Growth by Search

A local business owner has one hour before opening. They can upload new photos to Google, reply to three Yelp reviews, update their service pages, publish a Google Business Profile post, or inspect another dashboard filled with impressions and clicks. Everything appears useful. Not everything deserves equal attention. For years, local marketing advice treated Yelp and Google as two versions of the same thing. Claim both listings, maintain consistent details, collect reviews, and wait for customers to arrive. That description no longer reflects how either platform works. In 2026, Google is part search engine, part map, part recommendation system, and increasingly part AI assistant. Yelp remains a specialized local discovery and reputation platform, but it is also using reviews, photos, natural-language search, and AI-generated answers to help consumers evaluate businesses. Local companies still need a presence on both. The real question is where they should in...

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business or GMB) is no longer just a digital business card. Years ago, local SEO was mostly about filling out your profile, adding your address, and collecting a few reviews. Today, competition in local search is much more behavior-driven. Google wants to show businesses that are not only relevant but also useful to searchers. And one of the ways Google understands usefulness is through engagement. When people see your listing, what happens next? Do they click? Do they call? Do they ask for directions? Do they scroll past and choose a competitor? These interactions help Google understand how users respond to your business in real search environments. Let’s break down the engagement signals connected to Google Business Profile and why they matter. What Is GMB Engagement? GMB engagement refers to the actions users take after discovering your business listing in Google Search or Google Maps. Think of it as user feedback. Every search resul...