News and Analysis
How Brands Can Influence AI Search Results—Not Just Rank in Them
As AI answers increasingly replace traditional search results, local and regional brands are facing a new visibility challenge: how to show up when consumers never click a link at all. In an AI search environment where recommendations are surfaced instantly—and often without a website visit—being included in the answer matters more than driving traffic. A […]
Google Anonymous Reviews Reshaping Visibility for Sensitive-Industry Brands
Amid AI Overviews, AI Mode, and a steady drumbeat of core updates, Google quietly introduced a change with outsized implications for certain businesses: Google anonymous reviews. By allowing users to leave reviews under a pseudonym rather than their real name, Google has lowered a long-standing barrier for customers in privacy-sensitive industries. For multi-location brands in […]
Paycom Taps NBA Star Jalen Williams to Put AI Answers Front and Center
B2B tech brands are increasingly turning to familiar faces to humanize complex software — and Paycom is leaning into that strategy with its latest campaign. The Oklahoma City–based HR and payroll platform has tapped Jalen Williams, an All-Star guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, to headline its new “Answers” campaign, spotlighting how its IWant™ AI […]
Commentary
How To Explain AI Search Visibility to Agency Clients
The rise of AI in search is happening fast — and once again, agencies are tasked with making sense of a major shift for their clients while the playbook is still being written. Most enterprise and multi-location clients already understand the fundamentals of traditional local SEO, like Google Business Profile optimization. But when you start […]
Streets Ahead: Agentic Shopping, Reviews, and the Rise of Fresh Content
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google’s agentic shopping move in AI-Driven commerce, review recency and volume driving local visibility, and freshness as the new authority in AI search Agentic Shopping: Google’s Next Move in AI-Driven Commerce The News Just in time for peak holiday spending, Google has rolled out agentic Shopping in […]
Streets Ahead: Whitespark Local Ranking Factors and Local Lists in GBP
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses 2026 Local Ranking Factors from Whitespark as well as local lists in Google Business Profiles 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors: Engagement, Credibility, and Connection The News Whitespark’s Local Search Ranking Factors report remains one of the industry’s most trusted indicators of what drives visibility in local search. […]
Latest Posts
MULO Brands With Soul Fall Pick: Neighborly
What’s soulful about having a toilet unclogged or dust bunnies removed from under your bed? Neighborly, the fastest-growing home services company (with 19 brands in North America and $4B+ in revenue) prides itself on offering services along with soul throughout their business, building out a culture of caring and community. In fact, their recent convention was […]
Keen and Accretive: OOH Drives Hidden Growth
In a media landscape dominated by search, social, and streaming, a new analysis from Keen Decision Systems and Accretive suggests marketers may be missing one of their most efficient levers for growth: out-of-home (OOH) advertising. The joint study reveals that OOH delivers a marginal ROI (mROI) of $7.58 … well above the average media mROI […]
Authentic Storytelling: Real-Life Scenarios Showcase Brand Values and Build Trust
When consumers question what to believe, brands that show (not just tell) who they are will stand out. Authentic storytelling isn’t a marketing trend but a strategic approach that builds trust through clarity, action, and proof. The strongest stories don’t come from scripts. They come from real people, real moments, and real values in action. […]
The Digital Ceiling Is Here – OOH Advertising Is Breaking Through
For years, marketers have been told to chase efficiency, driving budgets deeper into digital and social media. And for a while, that made sense. But efficiency has a ceiling, and today’s marketing ecosystem is hitting it hard. Digital feeds are oversaturated, audiences are fatigued, and the once-reliable growth engine of online marketing has plateaued. With […]
Andy Wiederhorn Returns to Fat Brands
Sometimes stepping away from a role for a while gives leaders a whole new perspective on their company and its future. Andy Wiederhorn, CEO of Fat Brands, spent more than a year as an outside consultant and strategic advisor to the company. It allowed him an opportunity to focus on long-term strategy and capital allocation. […]
Spectrio and Screenverse Partner to Monetize Brand-Owned Screens
Spectrio announced a strategic partnership with Screenverse, one of the fastest-growing players in the programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) space. The collaboration, announced October 15, 2025, expands Spectrio’s capabilities by introducing programmatic ad monetization directly into its enterprise signage ecosystem, turning brand-owned screens into scalable media opportunities. For Spectrio, a long-time leader in digital signage and […]
Has the SWAS (Store-Within-A-Store) Model Hit the Brand Wall?
Retail brand partnerships are nothing new. Big-box retailers seeking new ways to drive traffic were drawn to the SWAS (store-within-a-store) model. In other words, retail brands that had their brick-and-mortar stores set up “outposts” in other well-known stores to bring new consumers through the doors and boost sales of the co-located brand, without the full […]
Translation Needs the Right Turn of Phrase
Phrase is a language technology platform that combines advanced AI translation tools, workflow automation, and creative collaboration within a single environment built to answer the need for any and all global content needs across a business. Phrase has released a new wave of product innovations across global markets. Capabilities like Auto Adapt, Phrase Studio, the […]
Scaling Seasonal SEO Across Locations With AI Insights
For multi-location brands, adapting to highly localized, seasonal shifts in consumer behavior is key to maximizing revenue. But when it comes to local SEO, it can be incredibly complex to manage strategies at scale across locations numbering in the double or triple digits. For marketers managing dozens or hundreds of locations, tracking these hyperlocal patterns […]
MULO Dozen: Fall Brands in Review
Never a dull moment in the MULO (multi-location) brand ecosystem! And this fall has been no exception. From leadership changes to tech innovations, the retail, restaurant, service, and hospitality worlds are ever-changing! Private equity ownership of MULO brands is nothing new. As revealed in a recent press release, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has been […]
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“Why Aren’t We in ChatGPT?”: The New Question Agencies Must Answer