Darren Shaw

🔹 Founder of Whitespark.ca: local SEO software and services.
🔹 Local SEO educator with 45,000+ newsletter subscribers, 10,000+ YouTube subscribers, and 3,000+ 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
🔹 I've been doing web development and SEO for 27 years (yes, before Google existed)

Founder

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.

If you still haven’t connected your socials to your Google Business Profile, this is your sign. Google is pulling information from your social profiles directly into search results. Valentina Vasileva shared this on LinkedIn, and it’s pretty wild.

Google is adding a special tag that looks a lot like a justification. It says something like “Today: event” or “Tonight: event”, and it is pulled straight from a business’s social media posts.

This is so powerful! It’s yet another clear signal that Google is actively looking at the content on your social profiles and using it to understand your business better.

So yes, you need to connect your social profiles to your Google Business Profile. 

And yes, you actually need to be active on them.

If you’re not doing this yet, you should probably get on it.

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 happens when you actively manage a Google Business Profile properly.

This dental client has been working with Whitespark for over a year now. Compared to the previous year, we’ve seen a strong increase in both keyword rankings and overall visibility:

- 101% increase in phone calls
- 51% increase in review count
- 39% increase in website clicks
- 35% increase in driving direction requests

Dentistry is extremely competitive, so those numbers didn’t happen by accident. They’re the direct result of actively managing and optimizing the client’s Google Business Profile.

Here’s HOW we did it:

- Researched and added every relevant GBP category for the business.
- Built out the Services section and kept it updated over time.
- Added new attributes and kept them updated over time.
- Researched, added, and continuously updated Q&A (which is going away, sadly).
- Uploaded a new, optimized cover image.
- Uploaded new photos and videos on a regular basis.
- Published weekly Google Posts with fresh, relevant content.
- Worked with the client on a review strategy to keep reviews coming in consistently.
- Responded to every new review promptly.
- Monitored the Profile for changes and dealt with issues immediately (using our GBP Management software Local Platform).
- Tracked performance and adjusted based on what the data was telling us (using our Local Rank Tracker).

Ongoing work on your Google Business Profile is key if you want to attract and convert more potential customers.

We get results like this for all our clients. DM me if you’d like to learn how we can get you these kinds of results too.

What if your local SEO strategy is working, but your grid rank tracker just doesn’t show it?

The whole point of rank tracking is to measure the impact of your local SEO work. So, if your rank tracker stops tracking at position 20, what are you really measuring?

Say you make some updates, and your rankings at all points move from positions 80 to 30. That's a huge win! But you wouldn’t know that if you’re using a rank tracker that displays all positions above 20 as “20+”.

That’s why Whitespark’s Local Ranking Grids tracks rankings all the way up to 100 positions. We are the only tool that tracks to 100. This is one of the biggest things that sets our software apart from other grid ranking tools.

Our local ranking grid tool is also the most beautiful on the market. It’s genuinely a delight to use, and it costs the same or less than anything else out there.

Google “Whitespark Local Ranking Grids” and try it free (no credit card required).

Worth a read: this brilliant comment that Mike Blumenthal left on one of my posts

Local SEO Tip you NEED to know: update your business description on your citations.

Most businesses wrote their business description years ago, when they first built their citations, and then never touched it again. And sometimes (most of the time) it's really poorly written.

You should rewrite your old description and update all your citations.

Think of it like a data set that search engines and AI use to understand your business. You want it to:

1. Be written in clear, structured statements, often called semantic triples:

Subject - predicate - object.

2. Clearly explain what your business is, what it does, and what it specializes in.

For example: [Acme Pest Control] [is a Dallas pest control company] [specializing in wasp removal].

What you say about yourself only goes so far. What really matters is what the broader web says about you. And your citation descriptions are a golden opportunity to fix outdated messaging and emphasize things you probably haven’t thought about in years.

I talked about this and more with Dan Leibrandt from the Local Marketing Secrets Podcast. Check out the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

In 2026, your local SEO agency MUST diversify.
Joy showed this chart in a recent livestream we did together in December. It reflects a steady decline in clicks-to-call from Google Business Profiles over the last 2 years.

Businesses are now getting fewer leads from the local pack because:

- Local Services Ads look almost identical to organic local results, and they’re siphoning off leads
- AI Overviews are taking up more space at the top
- the local pack now appears lower on the page than it did before
- people increasingly use other channels for local searches (YouTube, ChatGPT, TikTok, etc.)

