Author | Lightnews

Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 2d

P.S. Full episode is up on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Reviews are always appreciated 🙏 as long as you’re not planning to message us afterward asking for money to change them.

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 2d

🚨 Review extortion is real: scammers leave 1-star reviews, then demand cash to remove them. It’s been happening for years, but Google finally acknowledged it and shared how to report it (via @rustybrick.com).

We cover this and more in the new episode of The Whitespark Local Update! 👇

Review Extortion, AI Content Audit Assistant & a Pair of Shorts | E8 The Whitespark Local Update

YouTube video by Whitespark

youtu.be

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 7d

I tend to rant about businesses not listing their pricing online, and turns out, I’m not alone. @krystaltaing.bsky.social’s study shows missing pricing drives customers to competitors. @miriamellis.bsky.social covers this and +5 more local website must-haves on the Whitespark blog. Checklist below!!

6 Must-Have Elements for a High-Converting Local Business Website

This article looks at 6 conversion-making fine details that are consistently missing from the websites of small-to-enterprise local brands.

whitespark.ca

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 9d

And please, if you like what we are doing, drop us a comment or a review wherever you listen to podcasts. We truly appreciate your feedback ❤️

Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 9d

Is citation consistency making a comeback? I know I’ve said it doesn’t matter much anymore, but what if it does for LLMs?

@clairecarlile.bsky.social and I talk about this and more on the pod this week! 👇

You can watch the new episode below or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Bing Bombs Big Time, Local SEO is Thriving, Citation Consistency | E7 The Whitespark Local Update

YouTube video by Whitespark

youtu.be

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 13d

Help me get back to 45k active subscribers?

If you like local search, you’ll love my emails. Google “Whitespark Local Insider Newsletter” to subscribe.

Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 13d

It also helps with:

- Reducing costs
- Cleaner data (A smaller, more engaged list = better open rates and better metrics overall. Cut the dead weight that’s messing up your numbers.)

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 13d

If thousands of people never open your emails, that hurts your sender reputation and pushes your emails to the spam folder. Removing unengaged subscribers helps your emails land in real inboxes.

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 13d

My newsletter just hit 45,000 subscribers 🎉 Then I deleted 822.

I highly recommend cleaning your email list monthly. Here’s why:

I mostly do this to improve deliverability. Email providers assign a spam score to your sending email.

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 14d

Here’s the first page of the table as a gesture of goodwill 😁

Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 14d

Can an e-commerce business have a Google Business Profile? What about a practitioner in a multi-practitioner business? Or a business within a business?

@miriamellis.bsky.social’s new guide gives you all the answers. Get the full guide, the GBP Eligibility Summary table, and more below! 👇

Can Your Business Be on Google? A Guide to GBP Eligibility by Business Type

This guide will help you discover which model your business falls under according to Google, and whether it's eligible for a Google Business Profile.

whitespark.ca

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 15d

It’s basically a combination of “chunking” + “ranch SEO”: You blow some chunks onto the main page (inside podcast joke with @clairecarlile.bsky.social - E4), and then build out your ranch with the dedicated pages: “Chunk Ranching”

Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 15d

5️⃣ Bonus tip: If you’ve got 20 FAQs, don’t drop them all at once. Publish ~8 at a time, then cycle them weekly. For example, remove 3, add 3 new ones (it keeps your content fresh, and Google likes that).

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 15d

Why not both?! Here’s a strategy we’re calling “Chunk Ranching” 🐄:

1️⃣ Figure out the common questions around your topic.
2️⃣ Add them to a FAQ section on your page.
3️⃣ Answer each question *briefly* right there.
4️⃣ Then link each question to a dedicated page that answers it in depth.

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 15d

You do some query fan-out research and end up with 10+ sub-questions. But now what?

👉 Should you cram all questions into one mega-page?

👉 Or create a separate page for each question?

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 16d

I don't know what you mean by "carewords"

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 16d

You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

And please leave us a comment or a review wherever you listen to it — we highlight some of your wonderful feedback in this episode, and we really appreciate everything you say ❤️

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Darren Shaw @whitespark.ca · 16d

Apparently, businesses can now LOSE all their reviews if they ask for them at the register? 🤔

@clairecarlile.bsky.social and I discuss @claudiatomina.bsky.social’s report on this issue and MORE on today’s episode of the Whitespark Local Update podcast!

Watch the episode below! 👇

The Future of AI Search, Suspensions Surge & Google's Insights Tool | E6 The Whitespark Local Update

YouTube video by Whitespark

youtu.be

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