Getting local SEO news and information from the right sources can be what propels agencies and local businesses to the next level. And, unfortunately, the phenomenon of fake news has left no stone unturned — yes, even in the local SEO world misinformation can be rife.
That’s why we make it our priority to collate the very best local SEO blogs in the industry, but we couldn’t possibly do it alone…
We enrolled the help of the local search community to determine who deserved to pip the rest to the post!
Voters turned out (virtually) in their masses to tell us who they thought deserved to be crowned the Top Local SEO Blog of 2020, and our nominees wasted no time fighting their cases on socials!
Now, the results are in. Read on to find out who won the top spot, plus our top-20 reading list.
Top Local SEO Blogs 2020
Local SEO Guide
Although not the most frequent bloggers of the bunch, when Local SEO Guide does post, it goes down a storm — which is no surprise given the type of unique insights Local SEO Guide shares.
It helps, too, that Local SEO Guide’s roster of bloggers includes local SEO pros Andrew Shotland and Dan Leibson.
Over the past year, Local SEO Guide’s blog (aptly labeled with the heading “This Is The Kind Of Stuff We’d Be Talking About To You If You Were A Client…”) has covered news pieces, — such as the update to Aggregate Lighthouse Reporter — think pieces and how-tos.
Plus, if you like webinars you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for the Local SEO Guide Show, coming soon.
Time to get working on that scraper, Dan!
Vote for us!
If we win I will release a Google scraper that extracts the entities out of PAA at scale. https://t.co/nQLf8pseEz
— Dan Leibson (@DanLeibson) September 18, 2020
Frequency
Monthly
Highlights
- How to Scale Content Production That Doesn’t Suck
- Buck Up, Even Google Screws Up Technical SEO
- What Even Is An SEO? (Can We Please Stop Talking About HTML)
- SEOs: Do You Suffer From “Imposter Syndrome”?
- Say Hello To The CRaP SERP
Sterling Sky
This past year it’s safe to say that Sterling Sky has been on fire with its in-depth investigative blogs.
Again, Sterling Sky benefits from a fantastic pool of expert local SEOs, including founder Joy Hawkins, Colan Nielsen, and Carrie Hill, whose insights can also be found over at Local U and Local Search Forum.
Arguably what Sterling Sky’s blog is known best for is sharing tests they’ve done and often dispelling common local SEO myths in the process. For example, ‘Do Services in Google My Business Impact Ranking?’
Also on the Sterling Sky blog, you’ll find up-to-date news pieces, how-to guides, and their new ‘20 Questions’ series, designed to help readers better get to know their team.
Frequency
3-4 times per month
Highlights
- When Can Service-Based Businesses Have Multiple Google My Business Listings?
- Why Rank Tracking Shouldn’t Be in Local SEO Monthly Reports
- The Ultimate Guide to Local Pack (3-Pack) Ads
- [2020] Ultimate Playbook for Google My Business Suspensions
- Does the URL You Link to in Google My Business Impact Ranking in the Local Pack?
GatherUp
GatherUp’s blog is an absolute treasure trove of insights when it comes to online reviews, and it continues to be a platform for founders Mike Blumenthal and Aaron Weiche to share their expertise and insights on.
Naturally, GatherUp’s blog tends to be fairly review-heavy, so if you’re looking for reputation management insights and updates it should certainly be among your bookmarked sites.
That said, the team at GatherUp isn’t afraid to jump into topical news pieces or explore areas outside their product. For example, among the frequent changes local businesses needed to keep up with during the pandemic, GatherUp ran a poll questioning whether or not consumers supported businesses requiring masks (thankfully the answer was a resounding “yes”.)
Frequency
4 x per month
Highlights
- How To Get a Google Review Removed
- What Impact Will Apple Reviews Have?
- The (Almost) Complete List of Google Review Attribute Categories
- Have Review Attributes Fixed A Google Review Problem?
- Reviews & Your Business: Developing Your Review Strategy
Traject
It may be a little less local-focussed but Traject is certainly a go-to for those hoping to gain a better understanding of SEO on a whole, including how to navigate different types of SERP features.
Among its local SEO topics (such as how to tackle multi-location SEO), Traject shares informative articles on the likes of featured snippets, how to guest blog successfully, and arising search engines to watch — all of which will benefit local businesses in gaining a more holistic understanding of SEO.
Plus, Traject’s ‘Agency Ahead’ series provides unique pointers to help agencies working with local businesses level up. And the series features local SEO legends such as Mike Blumenthal, Joy Hawkins, Krystal Taing, Phil Rozek, and more.
Frequency
Twice per week (give or take)
Highlights
- How SEO Data Can Inform Next Steps
- Local Search, Big Data, and Big Wins with Dan Leibson
- The Current State of Local SEO with Joy Hawkins
- How To Use Product Reviews In Your Marketing Materials
- Intro to Google Featured Snippets
BrightLocal
Judging by the fact that you’re here, I’m guessing that you’re already somewhat familiar with the BrightLocal blog (or ‘Bright Ideas’ if you’re feeling fancy). But, for those who aren’t, I’ll run you through what you can expect from us.
The BrightLocal blog covers a range of content across reviews, Google My Business, citations, and more, including research pieces, topical news, in-depth how-to guides, content series like Advance Your Agency (designed to help fledgling agencies grow), We Asked the Experts (top tips on hot topics from local SEO’s brightest minds), and Local Quizness (a fun way to keep on top of local SEO news).
If that’s not enough to keep you busy, we’ve got a monthly podcast, Adventures in Local Marketing, and regular webinars too, including our popular Local Search Clinic series.
Frequency
2-3 times per week
Highlights
- Local Consumer Review Survey
- What Should My Agency Be Charging for Local SEO?
- We Asked the Experts: How Do You Make a Google My Business Listing More ‘Clickable’?
- How BrightLocal Supercharged Its Review Strategy
- Apple Maps Ratings: What’s New and What’s Next?
The Ultimate Local SEO Blogs Reading List
The top 20 local SEO publications below are based on those who received the highest number of votes from respondents.
Did your favorite local SEO blogs make the list? Let us know in the comments below!
