Direct answer: Yes, they’re essential. But most businesses approach them completely wrong. While you’re scrambling to acquire random links, your savviest competitors have identified something crucial. They’ve uncovered the precise backlink types that genuinely influence local search positioning. The specific links that transform overlooked businesses into market dominators. The current reality: 88% of consumers stop … Read more
TL;DR – Quick Takeaways Do Back Links Matter for Local SEO in 2025? ✅ Yes, backlinks still dominate local SEO – 85% of top-ranking local businesses have 1,000+ unique domain backlinks ✅ Geographic relevance beats raw authority – One local chamber link outperforms 50 generic directories ✅ Quality over quantity always wins – Focus on … Read more
Yes. Citations dramatically boost local SEO. When your business information appears consistently across the web, search engines trust you more. Local SEO citations are online mentions of your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) that appear across the internet on directories, maps, and review sites. Customers find you easier. Your rankings climb higher. But … Read more
By Steve Erickson AI + SEO Consultant at Evolution Digital Marketing Part 4 of 5 in the AI Overviews Mastery Series Last updated: June 2025 Your content is perfect. Your formatting is flawless using the citation-ready framework from Part 3. Your AI Overview citations are… nowhere. The missing piece? Technical foundation. Without it, you’re invisible. … Read more
By Steve Erickson, AI + SEO Consultant at Evolution Digital Marketing 📋 Quick Navigation • Why Local SEO Matters • Key Business Benefits • Competitive Advantages • Cost-Effective Marketing • Driving Foot Traffic • Boosting Online Visibility • Reputation Management • Small Business Impact • Local Landing Pages Local SEO is crucial because 97% of … Read more
By Steve Erickson, AI + SEO Consultant at Evolution Digital Marketing Part 5 of 5 in the AI Overviews Mastery Series You’ve built the strategy using our precision question research from Part 2. Formatted the content with our AI-first architecture from Part 3. Implemented the technical foundation from Part 4. Now comes the moment of … Read more
Part 3 of 5 in the AI Overviews Mastery Series Perfect questions without perfect answers get ignored. You’ve identified the right opportunities using our precision targeting framework from Part 2. You know which questions trigger AI Overviews. You understand commercial intent and competitive gaps. But Google’s AI doesn’t cite comprehensive content. It cites formatted content. … Read more
By Steve Erickson, AI + SEO Consultant at Evolution Digital Marketing Quick Navigation • What Is Local SEO? • Why Is Local SEO Important? • How Does Local SEO Work? • What Is the Local Pack? • Google Business Profile Optimization • Local Keyword Research • Local Citations & NAP • Online Reviews Strategy • … Read more
By Steve Erickson, AI + SEO Consultant at Evolution Digital Marketing Part 2 of 5 in the AI Overviews Mastery Series Most AI strategies fail before the first word is written — because they chase the wrong questions. Google’s ‘search generative experience’ was the initial branding for its AI-powered search feature, which evolved into AI … Read more
By Steve Erickson, AI + SEO Consultant at Evolution Digital Marketing Last updated: June 2025 The SEO game changed overnight. Your #1 ranking? It’s worthless if your competitor dominates the AI Overview above you. While you celebrate your position, they capture the trust, the clicks, and the customers. Welcome to 2025, where visibility trumps rankings … Read more