Merchynt's Local SEO Blog

The Best Way to Run Ads for Your Marketing Agency (Backed by $500K+ in Ad Spend)

If you’ve ever run paid ads for your agency and walked away feeling like you just threw money into a black hole, you’re not alone. Here at Merchynt, we’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars testing every major ad platform to grow our business, promote our local SEO software Paige, and support thousands of agency partners. In this post, I’m breaking down the pros, cons, and cold facts about where your ad dollars actually work, and which ones just burn your budget. Whether you're selling managed local SEO services, Google My Business optimization, or SaaS, this breakdown will save you money and help you grow.

May 16, 2025

Newsletter

GBP is Turning Into Social Media?

Google just dropped a new feature for Google Business Profiles called “What’s Happening”, and spoiler alert: it looks a lot like a social media feed. This section pulls in your posts (from GBP and other social media), offers, and events and puts them front and center so customers can see what’s new at your business. Potential customers will easily be able to see that you have live music tonight and what today’s special is. In other words, Google is handing you free marketing real estate that will bring you more customers... but only if you use it. If your last post was from 2024, it’s officially time to dust things off. The feature is only currently available for restaurants, but we expect it to be rolled out for many other business types.

May 14, 2025

AI in Local SEO: What SMBs Need to Know About the Next Big Thing

Local SEO has changed—again. And this time, it’s being reshaped by something bigger than algorithm updates or review strategies: artificial intelligence. For small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), the question isn’t whether AI will affect local search engine optimization—it’s how to use it to your advantage. The businesses that embrace AI now will outrank, outperform, and outscale their competitors in the years ahead.

May 12, 2025

Newsletter

New GBP Update That Could Stop Suspensions

Google just rolled out a new feature where they notify you via email when an edit to your Google Business Profile gets rejected. So instead of silently swatting down your changes behind the scenes, Google will now tell you when and why your edit didn’t make the cut. This new update applies to edits made to your business name, categories, address, phone number, hours, and more – basically, all the important stuff. You’ll get a handy email explaining which edit was rejected and a chance to appeal the decision.

May 8, 2025

How To Track Which Employees Got Google Reviews (And Boost Local SEO at the Same Time)

What if you could automate the process of tracking which team member earned a Google review—without needing spreadsheets, manual scanning, or added effort? You can now see which team members are getting the most reviews—without needing extra software or complex tracking tools. In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to track which employee earned each Google review, include SEO-rich keywords that boost your local rankings, and run employee incentive programs with zero tech hassle.

May 5, 2025

Newsletter

Google Improved Verification Process (Sort Of)

If you’ve recently been asked to reverify your Google Business Profile, you’re not alone. Over the past few weeks, we have seen an increase in people reporting that their Google Business Profiles have been suspended, particularly those in the home services (carpet cleaners, locksmiths, etc.). While Google hasn’t made any big public announcements, it’s clear they’ve been quietly cracking down on questionable business addresses on service business profiles & people using duplicate profiles to cover a wider area.

May 5, 2025

Newsletter

Google Business Profile Posts Are Gone?

If you logged into your Google Business Profile today and thought, “Wait… where did all my posts go?!” you’re not alone. People all around the world have started reporting that their posts are no longer appearing. We’re fairly certain this is just a display bug, and there’s no need to worry.

April 24, 2025

‍Quick Wins for Small Businesses: Improve Your Local SEO in 15 Minutes a Day

Local SEO doesn’t have to be overwhelming or time-consuming. In fact, with just 15 minutes a day, small businesses can significantly improve their visibility on Google Maps and local search. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or managing a team, these fast wins—powered by smart local SEO software like Paige—can make a measurable difference in your rankings. This blog will walk you through five daily micro-tasks that help with SEO services, Google My Business optimization, reputation management, and more.

April 22, 2025

How SMBs Can Beat Larger Competitors with Smarter Local SEO Strategies

If you’re a small business owner, you might think it’s impossible to outrank big brands on Google Maps or in local search results. They’ve got bigger budgets, full-time marketing teams, and an army of reviews. In this post, I’ll walk you through the exact steps and tools SMBs are using right now to outrank larger competitors and get found by more customers.

April 15, 2025

Google’s AI Destroys Fake Reviews + Interesting Findings

Google just turned up the heat on fake reviews and not in a subtle way. They’re now using their AI system, Gemini, to sniff out and remove fake and policy-violating reviews (read Google's post). And if you get caught? Google might slap a warning label right on your profile telling the world that your reviews look suspicious. So if you’ve been tempted to take a shady approach to reviews… don’t. Google is strict on reviews because they matter a lot, which we’ve learned a lot about from the ranking data we’ve been studying from Paige, our GBP optimization AI. Here’s our top 3 findings about reviews so you know what really matters according to the data!

April 10, 2025

Newsletter

Google Myth Busters: How Long Does It Take To Rank?

We interrupt your regularly scheduled newsletter full of tips on how to get more customers from Google Maps with a Public Service Announcement. PSA: It takes 4-6 months for most businesses to start ranking higher on Google Maps after starting a new SEO strategy. This isn’t news to us, but it is obvious there are misconceptions in the marketplace about the time it takes to rank a Google Business Profile on Google Maps - shared by shady sales people.

April 3, 2025

How to Grow Your Marketing Agency in 2025 (Even Without a Huge Team)

Hey agency owners 👋 — If you’re wondering how to actually scale your marketing agency in 2025 (and not just bounce from client to client), you’re in the right place. We’ve cracked the code on lead generation and automated fulfillment, and I’m going to show you our exact playbook so you can copy it for your agency. Whether you offer web design, local SEO, social media, or even PPC, this guide will walk you through what’s working to grow fast (without burning out).

March 31, 2025

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating SEO-Friendly Videos for Your Business

In today’s digital world, short-form videos like Reels and shorts are gaining immense popularity. They are quickly becoming the preferred content for capturing attention and engaging audiences. Even Google is reinforcing this trend by actively encouraging businesses to post videos on their Google Business Profiles. This guide will break down why video marketing is necessary for local SEO, the best affordable tools to create high-quality content, and how Paige—an AI-powered solution—can streamline the entire process for you.

March 25, 2025

The Ultimate Checklist for Keeping Your Online Listings Accurate

Here’s a real story that happened. A Yelp user searched for a smoke shop online and they found one on Yelp. They looked at the business opening hours and decided to take a stroll down to the shop, only to find it closed. Frustrated, they searched for the GBP of the company and left a scathing review. In this blog post, we’ll provide the ultimate checklist for managing online listings and introduce a powerful tool—Paige—that can save you time and effort while boosting your local SEO rankings.

March 21, 2025

Newsletter

The New Secret Weapon for GMB Rankings

Think YouTube is just for influencers and funny pet videos? Think again! If you're not using YouTube to boost your Google Business Profile, you’re missing out on one of the biggest ranking hacks out there. Google loves businesses that use video, and since Google owns YouTube, it rewards those who do. Yet, most local businesses completely overlook it. That’s great news for you because it means an easy way to get ahead of your competitors. Here’s a list we threw together of the top 3 benefits of YouTube posting for your GMB rankings!

March 20, 2025