Darren Shaw

Whitespark

Whitespark builds online tools and provides services that help businesses and agencies with local SEO. We're known for our Local Citation Finder, Local Rank Tracker, Citation Building & Audit Services, and Local SEO Consulting. Our team often collaborates with other industry leaders and frequently presents at top SEO & Marketing conferences in North America.

Founder

University of Alberta

Networking and system administration and operation, development and management of the relational databases, GIS database development, web site development and maintenance.

Research Computing Coordinator

Hi, I'm Darren! 👋

I've been doing web development and SEO for 27 years (yes, before Google existed)

A bit about me 👇
🔹 Founder of Whitespark: local SEO software and services.
🔹 Local SEO educator with 36,000+ newsletter subscribers, 8,000+ YouTube subscribers, and 2,000+ email course sign-ups
🔹 In charge of the annual Local Search Ranking Factors Survey, one of the most cited resources in local SEO
🔹 Speaker at local search conferences around the globe and contributor to SEO publications

Did you know that the Google API leak says that service areas are NOT used in the ranking algorithm? If you want to expand your ranking radius for real, today’s podcast episode contains some actionable tips:

- build entity strength
- get reviews that mention the locations you want to rank in
- earn unstructured citations (local blogs, sponsorships, etc.)
- write localized website content
- lean into your niche in your website and GBP content (you may not rank for “restaurant” all over your city, but you CAN rank for “cubano sandwiches”)

We discuss these ideas from Miriam Ellis’s new Search Engine Land article, plus:

- Ben Franklin Effect applied to review requests (Sam Knight)
- API Leak reveals that Service Areas are NOT a ranking factor (Claudia Tomina)
- Google Local Pack links to places tab with pagination bug (Barry Schwartz)
- GBP adds scheduling and multi-location publishing to Google Posts (Barry Schwartz)

The full episode is now up on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

And if you like the podcast, please leave us a review and ask IZIPIZI to sponsor us 🙏 (jump to 17:01 for context)

Founder of Whitespark. I share local SEO tips and strategy. Lead researcher behind the annual Local Search Ranking Factors survey. Get everything you need for better local SEO at whitespark.ca

Here’s what you should do now that Google has anonymous reviews…

1. Change how you ask for reviews:

If your business is in an industry where people may be sensitive to leaving a review under their real name (e.g. legal or medical services, psychiatry, counceling, finance), your review collection process just got easier!

When asking for a review, tell customers how they can use a pseudonym when writing it.

2. Monitor and back up your reviews:

Now that Google users can add, remove, and change their custom display name whenever they choose, it is more important than ever export your review history regularly in case Google decides to delete your legitimate reviews.

3. Read Allie Margeson’s new article to fully understand what this anonymity means for both businesses and customers.

Find it on whitespark . ca / blog

Alex Belov

Belov Digital - WordPress Superior Services

Leading Belov Digital has been more than a professional endeavor; it's been a journey of passion and discovery. As the founder, I've had the privilege of steering our course through the ever-evolving digital landscape. Every day is a new chapter in a story where creativity meets technology, and ideas transform into digital realities.

From the outset, my vision was clear: to create websites and digital solutions that aren't just functional but also engaging and intuitive. It's about building spaces online where users feel at home, navigating effortlessly and enjoying every moment. This vision has been the driving force behind our mission at Belov Digital.

As a hands-on leader, my role involves more than just oversight. I'm deeply involved in every project, working alongside a talented team that shares my dedication to excellence. We've cultivated a culture of innovation and collaboration, ensuring that every client's needs are met with creativity and precision.

Over the years, my experience has grown alongside the company. From understanding the nuances of client requirements to exploring new technologies and design trends, I've seen firsthand what it takes to keep a digital agency thriving. The most rewarding part? Witnessing the success and satisfaction of our clients as we help them make their mark online.

Today, as I continue my journey with Belov Digital, I remain committed to pushing boundaries and exploring new horizons in the digital world. It's not just about what we've achieved; it's about what we can create next.

Calorie Calculator Cloud

Co-Founder

Fiwy.io

We’re training the bot that will import web designs into websites and web apps automatically. Soon, launching a website will be as quick as making a few clicks - and equally simple, too.

KeysForWeb

Our service makes credentials transfer handy and error-free.

Figma2wp

Founder of figma2wp.com, a specialized service bridging the gap between design and development. We transform Figma designs into fully functional WordPress websites, streamlining the web development process for designers and businesses. 

Our expertise lies in accurately translating visual concepts into responsive, user-friendly WordPress sites while maintaining design fidelity and optimizing for performance. By leveraging the power of Figma's collaborative design platform and WordPress's versatile content management system, we help clients bring their web projects to life efficiently and effectively

AI Business Automation & Workflows | Superior WordPress Maintenance & Services | Podcast Host | Leadgen Project for the Health & Fitness industry

Hi! I’m Alex, founder of Belov Digital, an award-winning web branding, design, and development agency specializing in exceptional web maintenance. With over 10 years in web development and 3,000+ successful projects under our belt, we tackle even the toughest challenges with zero stress for you.

We won’t overwhelm you with jargon or unnecessary services. Instead, we ensure you fully understand your project needs and deliver only what's necessary.

Trusting Belov means your project is in expert hands. We’re top-rated on Trustpilot and Clutch, and our clients keep coming back, satisfied every time.

Our tight-knit team of designers, engineers, copywriters, and QA experts are SaaS-savvy pros dedicated to crafting flawless websites with stunning interfaces and seamless performance.

❓What We Do:

✅ WordPress, Shopify, and Webflow Development

Need a custom site from scratch or a simple setup? We handle it all with precision and creativity.


✅  UX/UI Design

Our design team crafts beautiful, user-friendly interfaces that balance aesthetics, usability, and accessibility.


✅ Website Maintenance & Optimization

Let us keep your site running smoothly—free from errors, conflicts, and slowdowns.

Ready to elevate your digital presence? Let’s make it happen together with Belov Digital.

A website is a journey. And we’re passionate about making this journey smooth, streamlined and pleasant for everyone. Working together, we build the sites and products that become users’ favorite places to be.

Our mission is to make the online world a better place. With thoroughly planned user flow, with outstanding designs and skillfully implemented functionality – with everything that matters so much for user convenience. We see the ultimate goals behind every task – that’s our key to help our clients succeed.

Let’s make your mark online.

WHY CLIENTS CHOOSE US:

- 10-year-experience in serving the clients remotely
- 2000+ companies trust us with building their digital representation
- 2500+ 5-star reviews
- Effective communication directly with a Project Manager & Art Director assigned to your project and adapted to your timezone
- Timely completion guaranteed
- Full English working proficiency

OUR SERVICES:

- Website Development
- WordPress Expertise
- WordPress Maintenance
- WordPress Website Repair and Security
- WordPress SSL Insecure Content Repair
- UI/UX Design
- WordPress design customization
- Graphic design

PORTFOLIO:

https://belovdigital.agency/portfolio

CONTACT:

hi@belovdigital.agency

https://belovdigital.agency

taplio

The Battle

Darren Shaw

Alex Belov

Followers

Posts

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Performance ScoreDarren Shaw's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Darren Shaw

Alex Belov

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Darren Shaw's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreDarren Shaw's LinkedIn Performance