So, it’s high time local SEO agencies diversified their services beyond just website and GBP management.

In 2026 you need to help your clients drive leads through additional channels:

- Long form vidoes on YouTube
- Short form videos on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube
- Social media marketing
- Reddit/Quora engagement
- AI SEO
- Digital PR
- and I’m sorry, but you probably have to start offering PPC (especially Local Services Ads).

At the end of the day, businesses don’t really care about the Local Pack or Maps.

* They care about LEADS *

If your services aren’t generating leads, your clients will leave you for a different agency.

Suspended Google Business Profile? I reinstated Whitespark’s Google Business Profile in only 12 hours! Here’s how:

-Step 1: Figure out why your Profile was suspended
-Step 2: Fix all Profile violations
-Step 3: Gather your documentation and evidence
-Step 4: Submit the reinstatement appeal form
-Step 5: Wait ~5 days (sometimes longer) for Google to review it
-Step 6: If the first appeal is denied, submit the additional appeal form
-Step 7: If the second appeal is also denied, ask for help in the Google Business Profile Help Forum

This is just a simple overview of the steps. If you’re not sure where to start, or you don’t want to risk making a mistake, I walk you through the entire process in my newest YouTube video.

In the video, I cover:

- The most common reasons Google Business Profiles get suspended
- How to fix Profile violations properly
- What you need to do before submitting a reinstatement appeal
- Each step of the reinstatement process, explained in detail
- Common mistakes that lead to denied appeals

I’m also sharing a free GBP reinstatement guide that explains all these steps in detail. Watch the video on the Whitespark YouTube Channel to see how you can grab your copy.

Quick Google Business Profile Tip: Google Posts are NOT social posts. They’re free advertising space.

The people looking at your Google Posts aren’t your customers (yet). They don’t care that it was Debbie’s birthday in the office.

They care about:

-What your business does
-Why they should choose you and not your competitor
-Whether you’re trustworthy

One of the best Google Posts you can publish is this:

1. Take one of your strongest Google reviews.
2. Screenshot it.
3. Highlight a key quote.
4. Publish it as a Google Post.

And don’t forget: You’re speaking directly to people who are already considering hiring your business. Use that space to convince them. That’s the entire point of Google Posts.

Are citations making a comeback? I’d say they never left.

Citations have always been important in traditional SEO. But now, with the rise of LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini, we are seeing citations increase in importance. In fact, three of the top five AI search visibility factors are citation-based.

While traditional search is heavily focused on links, with LLMs, it’s more about mentions - in other words, citations.

If you were doing SEO the right way in the past, you probably don't need to change your citation strategy much. But if you gave up on citations a long time ago and want to rank in AI search, now is the time to get your business listed on key citation sites like:

- Better Business Bureau
- Facebook, LinkedIn
- MapQuest
- Yelp
- Prominent industry-specific sites
- “Best of” lists

I recently talked about this, and a lot more, on the Local Marketing Secrets Podcast with Dan Leibrandt. Check out the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

Have you ever wanted to clone yourself so you could get more done? Turns out… you kind of can now. Andy Crestodina recently shared a video showing how to create a custom ChatGPT that uses your tone of voice and your expertise. Basically, an AI clone of yourself.

In his video, Andy walks through why you’d even want to do this, how to define the GPT’s personality and behaviour, how to add the right knowledge sources, and how to fine-tune it so it’s actually useful for you and your business.

Claire shared this video with me on the latest episode of The Whitespark Local Update podcast, and I found it fascinating.

Claire and I also talk about:

- Query Fan-Out in Practice (Francine Monahan)
- Tough Reinstatement Season Reminder (Vinay Toshniwal)
- Common Crawl is Interesting (Cyrus S.)
- Google’s announcement on the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and What It Means for Ecommerce SEO (Aleyda Solís)
- Meta Title Tags Length SEO Experiment (Dr James Davidson)

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

Google Maps’ New AI Feature: “Ask a Question” Explained

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g3RGjhXy

It's a BAD idea to spam Reddit with an automated AI bot. "Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair"

Do you really think people can't tell that this is AI spam?

GMBapi Reddit Spam

Must-read new research on the USELESSness of AI visibility tracking

Cofounder of SparkToro, Alertmouse, & Snackbar Studio. Author of Lost & Founder. Feminist. I love underdogs, cooking, & helping people do better marketing

NEW research: https://lnkd.in/gwyQz_wg

How consistent are AI tools when asked for a list of brands/products?

