In this podcast, Danny Leibrandt, founder of Pest Control SEO, interviews Darren Shaw, a leading figure in local SEO and founder of WhiteSpark. They discuss Darren's extensive experience in SEO, dating back nearly 25 years, and his company's focus on local SEO software and services, including their well-known listing service. Darren shares his journey from starting WhiteSpark in 2005 as a freelance web developer to growing the company into a major player in local SEO. They delve into key topics like the evolution of local citations, noting that citation consistency has become less critical since Google's shift to an entity-based knowledge graph in 2015. Darren explains that while citations were once a major ranking factor, their importance has diminished as more businesses have adopted them. Today, the focus is on ensuring citations are accurate for user experience rather than SEO benefits. The conversation also covers Google's Business Profile management, emphasizing the importance of regular updates, like Google posts, photo uploads, and service adjustments, to maintain strong local rankings. Darren highlights the value of WhiteSpark's alert system, which notifies businesses of any changes to their Google Business Profile, helping them respond quickly to potential issues. Darren also discusses the future of local SEO, predicting that while Google will remain dominant, search behavior will gradually shift towards AI and generative search engines. He emphasizes the need for businesses to adapt to these changes by optimizing for multiple platforms beyond Google. Overall, the podcast offers valuable insights into the nuances of local SEO, the importance of ongoing profile management, and the future direction of search engine optimization in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Darren Shaw provides expert advice on best practices and shares the innovative tools WhiteSpark offers to help businesses stay ahead in local SEO. Darren Shaw, Founder of Whitespark:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenshawwhitespark/Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarrenShaw_TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@darrenshawseo?lang=enWhitespark: https://whitespark.ca/ Danny Leibrandt, Founder of Pest Control SEO: Facebook: https://facebook.com/DannyLeibrandt LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dannyleibrandt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyLeibrandt Website: https://dannyleibrandt.com Pest Control SEO Podcast Platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlSEO/podcasts Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TCL0LhZbsJS6mzanqnnT1?si=7d918c77a6234ce2 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-seo-podcast/id1741176782 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0bb5254-5d6c-4940-8211-085157cc1239/pest-control-seo-podcast Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/Pest-Control-SEO-Podcast/B0D1FCN28S?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp 00:00 Introduction and Background 06:31 The Evolution of Citations in Local SEO 11:35 Insights from the Local Search Ranking Factors Blog 19:08 Whitespark's Software Offerings for Local SEO 34:21 Making Software Accessible and Affordable 38:35 The Importance of Fresh Content and Review Management 43:06 Optimizing Google Business Profiles 47:31 Managing Multiple Locations 54:33 Link Building and Website Optimization 57:04 The Future of Local SEO 01:03:00 The Future of Whitespark #localmarketing #localbusiness #localseo #seo #marketing #pestcontrol #pestcontrolseo #pestcontrolmarketing