Today's newsletter was almost canceled because I was supposed to go to Seattle for that marathon, 15-inning playoff game on Friday. But I didn't, so hello and happy Sunday -- especially to my fellow Seattle Mariner fans! Let's talk real estate marketing... The Lead ZillowGPT. Zillow and ChatGPT are BFFs now. I think this changes very little for agents in the trenches. (Do you think Zillow users will flock en masse to ChatGPT to search Zillow instead of...just going to Zillow? I don't.) But I...
13 days ago • 8 min read
Hey there -- we made it to 100 issues. Thanks for reading. We're diving into SEO metrics today. Let's do this. The Lead Better than one. Amy Toman shares a good reminder that, when it comes to managing your Google Business Profile, two or three users is the way to go. Weird. Several tools show ChatGPT is citing Reddit in its answers much less than "normal." (As if "normal" exists in AI answers...) The timing of this drop coincides with that &num=100 Google issue that I mentioned two issues...
20 days ago • 10 min read
Hello you! Had a great birthday, thanks for asking. I was at an SEO conference. Gonna tell you all about it today. Thanks for "celebrating" with me. 😅 The Lead 800 Google reviews...gone. Google warned months ago that it would be cracking down on reviews that violate its guidelines. Claudia Tomina just posted about one client who lost 800 reviews, among other penalties. It's a retail business, but still a warning to all SMBs like you who rely on reviews and your Google Business Profile. Skip...
27 days ago • 11 min read
You've got two days left to get me a birthday present! 😅 J/K, I don't expect any gifts. But the nicest thing is telling another agent about Marketing Unlocked. Just like with real estate, referrals are the best gift of all. The Lead AI Overviews 🤝 GBP. This may just be a test, but Anthony Higman spotted Google using an entire local pack of Google Business Profiles as an AI Overview. I tested it on mobile and saw the same thing for the phrase "truck accident attorneys montana." NGL, I think...
about 1 month ago • 12 min read
Thanks for the great feedback on last week's Tom Ferry Summit recap issue. I have an SEO conference coming soon, so there'll be another VIP-only recap issue in a few weeks. But today, enjoy your regularly-packed issue of Marketing Unlocked below. The Lead Stop "businessplaining" to Google. So your Google Business Profile was suspended, or maybe verification failed, because your business name doesn't match Google's guidelines. Tim Capper has a great article explaining that Google doesn't give...
about 1 month ago • 10 min read
Tom Ferry's Success Summit 2025 -- Spilling the Tea 🔥 The dust has settled on my sixth Tom Ferry Success Summit, and for the third straight year, I have a special recap edition of Marketing Unlocked for you with all the tea from one of real estate's biggest events. (Maybe the biggest event?) So let's skip the usual structure and format. I need all the space possible to share the best ideas and tips I heard, along with some of the most memorable quotes from Success Summit. Your normal...
about 2 months ago • 11 min read
Hello and happy Sunday! Thanks for spending a few minutes with me today. I appreciate your time. The Lead Just in case. As a Marketing Unlocked reader, you probably have these covered, but I'm gonna share Sammy Paget's article discussing 7 local SEO mistakes and how to fix them. Screened 🤝 Verified. Google is changing the official labeling on Local Services Ads. If you're an advertiser in that program, beginning Oct. 20 your ad will show a "Google Verified" label. I've always seen "Google...
2 months ago • 9 min read
Let the record show that I was using orange long before Taylor Swift made it cool. The life of an SEO.... 😅 The Lead For your toolbox. The Whitespark crew just released a new local/maps rank tracking tool that starts at just $10/month. I was too swamped last week to try it out, but it's on my To Do list. And FWIW, local SEO wiz Andrew Shotland says they nailed the design and usability. Google Drive or bust! Via Amy Toman comes news that Google is now requiring you to upload business documents...
2 months ago • 8 min read
Happy Sunday! Thanks for reading Marketing Unlocked. I appreciate you spending your time with me. The Lead Who you callin' "deceptive"? It's one of the more vague things Google says, but Tim Capper has a good overview of what it means when Google suspends a business profile for "deceptive content." More pleasant posting. Google just rolled out a new user interface for adding posts to your Google Business Profile. It's nice, a definite improvement. Lisa Landsman has the details and a short...
3 months ago • 9 min read