The TCS blog
Marketing Insights for Local Business Owners
We write about the things that actually impact local businesses when it comes to their online presence. Scan posts below for recent updates about search visibility, Google Business Profile, websites, and the shifts in digital marketing that local businesses need to know about.
Mobile Speed Is a Ranking Factor. Here’s How To Check Yours.
Google has used page speed as a mobile ranking factor since 2018 and formalized it into a specific set of measurable metrics in 2021. Here’s what those metrics actually measure, how to check where your site stands right now, and what to do if the scores are low.
Why Your Website is Costing You Customers Before They Even Call
Google has indexed websites mobile-first since 2024 and has used page speed as a mobile ranking factor since 2018. Here’s what that means in practice for a local business website, and what you can do about it this week.
How To Optimize Your Google Business Profile in One Afternoon
Claiming your Google Business Profile and optimizing it are two different things. Here’s what Google is actually evaluating, backed by Google’s own research and Whitespark’s 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors Survey, and where to start.
The Local Pack: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How To Get In It
If you’ve been following along in this series, you’ve seen me reference the Local Pack a few times. The Local Pack is worth its own post, not because the concept is complicated, but because most small business owners don’t fully understand what they’re competing for or how the competition actually works. Let’s review what it is and why it matters to your business.
How Reviews Actually Affect Your Google Ranking — And What To Do About It
In my last post, I walked through why your Google Business Profile matters more than your website for local search. If you read it, you’re probably now asking the obvious: what actually matters the most about your profile? The answer is simple: reviews. Reviews are the biggest lever that many local businesses leave untouched, and they’re doing more work than most people realize.
I’ll get specific.
Why Your Google Business Profile Matters More Than Your Website
Your Google Business Profile — the business listing that shows up to the right of your searches, with Google Maps — has increasingly become more important than your website for the kind of search behavior that actually drives local customers through your door. Not more important in every context, but more important when a local customer is actively looking for what you offer and deciding who to call. Understanding why requires a look at how local search actually works.
5 Things Your Marketing Agency Isn’t Telling You About Local SEO
Many local businesses are paying for marketing that isn’t working — and their agency isn’t in a hurry to explain why. Here’s what they’re not telling you.
Does Your Google Business Profile Actually Bring In Customers?
If you’ve ever wondered whether optimizing your Google Business Profile actually makes a difference, we went looking for real evidence — peer-reviewed studies, large-scale data analyses, and Google’s own research. Here’s what the numbers say.
Impressions Are Rising. Clicks Are Falling.
Your impressions are up but your clicks are down — and you’re wondering what’s happening to your SEO investment. You’re not alone. Here’s what’s actually going on, and what metrics matter now.
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