That’s why we spend time gathering information, sharing the news, and finding out just what’s going on—so you don’t have to.

But if you want to keep your finger on the pulse and delve into as much of the industry conversation as possible, we’ve put together a list of prolific social media posters, the most up-to-date newsletters, and other relevant sources of industry info for you to follow. 

Google Business Profile Product Experts:

The friendly folk who spend time helping answer questions on Google’s Business Profile Help Community are also experienced local SEOs who tend to share their ideas, insights, and anything newsworthy on social media. 

Ehab Aboud

Principal Solution Engineer at Uberall

Follow on LinkedIn

Area of specialism: Google Business Profile

Mike Blumental

Co-Founder and Analyst at Near Media

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile features and updates, AI 

Articles by Mike

Tim Capper

Local SEO Consultant at Online Ownership

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Area of specialism: Hotels and hospitality SEO

Articles by Tim

Claire Carlile

Local SEO at Claire Carlile

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile features and updates

Articles by Claire

Ben Fisher

Founder at Steady Demand

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile features and bugs

Articles by Ben

Greg Gifford

Chief Operating Officer at SearchLab

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Area of specialism: Live tweeting SEO conferences

Articles by Greg

Yan Gilbert

Local SEO Consultant at Yan Gilbert

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile

Joy Hawkins

Owner/President at Sterling Sky

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Area of specialism: Local search tactics and local algorithm updates

Articles by Joy

Sam Knight

Co Founder at Hoopless

 

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile

Articles by Sam

Colan Nielsen

VP Local Search at Sterling Sky

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile

Articles by Colan

Stefan Somborac

Local SEO Analyst at Sterling Sky

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile

Elizabeth Rule

SEO Analyst at Sterling Sky

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile, multi-location marketing

Articles by Elizabeth

Krystal Taing

Solutions Engineer, Strategic Partnerships at Uberall

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile, multi-location marketing

Articles by Krystal

Amy Toman

SEO Analyst at Digital Law Marketing

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Area of specialism: Legal SEO

Articles by Amy

Claudia Tomina

Chief Executive Officer at Reputation ARM

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Area of specialism: Restaurant and hospitality SEO

Incredible Local SEOs

Celeste Gonzalez

SEO Strategist at RicketyRoo

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Area of specialism: SEO and data testing

Articles by Celeste

Julian Hooks

Senior Manager of SEO at Asurion

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Area of specialism: Multi-location and franchise, service-area businesses

Articles by Julian

Amanda Jordan

Senior SEO Specialist at Owner

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Area of specialism: Local SEO strategy, service-area businesses

Articles by Amanda

Danny Leibrandt

Founder at Pest Control SEO

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Area of specialism: Service-area businesses

Elizabeth Linder

SEO Strategist at Kick Point

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Area of specialism: Google Business Profile, multi-location marketing

Articles by Elizabeth

David Mihm

Near Media

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Area of specialism: Local SEO strategy

Articles by David

Melissa Popp

Content Strategy Director at RicketyRoo

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Area of specialism: Content and local SEO

Articles by Melissa

Andrew Shotland

CEO at Local SEO Guide

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Area of specialism: Multi-location marketing

Andy Simpson

Senior SEO Specialist at Digital Law Marketing

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Area of specialism: Legal SEO, new AI features

Articles by Andy

Greg Sterling

Co-Founder at Near Media

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Area of specialism: Research, consumer behavior, AI

Articles by Greg

Gyi Tsakalakis

Founder at AttorneySync

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Area of specialism: Legal SEO

Articles by Gyi

Steve Wiideman

President at Wiideman Consulting Group

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Area of specialism: Multi-location marketing

Articles by Steve

Brad Wetherall

COO at Esquire Digital

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Area of specialism: AI and Local Search

Brilliant Communities

The Local Pack

The Local Pack is BrightLocal’s Facebook community group, where over 5,000+ local SEOs have come together to create a safe space to ask and answer questions, share the latest news, and uncover any new insights.

