Journal

Local search, explained plainly.

Practical guides on Google Business Profile, reviews and local SEO. Written for owners who would rather fix it themselves than be sold to.

Google Business Profile · 6 min
Your Google Business Profile Might Not Be Yours. Here Is How To Check.
If your Google listing still shows a Claim this business link, you do not own it. Here is what that costs a Canadian business and how to fix it in about ten minutes.
Local SEO · 7 min
Why Your Business Is Not Showing In The Local Pack
The three results Google shows at the top of a local search are decided by relevance, distance and prominence. Here is what each one actually means and which parts you control.
Reviews · 6 min
Why Your Reviews Stopped, And How To Restart Them
Most businesses with a great rating and few reviews have the same problem: nobody is asking. Here is a system that works without being awkward.
Reviews · 7 min
How To Reply To Google Reviews, Including The Bad Ones
Owner responses are a ranking signal and a sales tool at the same time. Here is how to write them, with wording for the difficult cases.
Local SEO · 6 min
One Wrong Address Can Cost You The Local Pack
Name, address and phone number consistency is one of the strongest local ranking signals. Here is how businesses break it without noticing.
Local SEO · 6 min
AI Assistants Cannot Find Your Business. Here Is Why.
When somebody asks ChatGPT or Siri for a service near them, the answer does not come from Google. Two free listings decide whether you appear.
Local SEO · 7 min
Local SEO For Canadian Clinics: What Actually Works
Denturists, dental practices, physiotherapy, hearing clinics. Low frequency, high value services have a specific local search problem.
Pricing · 7 min
What Local SEO Actually Costs In Canada In 2026
Real price ranges, what sits inside each one, and how to tell whether the number you have been quoted makes sense.
Web Development · 7 min
What A Small Business Website Should Cost In Canada
Real price ranges for a service business website in 2026, what changes the number, and the questions to ask before you sign anything.
Branding · 6 min
Seven Signs Your Brand Looks Smaller Than Your Business Is
Established businesses often present themselves as though they started last year. Here are the details customers notice and what they cost you.