A few times every year I work along side some of the most talented Internet Marketing Experts in the U.S. to create the best Advanced Local Conference experiences possible for LocalU attendees.

Perhaps most importantly, during these events I get to immerse myself into the curriculum being taught and experiences being shared. So, within this article I'm sharing with you the BEST tips and most share-worthy nuggets that stuck with me from the latest LocalU Advanced conference.

Joy Hawkins – Stop Wasting Time!

• Suite numbers do not matter at all. Don't worry about using them or if they are consistent or not.

• As long as your map pin marker is in the exact right spot, it doesn't matter which city you use as your location in Google My Business.

• If you search from a tool emulating “Houston” as the location, you are likely searching from the Houston city center. Instead, search from tools that enable you to search from specific zip codes that are important for the business to rank in – like the areas closest to them. BrightLocal does this.

• The clicks to call being recorded in GMB Insights indicate a click to the call interface, but not necessarily a completed phone call. There is some abandonment before calls are made. GMB Insights only counts mobile clicks-to-call.

• We are giving Google too much credit for having the ability to detect spam and for having the desire to stop it.

Aaron Weiche – Customers LOVE Reviews!

• In 2017, reviews are about trust and the conversations a business has with its customers. (Me: Reviews are also User Generated Content that can help you to rank for more relevant queries because of their long-tail-ish content - even when they are not on your own site.)

• Recent research shows that most searchers look for at least 10-35 reviews before they are satisfied that the picture they have of a busi...