I think Google employees are currently betting on how many ads they can shove above the local pack before people stop clicking them more.

AI Local Packs are taking over - and they're seriously impacting visibility for businesses. Have you seen calls and clicks from GBP decline? This might be why... Watch Colan and I break it down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHsZY5RZJbs

Does your market really need another "walmart slip and fall" page? Do ALL of your competitors already have a page and ranking your own, new, freshly written page seems impossible (it probably is, tbh) Try changing your content format... Mike King explains 👇

Are you seeing social media data in your Google Search Console account?

Next Thursday January 22 at 12pm ET! Join Elizabeth Rule and me as we talk about GBP suspensions, consequences, and do live reviews of cases YOU bring to the chat! Register for a reminder: https://localu.org/live-audit-webinar-gbp-suspensions-jan-2026/

I asked Mike King which was better: a) your site saying you're the "Best XX in Tampa"? or b) A reddit thread or 3rd party site(s) rank that mentions you as the "best XX in Tampa"  What do you think his answer was?  Watch our whole conversation: https://localu.org/watch-january-webinar-mike-king/

Today at 10 AM ET - Head over to r/localsearch as Amy Toman hosts an AMA designed to answer all of your GBP questions! https://www.reddit.com/r/localsearch/

Super. Here is another example where Google killed the 3rd position in the 3-pack and they also removed the button to see more results. h/t @Elizabeth Rule

I'm sitting down with Ben Fisher in February to talk about the violations that actually lead to suspensions in GBP - and which "violations" seem to just be "suggestions." Feb 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET Save your spot: https://localu.org/gbp-violations-punishment-ben-fisher/

Every day I see a new ad format for small businesses. Here is today's observation. The ad in the local pack displaced an actual business. This was showing 3 Google Business Profiles back in November. Now it's 2 + an ad. Oh, and it was easier for me to highlight what isn't an ad here vs what is.

Are you joining us for LocalU Global later this month? Decks from presenters are rolling in and it's going to be EPIC. Get your ticket: https://localu.org/etn/localu-global-january-28-2026/

If you missed my webinar with Mike King this week, you can watch it entirely on demand right on YouTube! Be sure to subscribe so you're notified when we post and when our interviews with industry experts go live! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKJ18NSHzCE

Did you know the hours you list on your GBP impact your visibility? Sukh and Luc break down how to make sure you're visible when users are looking for your services! 👀 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbn8zpWIraY

Not sure how to choose the right category for your business in GBP? Colan wrote about it -and here are the steps & tactics we use to choose the best option https://www.sterlingsky.ca/category-google-business-profile/

Be sure you're registered for my webinar this Wednesday with Mike King! We're going to talk about tactics you can use to compete as AI continues to encroach on organic results. January 7, 2026 at 12pm ET https://localu.org/how-rank-2026-mike-king-webinar/

Just when I thought ads couldn't get any bigger....Google is like, hold my beer.

Facebook groups are one of the clear winners I'm seeing on Google recently.

A DR 88 site with 3.7 million backlinks. I wonder if we'll ever see a world where people stop obsessing over these metrics.

Five tactics to master to succeed at Local SEO in 2026. These were taken from my webinar with Luc Durand and Darren Shaw last week - let me know in the comments what you'd add to your strategy for the next year... Read More: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/the-state-of-local-seo-in-2026/

Had to get a new facebook account (needed to disconnect it from my personal). If you want to friend my new one, it's here:

The great thing about grid tracking was always how easy it was to explain to business owners. With AI-powered local packs, they look a lot more confusing. Instead of a pattern of green/yellow/red, you get these patches of rankings. It looks very different than your traditional local pack rankings.

Ready for LocalU Global?  I'm excited to partner with Darren Shaw to hold a GBP Ranking Roadmap AMA during the event. Will we see you there? https://localu.org/etn/localu-global-january-28-2026/

Just in case Google hasn't taken enough traffic from small businesses this year, they decided to take a bit more, just in time for Christmas! 😒 Not loving the latest December core algorithm update. Will probably have to publish some info on my findings over the break.

How exactly does the whole anonymous reviews feature on Google work? Stefan breaks it down for you.  It doesn't work exactly how I was expecting it to. h/t to Amy Toman for sharing this with me.

