News and Analysis

Google Local Services Reportedly Expand to Canada, Signaling Rapid Growth

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Launch in 2015 in Silicon Valley’s home court, Local Service Ads have since expanded to a whopping 90 markets in the U.S. and are now making their way abroad, where searches for local services are abundant.

The Numbers on Mobile’s Role in Holiday Shopping This Season

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The results of a survey released just last week by mobile ad firm AdColony go beyond the already stale proclamation that the mobile revolution has taken over retail, pointing instead to granular details about just how consumers are using mobile today. We provide the highlights.

Google Reviews Hit with Massive Spam Attempt

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Google reviews, increasingly essential to the online search presence of brand and SMB brick-and-mortars alike, were hit by a massive spam attempt last week. At least 2 million fraudulent reviews were posted, according to ReviewFraud.org.

Commentary

Understanding the Context of Local Advertising’s Supply and Demand

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The current election cycle, if nothing else, has demonstrated the importance of context in the supply and demand of local media. In this type of market, the early bird gets the worm. Consumer brands are learning this lesson the hard way and getting shut out of local opportunities that otherwise might have been available.

Is Uber Paving the Way Toward Verified Consumer Reviews?

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In an atmosphere where fake reviews are all too easy to create, we need tools that help distinguish real opinions from garbage. Moving beyond the limitations of data algorithms, fact-based approaches hold out the promise of grounding review services in observable truth.

For Brick and Mortar to Beat Ecommerce, It Takes Mind, Body, and Spirit

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While many onlookers think that increased comparison shopping, faster and cheaper delivery options like drones, and the convenience of shopping at home equal doom for physical stores, the reality is that the economy (like the people behind it) is largely driven by the irrational.

Latest Posts

Why ‘On-Demand’ Alone Isn’t Enough to Make a Viable Business

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Success in this market doesn’t come from betting that millions of consumers will change their purchase behaviors. Success in the on-demand economy employs a simple, time-tested formula: taking an existing service — one that a lot of people use — and making it better.

5 On-Demand Platforms for Medical Marijuana Delivery

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Up until now, one of the major pain points in medical marijuana consumption has been access. But on-demand platforms can keep delivery times down and safety up. Here are five examples of companies offering on-demand medical marijuana delivery.

Street Fight Daily: DoorDash Partners With 7-Eleven, How Instagram’s Latest Update Affects Advertising

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Delivery Startup DoorDash Is Promising to Send 7-Eleven Food and Drinks to Your Home in 45 Minutes or Less (Business Insider)… New, Stretched-Out Instagram Means More Ads (Mashable)… As Giant Platforms Rise, Local News is Getting Crushed (Nieman Lab)…

Will Mobile Search Dethrone Google?

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Why would Google’s market leadership be vulnerable to mobile search incursion? Innovation in search can occur at the user experience level, the core indexing and ranking algorithms, and the business model and ecosystem that supports search. Each of these faces potential mobile disruption.

6 Ways Local Merchants Can Compete in Organic Search Results

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Type in a generic search term for nearly any local service and you’re likely to see listings for national brands and retail chains. Local businesses have largely been pushed out of the first page. So local merchants have to make a change in their SEO strategies.

Street Fight Daily: Yahoo’s ReachLocal Partnership, Amazon Wants to Deliver From Farmers Markets

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yahoo Follows Google in Building Out Local Search Marketing Reseller Program (Search Engine Land)… Amazon Is Testing Farmers Market Produce Delivery (Los Angeles Times)… Google Reportedly Kills Plan to Let Retailers Send Notifications in Maps (The Verge)…

Will Social Media Give TV a Run for Its Money in the 2016 Election?

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“Politicians already know that an election can hinge on specific regions and using social media to listen and engage in those areas can have a significant impact on the voting outcome,” says Phil Harris, CEO of Geofeedia.

Where Do My Friends Fit Into My Local Search?

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The social graph alone won’t be a silver bullet for local. It’s just not big enough. And its value to local is overstated. My friends are great for party pics and snappy news feed dialogue — they don’t yet excel at plumber reviews.

Street Fight Daily: Google’s Home Services Features Are Live, How Effective Are Digital Coupons?

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Plunges Into Home Services Market (Wall Street Journal)… Pitt Study Finds Location-Based Marketing a Mixed Bag (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)… Our Marketplace Obsession and Bubble (TechCrunch)…

Case Study: Georgia Candy Shop Manages Off-Site Sales with Mobile Tools

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Having a product as small and portable as chocolate candy gives M Chocolat’s owners the freedom to sell outside their brick-and-mortar store. The sisters often use food festivals, local races, wine shops, and gourmet specialty stores to find new customers.