Local SEO

Google's GBP Suspensions Now Cascade Through User Accounts, Not Just Listings

Google Business Profile suspensions are spiking in Q1 2026, and the trigger is no longer the listing itself. Google's policy now cascades user account restrictions across every Business Profile attached to that account, even when the listing has zero violations. The 30-minute audit is figuring out which staff

Google Blocked 292M Fake Maps Reviews With Gemini. The Hard Ones Still Ship.

Google Maps deployed Gemini models on April 16, 2026 to auto-reject fake place edits and intercept review-extortion scams before the content reaches live business profiles. Google blocked 292 million policy-violating reviews and 79 million inaccurate edits in 2025, roughly 22% of all review activity flagged. For multi-location brands, the bigger

ChatGPT Just Became a Local Search Engine. Nobody Has a Playbook for That Yet.

On March 26, OpenAI added a toggle to ChatGPT. Settings, Data Controls, Location Sharing, off by default. Five days later, local search might have a second major player for the first time in a decade. And almost nobody in local SEO is talking about it. What the Toggle Actually Does