Google is showing 3-pack ads so much now that they are running out of room of new spots to put them. Oh wait, here is a fantastic idea, let's put them on branded keywords for your competitor 😒

Next time you feel like copying my client's site, and you want to not get caught, maybe don't forget to remove the links to them - moron. 🤦‍♀️

Did you see our webinar with Darren Shaw and Luc Durand yesterday? Catch the full replay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GWo16IpX2I

Did you know? Press Releases can impact AI Overviews...... Watch the whole video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9AAURjuFus

Are we going to see you at LocalU Global? I'm really excited about this lineup - and for $135 for an entire day, plus access to speakers? Totally worth it... https://localu.org/etn/localu-global-january-28-2026/

Recently was analyzing a local business that got hit by the August 2025 Spam algorithm update and decided to do a video on what I found. Did you see a similar pattern?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASQaRw_xclY

Join the r/localsearch subreddit today at 10 AM ET as Claudia Tomina takes over for an AMA about GBP and local search! Bring your questions - this is a great opportunity to get help with the toughest GBP issues Join: https://www.reddit.com/r/localsearch/

We Analyzed 8,186 Businesses in 200 Cities. Here’s What Actually Gets You Ranking for “Near Me” in 2025 Watch the video & follow our steps: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/what-gets-you-ranking-for-near-me-2025/

Did you miss my live on Monday with Elizabeth Rule?  We reviewed a bunch of websites from attendees and gave advice on how to optimize & rank better, especially for AI Watch the whole thing OnDemand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BN6tu9m-zs

Join my colleague Matt Casady over on Reddit today for an AMA. Let's talk about paid ads, account management, small budgets, Local SEO & More! He'll be answering all of your questions starting at 1:00 PM ET https://www.reddit.com/r/localsearch

How Google’s August 2025 Spam Algorithm Update Impacted Local SEO [Case Study] https://www.sterlingsky.ca/august-2025-spam-algorithm-update/

The August Spam Update - sites are STILL recovering - and we found the smoking gun... ... the cause? FIVE year old backlinks Learn More 👇

Guess what? We have MORE AI features coming to Google Maps. "Know before you go" spotted by Dave DiGregorio.

Join my colleague Elizabeth Rule and I next week as we break down how to rank in an AI world... OPTIMIZING Website SEO for AI Search: Live Webinar Monday, December 8th at 12:00 PM ET Show up live and submit your site for review! https://localu.org/etn/live-webinar-dec-2025/

Google is now sending notifications when review restrictions are removed from an account.   Have you seen this yet?

Excited to be speaking at SEO Rockstars in Dallas next month - will I see you there?  https://seorockstars.net/

Buying reviews is NOT going to work.... Don't do it - you will get caught - either from a competitor reporting you, or Google themselves. https://www.sterlingsky.ca/review-jail-for-fake-5-star-google-reviews/

😂

Thanksgiving was last month...but...Happy Thanksgiving to our southern neighbors...

Today at 10am ET - Join Eean Ovens over on the r/localseo as he discusses 3-pack rankings, CTR manipulation, automations and more! https://www.reddit.com/r/localsearch/

Google’s AI Just Stole Your #1 Spot — Here’s How to Get it Back Newest video from Ranking Academy with Luc Durand and Justin Mosebach details how you can get some visibility back from AI overviews.. Watch 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ZcrfOCik0

Stefan Somborac wrote about a new message showing up when trying to verify your GBP - "No more ways to verify" seems like a roadblock, but there's a trick to get around it Learn How 👉 https://localsearchforum.com/threads/no-more-ways-to-verify-google-business-profile-error-message.62905/

Did you miss our webinar with Lars Lofgren last week? You can rewatch the entire thing on demand!  If you have questions - just post them in the comments on YouTube and we'll get you an answer! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7DsxkyDuOI

Jeremy shared what elements on a YouTube video are the most important for SEO/conversions during our webinar last month. Check out his tips in order of importance to SEO 👇 and watch the entire webinar here: https://localu.org/watch-webinar-local-rank-with-youtube-october/

Review frequency matters far FAR more than sheer volume when it comes to ranking well in Google, especially for "Near me" phrases....  Colan and I break it down for you 👇 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B2oxiJESoY

Do you need a category page on your website for EVERY service you offer?  Probably - but there might be an exception or two - I explain how to decide 👇