Women in Tech SEO

A group for women and gender non-conforming people in the SEO and marketing industry. It’s a safe space where folks can ask questions, gather ideas, network both online and off, and find opportunities.

The SEO Community

Built with compassion, this SEO Slack group is a fast-growing community with constant conversation about the wider industry. With a channel for local, this is a great place to get your questions answered and meet others in the biz.

Local SEO Strategies & Google Business Profile Help with Tim Kahlert

A Facebook group for all local SEOs, whether beginner or expert. You’ll most likely find the answer to any question here!

Newsletters

Yes, it can be a pain to sift through the junk that comes into your inbox, but we promise, these are the newsletters that matter. 

The BrightLocal Digest

Stay updated with the latest local SEO insights, guides, industry news, and everything happening in the world of BrightLocal.>

Near Media

A must-read for local search news and analysis from Mike Blumenthal, Greg Sterling, and David Mihm. It’s worth the monthly subscription to get peak insights from the ‘grandfathers’ of local.

Sterling Sky

The Sterling Sky Dream Team consists of GBP product experts and highly experienced local SEOs. They often share insightful case studies, debunk myths, or provide the first intel on new algorithm updates.

Whitespark’s The Local Insider

If you prefer bite-sized tips and ideas, sign up for the Whitespark newsletter. You’re bound to learn something new.

Kick Point

Kick Point and Kick Point Playbook’s newsletters are great to subscribe to for news articles and guides across the wider SEO and digital marketing industry. Plus, the Kick Point newsletter reflects the team’s brilliantly fun personality, so if you want a weekly giggle, this one is worth signing up for.

Marie Haynes

Marie’s ‘AI News You Can Use’ newsletter gives short takeaways on AI and search that are easy to understand and digest. If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed by the noise around AI, Marie is bound to help you navigate the updates in a clear and simple way. 

Search Engine Roundtable

If there’s one newsletter to follow for breaking SEO news straight into your inbox, it’s this one. Barry Schwartz is the most prolific news writer in the biz, constantly gathering new tests and updates from a range of sources. It’s chock-a-block and extremely valuable.

That’s a lot to explore, but each one is a goldmine of insights for anyone serious about local SEO. So, follow these experts, join the conversations, and stay sharp in the ever-evolving world of local search. And remember, the more you learn, the better you rank.

Algorithms are evolving. Zero-click SERPs are more common, through AI Overviews (AIO) and Search Generative Experience (SGE). And, consumers’ social awareness has shifted. Having a recognizable and trustworthy brand can make or break your local visibility in 2025.

In our recent Live Masterclass: How Important is Brand for Local Search Visibility in 2025?, expert panellist Elizabeth Rule unpacked how brand strength influences local SEO performance. 

Here are the top takeaways from Elizabeth’s session to help you align your branding efforts with your local SEO goals—and get found by more customers in 2025.

Watch the Replay

Brand Is As Important Now As It Always Has Been

Why is everyone talking about brand right now?

The hype of AIOs and SGE, alongside the increase in zero-click search has brought brand right into focus. A good example of this is how Forbes tends to rank across multiple AIO searches, and continues to show up after various algorithm updates. It feels like Google is favoring bigger brands with more domain authority over smaller brands. 

Alongside this, Google is launching a new brand profile through the merchant center (not all local businesses will be able to use this), which is a clear indicator that Google is shifting toward focusing on what a brand can bring to a topic or industry in search results. 

Tip 1: A Strong Brand Is More than Just Your Logo

Having a strong brand means people know and trust your business. They’re more likely to click on your listing or your website than a brand they don’t know.

Trust and awareness in your brand can come from the local community, your review profile and through zero-click search.

Tip 2: Tap into Communities

Offline communities, online communities, and social media are all great ways to get your brand out to your target audience. 

Brands that use more traditional marketing, such as billboards and branded vehicles, do a little better in SEO because more people are aware of and engaged with the brand in general. This engagement helps you rank better, and the more people click your website, the higher up in the SERPs you’ll show.  

