Here is today’s roundup of news related to local marketing and advertising, local media, technology, local commerce, consumer behavior and more.
Our Top 10 Articles from 2018 (December 19, 2018)
LSA Insider: “The LSA blog aspires to be a great tool and resource for local marketers and strategists. Over the last year, we’ve covered a wide variety of topics from local SEO to location intelligence, social media, reputation, SMB SaaS and more. We’re always trying to learn from feedback and refine our coverage and topic focus.”
What Are the Most Important Website Features to Consumers? (December 19, 2018)
LSA Insider: “There’s an intensifying debate about the value and role of websites. Some marketers argue that websites (especially SMB sites) have become irrelevant because of Google My Business and other major consumer sites such as Facebook and Amazon.”
Will Google Home Hub ever become a useful local search tool? (December 18, 2018)
Search Engine Land: “Smart speakers have boomed in popularity. Amazon recently reported that its Echo Dot was the best selling product globally during “cyber weekend.” We don’t yet know how smart displays are doing, though Google’s Home Hub has probably sold well. According to a product listing on eBay, the Google Home Hub is the top-selling product in its smart speakers category.”
Google Testing Restaurant Booking, Foreshadowing Ever Tighter Grip on Local Commerce (December 19, 2018)
Street Fight: “Google is testing at least two buttons for on-SERP restaurant booking, Search Engine Land reported this week. The buttons, called Tables Tomorrow and Reserve a Table, allow searchers to see a number of potential times for a following-day reservation and to select one of those times right on SERPs, avoiding a trip to the local business’ website.”
Ten Key Digital Trends for 2019 (December 18, 2018)
eMarketer: “While change in the digital age isn’t as sudden or widespread as people often assume, 2019 will bring some important new developments—in areas ranging from video to privacy to voice technology to social media, and beyond.”
