Episode 13: Local SEO Blockbuster — Insights and Actionable Tips With Greg Gifford

Key Takeaways

• Google is now displaying warning alerts on Business Profiles caught engaging in fraudulent review practices
• Local link building requires a fundamentally different approach from traditional SEO
• Businesses should track organic traffic, organic leads, and total leads instead of relying on rank tracking
• AI tools are best used as efficiency boosters for processes and custom tool building, not as replacements for human-written content
• Local SEO maturity varies significantly by region — basic optimizations can deliver outsized results in markets where competition is less advanced

Local SEO continues to evolve rapidly, with Google tightening its stance on review fraud and AI reshaping how marketers approach their day-to-day work. For multi-location brands, staying current on these shifts is critical to maintaining visibility and driving revenue from local search.

In this episode of the Local Marketing Beat podcast, host Christian Hustle sits down with Greg Gifford, COO at SearchLab, to discuss Google’s new review fraud alerts, practical local link-building strategies, how to properly measure local SEO ROI, and why AI is changing — not replacing — the marketer’s job.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

01:14 Greg’s Last Local Search

02:55 BrightonSEO UK Recap and Google’s Review Fraud Alerts

08:34 BrightonSEO USA Expectations

11:45 AI in Local Marketing: Concerns and Opportunities

18:52 Tracking ROI for Local SEO

23:22 Local Link Building Strategies

26:42 UK vs. US Local SEO Maturity

30:57 The Real Power of Reviews

35:37 The Movie That Best Represents SEO

Google’s New Review Fraud Alerts: A Global Crackdown Is Coming

“Google started displaying alerts on Google Business Profiles if businesses have been caught doing something shady with reviews. There’s an alert that says this business has been engaged in fraudulent review practices, so reviews are turned off for this business for a period of time.” — Greg Gifford

Greg shared that, for the first time he can recall, Google rolled out a major feature in the UK before anywhere else. Businesses caught manipulating their reviews now see public warnings directly on their Google Business Profile. One type of alert indicates that reviews have been removed due to questionable practices, while a more severe version shuts off the ability to receive reviews entirely for a set period.

This rollout aligns with the updated FTC regulations in the United States around fake reviews, paid reviews, and reviews from friends and family. Greg noted that because Google has deployed this across the entire UK, it is highly likely the feature will expand globally. For businesses relying on review management as part of their local strategy, this is a clear signal: Ethical review practices are no longer optional — they’re enforced.

AI As a Tool Belt Addition, Not a Job Replacement

“I look at AI more as like, you know, you’ve got Uberall, you’ve got Ahrefs, you’ve got Semrush, you’ve got these different software tools. ChatGPT or Gemini or whatever it is that you’re using — it’s just another tool in your Batman tool belt. It’s not a replacement for your job.” — Greg Gifford

The conversation turned to how AI is reshaping local marketing workflows. Greg emphasized that AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and others should be treated as additional instruments in a marketer’s toolkit, rather than as replacements for human expertise.

Greg noted that the industry has swung from an initial rush to use AI for content creation back toward valuing human-written content. Recent conference sessions reflect this shift, with speakers now advising that AI is useful for outlines and process shortcuts but not yet reliable enough to produce quality content on its own. Greg himself enjoys testing ChatGPT’s Excel formula capabilities against his own knowledge as a way to evaluate the tool’s accuracy.

Where AI truly shines, according to Greg, is in process automation and custom tool building. He highlighted tools that let nondevelopers write conversational prompts to generate working code, enabling freelancers and small agencies to build their own monitoring tools or API integrations without a dedicated development team. This, Greg argued, is leveling the playing field and making the profession more exciting, not more threatening.

Measuring Local SEO ROI: Stop Chasing Rankings

“The biggest mistake that most people make is they gravitate towards using rank tracking as a metric for success and they don’t understand the inherent flaws with local rank tracking. Just because you rank for a term doesn’t mean you’re selling more stuff.” — Greg Gifford

Greg was direct about one of the most common pitfalls in local SEO measurement: over-reliance on rank tracking. He explained that business owners often pick ranking position as their success metric because it feels straightforward, but it misses the bigger picture. Ranking number one for a search phrase does not automatically translate into more traffic, leads, or sales.