Spread your marketing efforts beyond Google and your website. Local social media groups or community forums, like Facebook groups, Next Door, or local SubReddits, are great ways to get your brand out there. 

Tip 3: Your Brand Website Is Critical

Getting your website up to date is crucial, as it’s a valuable source of truth for Google. Mention the important information about your business—who you are, what you do, the services you offer, and where you do it. Make it easy for Google and your customers to understand all of this information. 

While this information helps Google build its organic results and customers move further down the funnel, it could also help your brand if and when it appears on AIOs. Though there doesn’t seem to be a known indication of Google’s ranking factors for AIO, or how they pull the information that appears from it, it is known that Google sometimes pulls through incorrect information.

Tip 4: Become an Authority in Your Sector

Showcase your authority, knowledge, and understanding of your website through your brand entity. For example, your website is a great place to put your well-crafted content and answer the questions that your customers and potential customers have. 

Tell your audience how to do things and show that you know how to do it best. (An example here would be a decorator—explain to your audience how they can decorate themselves, but also show your authority and expertise in case they’d prefer for you to do it for them.) Become the go-to brand for knowledge and education.

Tip 5: Should You Use Keywords in Business Names?

Your business name is a huge part of your brand, and you want to make sure your business profile appears at the top of search results. With that in mind, adding one or two top-converting keywords to your business name means you can have a keyword-rich Google Business Profile.

An example of this would be to add a unique brand modifier to your name. This could be ‘Tarquin Heating and Air Conditioning’ as opposed to ‘Toronto Heating and Air Conditioning’. 

An oldie, but a goodie… do not do this! 

Tip 6: Online Reputation Is Crucial for Brand

Your brand reputation shows potential customers how well you do business, and reflects your brand as a whole. That’s why reviews are critical for brand, and something you really shouldn’t ignore.

Getting new, regular Google reviews is a ranking factor, and according to the 2025 Local Consumer Review Survey, 27% of consumers would use a business if they can see new reviews from the past month.

So, while you don’t have full control over your Google reviews, you can control how you manage your reputation. Whether that’s responding kindly to a negative review, responding with gratitude for positive reviews, or asking your customers to leave a review for you, reputation can help build trust and conversions. 

All in all, brand-building isn’t a quick SEO fix. It’s a strategic, long-term investment that pays off in trust, engagement, and higher-quality traffic. Having a strong brand will impact the way potential customers perceive you, remember you, and engage with you. 

If you need help building your brand, get in touch with our local SEO services team to discover how we can support your goals. 

The redesign will feature a ‘Local’ specific tab that will group together local community-specific features, such as Marketplace, Groups, and Events.

Image source: Tech Crunch

Local content will also begin to be featured in a user’s feed, showcasing posts and information from their local area. 

Image source: Tech Crunch

Other features in this redesign include the addition of an Explore tab and changes to events and groups. The Explore tab will move towards showing entertaining and useful content to the user, much like Instagram’s Explore page or TikTok’s For You Page. Facebook events will allow visitors without an account to view and respond to events, while groups are integrating a new AI feature to help answer group questions. 

So, let’s dive into the current state of Facebook and business discovery for a Gen-Z audience and consider what local businesses might need to know about the future. 

What is the current state of Facebook? 

According to data published by Digital Media Ninja, 87% of millennials use Facebook at least once per week. 

We know that the platform boomed for this generation around 15 years ago, many of whom have long since abandoned the space in search of greener pastures. It was a space to connect with our friends, share albums of 600 digital camera photos from one night out, and wish someone we used to go to school a ‘happy birthday’ when their notification popped up. 

The space is still used to share photos or life updates, but there’s also a cacophony of spam and engagement bait accounts that provide little to no value to our scrolling experience.  

These days, we millennials use Facebook for its Marketplace feature (though it’s increasingly like avoiding a laser security system to get away from scammers) and its groups. Yes, we love our local neighborhood groups to find out where our missing parcels have ended up, make recommendations for local services and contractors, and get the best restaurant recommendations for the area, but that’s the extent of the involvement for many of us.

