SEO News

Posted by MiriamEllis

Last month we announced that the new Moz Local would be arriving soon. We’re so excited — it’s here! If you’re a current Moz Local customer, you may have already been exploring the new and improved platform this week! If not, signing up now will get you access to all the new goodies we have in store for you.



With any major change to a tool you use, it can take a bit for you to adjust. That’s why I wanted to write up a quick look at some of the highlights of the product, and from there encourage you to dig into our additional resources.

What are some key features to dig into?

Full location data management

More than 90% of purchases happen in physical stores. The first object of local SEO is ensuring that people searching online for what you offer:

1. Encounter your business
2. Access accurate information they can trust about it
3. See the signals they’re looking for to choose you for a transaction

Moz Local meets this reality with active and continuous synching of location data so that you can grow your authority, visibility, and the public trust by managing your standard business information across partnered data aggregators, apps, sites, and databases. This is software centered around real-time location data and profile management, providing updates as quickly as partners can support them. And, with your authorized connection to Google and Facebook, updates you make to your business data on these two powerhouse platforms are immediate. Moz Local helps you master the online consumer encounter.

And, because business data changes over time, ongoing management of your online assets is essential. 80% of customers lose trust in a brand when its local business listings mislead them with incorrect information like wrong names, phone numbers, or hours of operation. No brand can afford to lose this trust! Moz Local’s data cleansing service delivers ongoing accuracy and proper formatting for successful submission to the platforms that matter most.

Finally, Moz Local supports the distribution of rich data beyond the basics. Give customers compelling reasons to choose your business over others by uploading photos, videos descriptions, social links, and more. Full control over these elements can greatly enhance customer encounters and improve conversions.

Automated duplicate deletion

Duplicate listings of a business location can turn profile management into a tangle, mislead consumers, dilute ranking strength, and sometimes even violate platform guidelines. But historically, detection and resolution of duplicates has been cumbersome and all but impossible to scale when handled manually.

One of the most exciting improvements you’ll experience with the new Moz Local is that duplicate workflows are now automated! Our next-level algorithmic technology will identify, confirm and permanently delete your duplicate listings in a fully automated fashion that requires no interaction or involvement on your part. This is a major development that will save local brands and agencies an amazing amount of time.

Deep Google and Facebook reporting & management

Logging in and out of multiple dashboards can be such a hassle, but with Moz Local, you’ll have insights about all of your locations and clients in a single space. Moz Local is now hooked up with Facebook management (hooray!) and we’ve deepened our Google My Business integration.

We’ll capture Facebook insights data for impressions and clicks for your location’s published Facebook content. And you’ll find it convenient that we surface impressions data for both Google Maps and Search. This means you’ll have easy access click data for the familiar attributes: clicks-for-directions, clicks-to-website and clicks-to-call, plus tracking of direct, indirect, and branded queries. Whether you’re dealing with just one listing or 100,000 of them, all the data will be at your fingertips.

One new feature I’m especially keen to share is the alerts you’ll receive every time a new photo is uploaded to your Google listing by a third party. Image spam is real, and awareness of public uploads of imagery that violates guidelines is part and parcel of reputation management.

Local dashboard

Our goal is to make your local SEO work as simple as possible, and very often, the at-a-glance summary in the new Moz Local dashboard will tell you all you need to know for routine check-ups. The default view of all the locations you manage can, of course, be easily filtered and segmented to look at specific clients or locations. Almost effortlessly, you’ll get a very quick overview of data like:

• Average Profile Completeness
• Locations requiring attention
• Total listings in sync (sync is the new term for what we previously referred to as “published”)
• Listings being updated
• Listings requiring sync
• Duplicate Reporting
• Facebook Insights data
• Google My Business Insights data

Profile suggestion engine

Who has time for guesswork when you’re trying to make the most of your online assets? Our powerful new profile suggestion engine tells you exactly what you what data you need to prove to reach maximum profile completeness.

Quickly drill down to a specific location. From there, Moz Local surfaces multiple fields (like long description, photos, opening hours, fax numbers, etc.) along with suggestions based on other verifiable online sources to improve consistency across the data publisher and partner network. Again, this is a big time-saver, especially if your agency has multiple clients or your enterprise has multiple locations to manage.

Email alerts, notifications, activity feed

Choose how you’d like to stay up-to-date on the status of your listings.