And do the answers mean those AI tracking tools are selling you a boondoggle of snake oil chicanery?

Oh my goodness, buckle up, because the answer took 3 months, dozens of surveys, thousands of AI requests, and more than a dozen graphs, charts, and visuals to uncover. Below, I've pasted just a little taste (3/15) of the data visualizations in this research, and, apologies, but for the full findings, including the conclusion, you're gonna have to read the post. 😎

p.s. Huge thanks to Patrick O'Donnell from Gumshoe AI for being my research partner on this. Couldn't have done it without him.

One of my hobbies is generating cool looking grids on Whitespark's Local Ranking Grids

I reinstated Whitespark’s Google Business Profile in only 12 hours!

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ghQ6EHEn

You’re Using Google Posts Wrong (Do This Instead)

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gnYkV_ff

When you search “near me”, I help you find my clients. 

Who are my clients? SMBs, healthcare providers, law firms, and brick-and-mortar enterprises who depend on local search to reach their customers. 

Whether you’re a DIY business owner or a seasoned SEO strategist, I create content for anyone who cares about local search and Google Maps. 

My credentials? 

As a GBP Gold Product Expert with nearly a decade of local SEO experience in various agencies and senior in-house roles, I’ve applied creative and data-driven strategies that solve complex Map issues, win the Map Pack, and increase organic local leads.

What else about me? 

-As a Gold Product Expert for Google Business Profile, I regularly solve complex GBP & Maps issues, such as bulk verification, spam networks, suspensions, duplicates, re-brands, verification, review remediation, bugs, and more. You can find me as a top contributor on the Google Help Community. 

-I’ve grown and monetized my own affiliate websites via SEO

-As Director of Digital Marketing at a behavioral health hospital, I have managed paid search campaigns, social media, and more. 

-I'm an animal lover, so sorry in advance if you hear my Coon Hound, Ellie, howling on a Zoom Call.

Got a serious GBP issue? Ready for better local SEO results? Follow me for regular content or reach out to see if I can help!

Sam Knight

Guess how I found this local business? 

It’s an interactive exotic animal rescue an hour away from me in rural Ohio

And yes, that’s a prairie dog on my head 😆

I found them on TikTok!

Since they are an hour away, I’m not sure how else I would have learned they existed …unless they ran a bunch of ads or something.

TikTok knows I’m an animal person, and they also know I’m in Ohio. Small wonder this business made it to my FYP! 

For what was likely a much smaller investment compared to Ads (or compared to churning out blogs with national traffic) - they got qualified top of funnel exposure to local eye balls.

That’s exactly why I’ve been encouraging more clients to invest in TikTok, whether that be in-house content or creator partnerships.

It works. Particularly for reaching younger demographics who increasingly find local businesses via alternative channels.

It also helps with AI visibility, authority signals, and more.

Better yet: when the tour was over, they handed me a QR code card and asked if I’d be willing to leave them a review. 

No wonder they have 300+ reviews in 2 years 🔥

This business is doing it right!! Shout out to Westmeister Farm 



#smallbusiness #digitalmarketing

GBP Platinum Product Expert ➡️ Helping SMBs generate local customers & ROI | Co-Founder @Hoopless | Local SEO Guest Columnist @BrightLocal | 1 of 47 Local SEO Rank Factors Contributors 2026 @Whitespark

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Your annual PSA that "Performance" in GBP is totally innacurate/misleading. 

This client actually had 53% more calls from their GBP in December than what is reported directly within their GBP performance tab. 

We know because we track those calls with a unique phone number that is only on their GBP. 

"But what about citation consistency!?" 

➡️ Add your real phone number as an additional phone number in GBP, and you're good (And you'll definitely want to do this if you are trying to re-verify or get reinstated after a suspension, by the way)

GBP tracks click-to-call, not actual calls. Plus, who knows if that click-to-call data is even accurate. Surely it costs Google money to track those clicks and store that data, so I wouldn't assume it is legit. 

I see GBP insights as a very rough guestimate (subject to possible swings in its level of accuracy). So, use a call tracking system!!


#localseo #seotips

Well I certainly feel this Merchant's frustration on the GBP Help Community 🙈 

Also, what's with this queue for verification support? New to me!


#localseo #seotips

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