Older generations might still use the platform for human interaction with friends and family, whereas Millennials are using it for transactional and informational purposes. And we know that Gen Z audiences don’t really use the platform at all. 

So, is Facebook’s update to introduce new local features targeted at Gen Z too little, too late?

In this year’s Local SEO for Good, we spoke to Steve Wiideman about the current trends in search. He told us that ”51% of Gen Alpha and Gen Z are using TikTok for search more than Google. They’re living and breathing TikTok, so why would they go anywhere else?”

How are Gen Zs using social media for business discovery?

As of last year, “only 33% of U.S. teens are now on Facebook”, an unsurprising statistic for those of us who have watched the decline of Facebook’s popularity in real-time.

Instead, “91% of Gen Z social media users are on Instagram and another 86% are on TikTok”. 

Nowadays, Instagram and TikTok are not only used as social media platforms to connect with friends and communities; they also act as tools for product discovery, news and events, and customer care. 

Image source: Sprout Social

These platforms keep their audiences scrolling through carefully crafted (see also: addictive) algorithms that engage, educate, and, ultimately, entertain. 

Whether it’s an algorithm that is painfully accurate to one’s interests and current trends or it’s the hyper-relatable content creators who have overtaken the OG influencers, TikTok and Instagram have a unique hold on young audiences. 

Plus, both platforms offer short-form video, which is now the most popular way of consuming content. 

“People are short on time, but that doesn’t take away their desire for content. They want it — just faster.” Hubspot

Of course, other social media platforms have adopted short-form video, including Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and even LinkedIn. However, Instagram and TikTok are the most popular platforms for this age group. 

Many people might wonder: should we care about Gen Z and how they use social media for business discovery? Why bother to focus on a group that doesn’t represent a huge portion of our current market and, generally speaking, isn’t making huge purchasing decisions? The answer is simple: Gen Z represents an entirely new generation. They are your business’ future customers.

“Even if you don’t care to be in the zeitgeist. They are our future consumers, so you need to have them in mind—even if you’re not trying to reach them today.” Casey Lewis, Social Media Consultant

Gen Z represents people born between 1997 and 2012. Those aged 24-27 are now coming into their own and have more spending power. Those aged 18-23 might represent college students descending on new towns, eager to explore and find little luxuries. And the 12-18-year-olds represent the next group of consumers we need to prepare to appeal to. 

Gen Z consumers are some of the most conscious consumers, keen to support local businesses rather than national conglomerates. Whether it’s visiting a local coffee shop, shopping second-hand at a local thrift store, or supporting local community events. 

Plus, we know younger generations are early adopters. Case in point: Facebook, which was once a millennial hangout, now plays host to older folk. 

Where younger generations are, older audiences will follow. That’s why it’s important to understand where Gen Z is, how they discover businesses, and how they engage with content. Social media is a great way to raise your brand’s awareness and educate an audience enough to make an informed decision about purchase. 

For what it’s worth, whilst Facebook is trying to capture a Gen Z audience, they’re bound to have already missed the mark. I don’t believe that these new features will bring a new audience, but I do think that they will provide some useful functionality for people already active on the platform. 

If they’re pushing forward relevant, useful, local information to people, that’s got to be a good thing, right? And if this means more visibility for local businesses, then it could be a promising new update. 

What do local businesses need to know, and what should they do? 

Regardless of the uptake from Gen Z, Facebook’s new local features offer more visibility for local businesses. It’s key to remember how useful social media can be for local businesses and take advantage of the opportunities available.

Having an active and up-to-date social media presence is highly beneficial. Make sure your online reputation is well managed, that Facebook reviews are responded to, and recommendations on local Facebook groups are followed up with. Even if it’s not certain that Gen Z will see what you do on Facebook, someone will.

Commit to posting on social media, informing local customers of your offerings, educating them, and helping them. If local content is going to be shown on user’s feeds, now’s your chance to impress them! 

Work out where people are searching for you, and make sure you’re there. 

If that means meeting a Gen Z audience on Gen Z platforms or navigating new Facebook features, there’s plenty of opportunity for business discovery.