• Every Moz Local dashboard contains an activity feed that continuously streams the latest information, updates, and alerts for all of your listings
• Opt-in for email alerts if that’s your preferred method of notification. Digest emails are configurable to be sent on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis
• Optional upgrade for email alerts for new reviews. If you upgrade, you’ll receive these notification daily, ensuring you aren’t missing complaints, praise and conversion opportunities

Review management

Google has revealed that about one-third of people looking for local business information are actually trying to find local business reviews. From the viewpoint of consumers, your online reviews are your brand’s reputation. Our own large-scale marketing survey found that 90% of respondents agree that reviews impact local rankings, but that 60% of participants lack a comprehensive review management strategy. The result is that platforms like Google have become mediums of unheard customer voices, neglected leads, and reputation damage.

The good news is that Moz Local customers have the option to upgrade their subscriptions to turn this unsustainable scenario completely around. Be alerted to incoming reviews on multiple platforms and respond to them quickly. See right away if a problem is emerging at one of your locations, necessitating in-store intervention, or if you’ve been hit with a review spam attack. And go far beyond this with insight into other types of customer sentiment, like photo uploads and Google Q&A.

The truth is, that in 2019 and in the foreseeable future, no business in a competitive market can afford to neglect public sentiment management, because it has become central to customer service. Every brand is in the business of customer service, but awareness, responsiveness, accountability, and action require strategy and the right tools. Let Moz Local help you take control of your priceless reputation.

Social posting

Manage the interactive aspects of your local business profiles with this optional upgrade. Share news, special offers, and questions & answers with customers on social platforms and in directories. This includes:

• Engaging with customers on social media to share. News posts can be shared on Facebook and eligible directories. Offers can be posted in eligible directories. Questions & Answers can be posted to your Google Business Profile.

• Publishing Posts instantly or scheduling them for a future date. And here’s something you’ll be excited to hear: you can submit the same post for multiple locations at once, create and save templates for posts, and edit/delete posts from the publishing dashboard!

In competitive local markets, transitioning from passive observation of online assets to interactive engagement with the public can set your brand apart.

What should my next steps in the new Moz Local be?

1. Ensure that your location data and your profile are complete and accurate within the new Moz Local. Be sure to add in as much data as you can in the Basic Data, Rich Data, and Photos & Videos sections to reach high profile completeness. Doing so will ensure that your locations’ listings throughout the local search ecosystem are as informative as possible for potential customers. Moz Local acts as a “source of truth” for your location data and overwrites data on third party platforms like Google and Facebook, so be sure the data you’ve provided us is accurate before moving on to step two.
2. Gain immediate insights into your local search presence by connecting your Google My Business and Facebook profiles. Once connected, these will begin to pull in tons of data, from impressions, to clicks, to queries.
3. Once your profile is complete and Google My Business and Facebook profiles are connected, it’s time to sync your data to ensure that what you’ve provided to Moz Local is shared out to our network. Simply click the Sync button in the top right to push your information to our partners.

Where can I find more information?

I’m glad you’ve asked! Our resource center will be a great place to start. There, a user guide and video tutorial can show you the ropes, and you can also get registered for our upcoming webinar on June 25th at 10:00am PST:

Save my spot

The Help Hub has also been given a complete refresh with the new Moz Local. There you will find ample resources, FAQs, and descriptions of each area of the tool to dig into.

For any questions that you can’t find answers to, you can always reach out to our wonderful Help Team.

What’s next from Moz?

Expect a number of exciting new updates to continue rolling out — both in the new Moz Local tool as well as in other areas of our platform. As I mentioned before, it’s our serious plan to devote everything we’ve got into putting the power of local SEO into your hands. Keep an eye out for more to come from Moz to support your local search marketing.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don’t have time to hunt down but want to read!

Posted by Kirsten_Barkved

So, you’ve been debating for years about whether to attend MozCon and you’re finally ready to pull the trigger. Or, maybe you’re still not sure if MozCon is right for you and you’re wondering what the big deal is (a fair and reasonable thought).

Whether you’re still on the fence or looking to get hyped, here’s the spiel for why you should attend this year’s MozCon. And if, after seeing our awesome agenda, you’re in need more than our stellar line-up and amazing donuts to convince you, then look no further than this post.

We’re less than four weeks away from MozCon, so we thought we’d dust off the old “things to do while in Seattle” list. So, if you’re attending or still doing research to see if the juice is worth the squeeze (how responsible of you!), here’s a sampling of the places you’ll go whilst in Seattle for MozCon this July 15–17. 

Get your tickets before they’re gone!

We asked our Mozzers where to go

Not only do our Mozzers have their fingers on the pulse of the city itself, but they’ve also got a few MozCons under their belt, so they know exactly what you need after a day’s worth of information-absorbing and networking.

