Darren Shaw
@whitespark.ca
🔹 Founder of Whitespark.ca: local SEO software and services.
🔹 Local SEO educator with 36,000+ newsletter subscribers, 8,000+ YouTube subscribers, and 2,000+ email course sign-ups.
🔹 In charge of the annual Local Search Ranking Factors Survey
🔹 Local SEO educator with 36,000+ newsletter subscribers, 8,000+ YouTube subscribers, and 2,000+ email course sign-ups.
🔹 In charge of the annual Local Search Ranking Factors Survey
At the end of the day, businesses don’t really care about the Local Pack or Maps.
* They care about LEADS *
If your services aren’t generating leads, your clients will leave you for a different agency.
* They care about LEADS *
If your services aren’t generating leads, your clients will leave you for a different agency.
January 6, 2026 at 5:01 PM
At the end of the day, businesses don’t really care about the Local Pack or Maps.
* They care about LEADS *
If your services aren’t generating leads, your clients will leave you for a different agency.
* They care about LEADS *
If your services aren’t generating leads, your clients will leave you for a different agency.
In 2026 you need to help your clients drive leads through additional channels:
- Long & Short form videos on YouTube, IG, FB, TikTok
- Social media marketing
- Reddit/Quora engagement
- AI SEO
- Digital PR
- and I’m sorry, but you might have to start offering PPC (especially Local Services Ads).
- Long & Short form videos on YouTube, IG, FB, TikTok
- Social media marketing
- Reddit/Quora engagement
- AI SEO
- Digital PR
- and I’m sorry, but you might have to start offering PPC (especially Local Services Ads).
January 6, 2026 at 5:01 PM
In 2026 you need to help your clients drive leads through additional channels:
- Long & Short form videos on YouTube, IG, FB, TikTok
- Social media marketing
- Reddit/Quora engagement
- AI SEO
- Digital PR
- and I’m sorry, but you might have to start offering PPC (especially Local Services Ads).
- Long & Short form videos on YouTube, IG, FB, TikTok
- Social media marketing
- Reddit/Quora engagement
- AI SEO
- Digital PR
- and I’m sorry, but you might have to start offering PPC (especially Local Services Ads).
- the local pack now appears lower on the page than it did before
- people increasingly use other channels for local searches (YouTube, ChatGPT, TikTok, etc.)
So, it’s high time local SEO agencies diversified their services beyond just website and GBP management.
- people increasingly use other channels for local searches (YouTube, ChatGPT, TikTok, etc.)
So, it’s high time local SEO agencies diversified their services beyond just website and GBP management.
January 6, 2026 at 5:01 PM
- the local pack now appears lower on the page than it did before
- people increasingly use other channels for local searches (YouTube, ChatGPT, TikTok, etc.)
So, it’s high time local SEO agencies diversified their services beyond just website and GBP management.
- people increasingly use other channels for local searches (YouTube, ChatGPT, TikTok, etc.)
So, it’s high time local SEO agencies diversified their services beyond just website and GBP management.
Businesses are now getting fewer leads from the local pack because:
- Local Services Ads look almost identical to organic local results, and they’re siphoning off leads
- AI Overviews are taking up more space at the top
- Local Services Ads look almost identical to organic local results, and they’re siphoning off leads
- AI Overviews are taking up more space at the top
January 6, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Businesses are now getting fewer leads from the local pack because:
- Local Services Ads look almost identical to organic local results, and they’re siphoning off leads
- AI Overviews are taking up more space at the top
- Local Services Ads look almost identical to organic local results, and they’re siphoning off leads
- AI Overviews are taking up more space at the top
No. that wouldn't work. It's not about people requesting directions to an address, it's about people clicking and completing driving directions to a specific Google Business Profile.
December 17, 2025 at 9:07 PM
No. that wouldn't work. It's not about people requesting directions to an address, it's about people clicking and completing driving directions to a specific Google Business Profile.
P.S. I’ll be on Local U’s December webinar today, talking about the 3 major local SEO threats to prepare for in 2026 with Joy Hawkins and Luc Durand. Join us right now (11am ET)!
December 17, 2025 at 4:02 PM
P.S. I’ll be on Local U’s December webinar today, talking about the 3 major local SEO threats to prepare for in 2026 with Joy Hawkins and Luc Durand. Join us right now (11am ET)!
Hey. I am just jumping on a bunch of calls, but ping our team using the intercom chat on our site. You should get a response quickly.
December 5, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Hey. I am just jumping on a bunch of calls, but ping our team using the intercom chat on our site. You should get a response quickly.
And if you like the podcast, please leave us a review and ask Izipizi to sponsor us 🙏 (jump to 17:01 for context)
December 2, 2025 at 4:40 PM
And if you like the podcast, please leave us a review and ask Izipizi to sponsor us 🙏 (jump to 17:01 for context)
Love it. Creating music is creating life force.
December 2, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Love it. Creating music is creating life force.
Good news for you, @miriamellis.bsky.social just published the ultimate guide to building the most comprehensive and effective location landing page, which includes a ton of resources and more!
Read it below!
Read it below!
Whitespark's Guide to the Perfect Location Landing Page
This guide will help you develop powerful location pages for your business. It explains the 20 basic elements the page + 14 additional elements to make it the best in town.
whitespark.ca
November 20, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Good news for you, @miriamellis.bsky.social just published the ultimate guide to building the most comprehensive and effective location landing page, which includes a ton of resources and more!
Read it below!
Read it below!
And you know what? Most businesses have awful contact pages. They add NAP info, embed a contact form, and call it a day. MAJOR FAIL.
So here’s another Local SEO tip you NEED to know: give your contact page the same level of care and attention as an enterprise location landing page.
So here’s another Local SEO tip you NEED to know: give your contact page the same level of care and attention as an enterprise location landing page.
November 20, 2025 at 5:41 PM
And you know what? Most businesses have awful contact pages. They add NAP info, embed a contact form, and call it a day. MAJOR FAIL.
So here’s another Local SEO tip you NEED to know: give your contact page the same level of care and attention as an enterprise location landing page.
So here’s another Local SEO tip you NEED to know: give your contact page the same level of care and attention as an enterprise location landing page.