services, unclear locations, weak differentiators, outdated information, or even that Google is confusing your company with another business that has the same name.We’ll also cover what to do when the information is wrong, how to uncover the sources AI is using, and how to test whether Google simply understands your business or would actually consider recommending it to a potential customer.Before worrying about whether AI recommends your business, make sure it knows exactly who you are.Try asking Google’s AI these questions about your own business:What problems does [Business Name] in [City, State], [Website], solve for its customers?What services does this business appear to specialize in?Who appears to be the ideal customer for this business?What makes this business different from its competitors?What cities or areas does this business appear to serve?What information about this business is unclear or difficult to verify?What questions would a potential customer still have before contacting this business?What could this business explain better on its website?What might make someone hesitate to recommend this business?What sources are you using to understand this business?Get More Local SEO TipsHave a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.About the HostsAdam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.