The Underground Tour — “It’s strange and very Seattle specific.” — Rob Lisy

Fremont Brewery — “Great beer and outdoor seating with a view of lake union and the city.” — Kelley Manuel

Cinerama — “Movie theatre with the best chocolate popcorn in the world.” — Tyler Taggart

Canon — “I have to advocate for Canon. Best chicharron I’ve ever had and incredible cocktails, obviously.” —Kavi Kardos

Pacific Inn — “Best fish and chips.” —David Joslin

Rachel’s Ginger Beer — “I like to get something from anywhere and then eat it here — hint: they will put booze in your ginger beer if you ask nicely. And pay more.” — David Pierce

Michou — “A good choice for a quick grab-and-go sandwich.” — David Pierce

Museum of Flight — “They have the Apollo 11 spacecraft on display. First time the National Air and Space Museum has shown it outside of DC!” — Chris Lowe

Alki Beach — “Water taxi to West Seattle to walk along the beach and soak up some sun!” — Katarina Anderson

Intrigued? We’re just easing you in.

Iconic stops

We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a few “of course” stops in our post — there’s a reason these make it to every “30 things to do in Seattle” blog post. Cross a few of these iconic Seattle stops off your bucket list this July.

The Space Needle 

Picturesque views of Puget Sound and a rotating glass floor make this spot a must for the ‘gram.

Seattle Great Wheel

Want to see Seattle from 157 ft above? Unless you’re afraid of heights, of course, you do! Tip: Stop by at sunset to see the sun dip behind the Olympic mountain range.

Gas Works Park

Beautiful, expansive views of downtown Seattle. Unwind after a day of being constantly “on” and enjoy the sun and the Pacific Northwest air. 

Insider Mozzer tip from David Pierce: “Get a sandwich from Paseo on Fremont and then go down the hill to eat it at Gasworks Park.”

Fremont Troll

For obvious reasons.

Fun fact: The film crew behind the show, Once Upon a Time, filmed the Fremont Troll scenes right outside our Vancouver office. It was fun to watch them turn an underpass into the troll. But the magic quickly waned — ask our YVR Mozzers how much fun it was to not be able to park (or walk, or talk) outside the office during filming for a week or two.

Weird stops

Sometimes, you have to go off the beaten path to really get an idea of the soul of a city. And Seattle certainly has some soul. Here’s just a sprinkling of some of the weird things you can do in Seattle.

Hat n’ Boots

It’s exactly how it sounds. Originally a gas station, this 1954 must-see “soul of Georgetown” has been billed the largest hat and boots in North America, and we truly don’t know how you could live with yourself if you make it to 80 and didn’t see the largest hat and boots in North America. 

Official Bad Art Museum 

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure at the “OBAMA.” Enjoy a cup of coffee or a pint as you peruse the uniquely curated selection of bad art at Cafe Racer. 

Twin Peaks Cafe 

If you 1) have a car, or know someone who would carpool, and, 2) more importantly, are an uber fan of Twin Peaks, the greatest show to ever live, then it is definitely worth the 40 min drive up to Snoqualmie Falls to visit the actual town and cafe (Twede’s Cafe) where the series was filmed in. Bring us back a piece of cherry pie, please.

Go and see this house that looks like it’s from the movie Up

Every few years, rumors swirl that the house that Edith Macefield refused to sell to developers is finally being sold. But while the outside may have changed, this little hold out home isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and is symbolic to changing Seattle. You can find Edith’s home here — it’s hard to miss. Bonus points if you bring a balloon and know a dog named Doug.

Meowtropolitan Cat Café 

Okay, this one isn’t really all that weird — it’s plain freakin’ adorable! This cat café focuses on placing rescue cats and kitten into loving homes, but if you aren’t able to house a kitty or two, that’s perfectly fine! Cats need to be socialized and told they are very pretty and have nice whiskers. If you go, take a pic or it didn’t happen. Just think of the conversation starters at our birds of a feather you’d have if you went. Tuesday or Thursdays are for Cat Yoga. Just saying. 

Outdoor stops

We know that the reason people move to Seattle is because of all the tech jobs. But a close second? The great outdoors. Seattle has SO much to do in its own backyard — hikes, bike paths, beaches, lakes. And enjoying nature is always free. So stretch your legs and get out to any one of these stellar spots our locals haunt.

Kerry Park

If you’re a camera buff, this is a must-see, especially at sunset. You get a full view of the city, the water, the Space Needle, all with the glorious backdrop of Mount Rainier. Be prepared for a crowd, though — this spot gets pretty popular. Insider tip from Mozzer, Marcin Narozny: “Take postcard photos from Queen Anne.”

Golden Gardens Park

People don’t really equate sandy beaches to Seattle, but we have them in spades! Golden Gardens is a popular destination for strolls along the seawall. There’s also a designated dog park if you’re in the mood for dog spotting (which, like, is our favorite game).