Instead, Greg recommended a layered approach to measurement. Businesses should monitor organic traffic, organic leads, and total leads through analytics. When good SEO improves your site’s user experience, it lifts conversion rates across all traffic sources — not just organic. That means paid search, social media, and direct traffic all benefit from the optimizations you make for SEO.

For businesses with sales tracking capability, Greg outlined a clear path: Connect the increase in organic traffic to the increase in leads, then tie those leads to actual revenue growth. Tracking the full funnel from visibility to revenue is essential for understanding true location performance.

Local Link Building: Unlearn What You Know About Traditional SEO

“You need to either unlearn what you’ve learned about traditional link building or just ignore what you hear about traditional link building. Nofollow links will still have effect, which they wouldn’t in the traditional algorithm.” — Greg Gifford

Greg previewed his brightonSEO San Diego presentation on local link building, stressing that the local algorithm operates differently from the traditional one. Many marketers — even experienced ones — approach local SEO by simply adding a Google Business Profile to their regular SEO strategy, without realizing the local algorithm has its own distinct set of signals.

One key difference is that nofollow links still carry weight in the local algorithm, unlike in traditional SEO. For local businesses, the goal is to earn links from websites and businesses in the same geographic area. Greg’s presentation covers specific tactics for building these local links, as well as the often-neglected operational side — how to structure teams, manage campaigns, conduct research and prospecting, and execute outreach.

Greg observed that most link-building conference talks either showcase flashy agency campaigns or share tactics without addressing the day-to-day process. His approach aims to provide a comprehensive reset: the differences in local, the tactics, and the business operations behind effective local search strategy.

Regional Differences in Local SEO Maturity

“You could do local SEO for an attorney in London and probably get results really quickly because everybody else isn’t as aggressive. In the US, attorneys are like the most advanced with local SEO because they’ve all been doing it for years.” — Greg Gifford

Greg offered a candid comparison of local SEO maturity across regions. In North America, he said, the field is more competitive and advanced — not because practitioners are smarter, but because local SEO has been a recognized discipline there for longer. Verticals like legal services in the US are extremely competitive, requiring near-perfect execution across all ranking factors to move the needle.

In contrast, Greg noted that the UK and Europe are catching up quickly but haven’t yet reached the same level of competitive intensity. Basic optimizations that might feel like SEO 101 in the US can still deliver significant results in markets across Europe, Latin America, and South America. Christian echoed this with his own experience building a simple blog in Mexico that ranked number one for years off a single inexpensive link.

For multi-location brands operating across regions, this insight is valuable. The same listings management and local landing page strategies that feel table-stakes in the US can be a significant competitive advantage in markets where local SEO adoption is still developing.

Why Reviews and Content Pull Double Duty

“Your customer reviews and the content on your site are the most important things because they pull double duty. They affect how you show up in search results, but also doing either one better helps with conversions.” — Greg Gifford

Greg wrapped up with a point about where businesses should focus their energy. While links, Google Business Profiles, and technical site elements all matter, he singled out two areas that deliver outsized value: reviews and on-site content. Both directly influence search visibility and, at the same time, improve conversion rates.

He noted that many business owners misunderstand their review scores. Studies have consistently shown that a perfect 5.0 rating actually generates fewer conversions than a score in the 4.4 to 4.7 range — consumers find a perfect score less trustworthy. Getting one negative review and watching a score drop from 5.0 to 4.6 is not a crisis; it’s actually closer to the conversion sweet spot.

For local businesses, the message is clear: Investing in quality content that answers customer questions and actively managing review management delivers compounding returns — better rankings and higher conversions from the same traffic. As Greg put it, optimizing for humans and bots at the same time is not just a nice idea; it’s the only approach that works.