Waterfall Garden Park

Want something a little more urban that doesn’t require a ton of travel? This hidden retreat is one of Seattle’s best-kept secrets in the heart of Pioneer Square. You can find it behind Occidental Square Park on 2nd Ave. Plus? It marks the birthplace of UPS!

Myrtle Edwards Park 

Birkenstocks are optional. Dog pats are non-negotiable. 

Booze-y stops

We’re barely scratching the surface here with the best bars and pubs of Seattle, but for the sake of time, we had to keep it short and sweet. If there’s something you didn’t see on our list and feel strongly that it should have made it, don’t be afraid to @ us in the comments.

Rock Box

For obvious reasons, this karaoke bar is top of the list for post-MozCon-feels — it’s the perfect afterpart to let all that pent up conference energy out. Bring your best renditions of Total Eclipse of the Heart for some all night, much-needed crooning.

Bathtub Gin Co.

Don’t go if you don’t like gin. We can’t be more transparent than that.

Needle & Thread

In the mood for something a little more low-key? Scope out this speakeasy, hidden above Tavern Law. There’s no official drink menu, but they take their cocktails seriously — just tell the barkeep your poison of choice and they’ll concoct something just for you.

Shultzy’s 

We do love our beer in the Pacific Northwest, and this little German bar is home to some of Germany’s best brews. Plus: sausages.  

Unicorn & Narwhal 

Whimsical food and drink options galore, complete with an arcade, claw machine, and photo booth. Go on Sunday for their Mimosas Cabaret!

Coffee stops

The best coffee in Seattle isn’t in a Starbucks cup. It’s also not Seattle’s Best (is anyone shocked?). Because we take our coffee as seriously as we do our SEO, we updated this list and curated the top 5 best coffee places in Seattle.

Bedlam 

For a taste of old Seattle, go to Bedlam. It has that pre-boom feel of old Belltown. Plus, real good espresso, comfy seating, toast and pie, and private meeting rooms to go and ponder over all the SEO magic you absorbed.

Victrola Coffee 

There’s a reason locals haunt this cafe. Besides having one of the best pour-over cuppas in town, this cafe is also one of the quieter spaces, with ample seating and plenty of outdoor space should you want to bask in the sun. Bonus: There’s a roastery on site, so if it ain’t too busy, ask for a tour!

Espresso Vivace 

If you’re looking for the best coffee in the city, look no further. Their scientific attention to detail and flavor is legendary, so much so that they’ll even offer you advice on how best to actually drink your coffee in order to achieve the fullest experience.

Sound & Fog

We’re cheating a little with this one because it’s not just a cafe — it’s also a wine bar, offering beer on tap and rotating coffee roasters.

Tougo Coffee Co. 

We can’t not have Tougo on the list. As one of Seattle’s oldest coffee shops, it also has some of the most down-to-earth, passionate baristas who are happy to answer all your brewing and roasting questions.

Hanging out in Seattle longer than just for MozCon?

If you’re looking for more things to do and you’re staying in our neck of the woods for longer than three days, we have tons more you can busy yourself with! 

Soccer fan? See the Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers

The Pacific Northwest’s biggest rivalry is on Sunday, July 21st at 6:30 p.m. Make sure to join our MozCon Facebook Group and make plans to see the game with other MozCon attendees.

More of a baseball fan? Stop by to catch a Mariner’s game.

In town until the 21st? You better be now: July 21st is Bark at the Park. Tickets also include a postgame walk around the bases, so bring your goodest boy or girl. 

In the mood for a festival?

The Capitol Hill Block Party is where it’s at. Local music, great food, art (both good and bad), people watching. 

Interested in exploring some of Seattle’s neighborhoods and cultural celebrations?

• 45th Annual Ballard SeafoodFest, Friday and Saturday, July 12th and 13th
• Wedgwood Art Festival, Saturday and Sunday, July 13th and 14th
• West Seattle Summer Fest, Friday through Sunday, July 12-14th
• Polish Festival Seattle, Saturday, July 13th
• Georgetown Garden Walk, Sunday, July 14th
• Seattle International Beerfest, Saturday, July 12-14
• Bremerton Summer BrewFest, July 19-20
• The Bite of Seattle, Friday through Sunday, July 19-21st.

Not convinced yet? Take a peek at why conferences like MozCon belong on your resume and how you can convince your boss to send you there.

Grab your ticket!

Obviously, this is just a small sampling of what Seattle has to offer. If you’re a returning visitor, we’d love to know what you got up to during your post-MozCon hours — any suggestions to new Seattle-goers?

Don’t forget to buy your ticket to MozCon! We’re 80 percent sold out and you don’t want to miss this one.

Grab my MozCon ticket now!

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don’t have time to hunt down but want to read!