Darren Shaw

Whitespark

Whitespark builds online tools and provides services that help businesses and agencies with local SEO. We're known for our Local Citation Finder, Local Rank Tracker, Citation Building & Audit Services, and Local SEO Consulting. Our team often collaborates with other industry leaders and frequently presents at top SEO & Marketing conferences in North America.

Founder

University of Alberta

Networking and system administration and operation, development and management of the relational databases, GIS database development, web site development and maintenance.

Research Computing Coordinator

Hi, I'm Darren! 👋

I've been doing web development and SEO for 27 years (yes, before Google existed)

A bit about me 👇
🔹 Founder of Whitespark: local SEO software and services.
🔹 Local SEO educator with 36,000+ newsletter subscribers, 8,000+ YouTube subscribers, and 2,000+ email course sign-ups
🔹 In charge of the annual Local Search Ranking Factors Survey, one of the most cited resources in local SEO
🔹 Speaker at local search conferences around the globe and contributor to SEO publications

Did you know that the Google API leak says that service areas are NOT used in the ranking algorithm? If you want to expand your ranking radius for real, today’s podcast episode contains some actionable tips:

- build entity strength
- get reviews that mention the locations you want to rank in
- earn unstructured citations (local blogs, sponsorships, etc.)
- write localized website content
- lean into your niche in your website and GBP content (you may not rank for “restaurant” all over your city, but you CAN rank for “cubano sandwiches”)

We discuss these ideas from Miriam Ellis’s new Search Engine Land article, plus:

- Ben Franklin Effect applied to review requests (Sam Knight)
- API Leak reveals that Service Areas are NOT a ranking factor (Claudia Tomina)
- Google Local Pack links to places tab with pagination bug (Barry Schwartz)
- GBP adds scheduling and multi-location publishing to Google Posts (Barry Schwartz)

The full episode is now up on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

And if you like the podcast, please leave us a review and ask IZIPIZI to sponsor us 🙏 (jump to 17:01 for context)

Founder of Whitespark. I share local SEO tips and strategy. Lead researcher behind the annual Local Search Ranking Factors survey. Get everything you need for better local SEO at whitespark.ca

Here’s what you should do now that Google has anonymous reviews…

1. Change how you ask for reviews:

If your business is in an industry where people may be sensitive to leaving a review under their real name (e.g. legal or medical services, psychiatry, counceling, finance), your review collection process just got easier!

When asking for a review, tell customers how they can use a pseudonym when writing it.

2. Monitor and back up your reviews:

Now that Google users can add, remove, and change their custom display name whenever they choose, it is more important than ever export your review history regularly in case Google decides to delete your legitimate reviews.

3. Read Allie Margeson’s new article to fully understand what this anonymity means for both businesses and customers.

Find it on whitespark . ca / blog

Relentless Digital Marketing Solutions

Welcome to Relentless Digital, where we amplify📈 your digital marketing presence and get you results, guaranteed for your home service business!

I'm Joshua Crouch and the founder of Relentless Digital. I have been in the home services industry, specifically HVAC 👷for over 8 years as an Operations Manager, Branch Manager, Territory Sales Manager and Director of Marketing.

I have personally tried every type of marketing out there: Home Advisor, Angie's List, Thumbtack, Craftjack, Facebook ads, PPC, Google Local Services, website SEO, Networx, etc, etc, etc.

What has worked best for myself and the companies I work for is optimizing our Google my business listing, other listings across the web, ranking youtube videos🎬 and regular / consistent email marketing.📧

Our marketing budget is a meager 1.5% of Sales and we grew over 54% in 2019 and are looking at another 50+% year of growth in 2020.

I am starting on my own to help others who are sick and tired of spending thousands upon thousands 💵on SEO, PPC and FB ads only to feel used, abused and broke!

PM me to discuss your marketing efforts and how we can amplify them with Relentless Digital!

Professional Services Port Washington

Here at Professional Services, it has been our pleasure as a local, family-owned company to offer the highest level of home comfort for the Ozaukee County and surrounding area for years.
Our foundation consists of efficient, reliable and cost effective heating, air conditioning and indoor air quality products while always providing the exceptional service that we are known for - but quality heating and cooling products are just where we begin.
The Service Experts here at Professional Services are industry trained and well equipped to handle everything from routine HVAC maintenance & repairs on a residential system to complete turnkey installations for commercial environments. Our customers can rest easy with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development

Misurelli Sorensen Heating and Air Conditioning

Keeping Wisconsinites cool during the Summer and toasty warm during the harsh Winter is my purpose.  Call us for service and we will impress you!

Branch Manager

Design Air, LLC

Territory Sales Manager

HELO Health and Wellbeing Oracle by WOR(l)D

Entrepreneur

Enagic

Life-changing miracle water!  Alkaline ionized water is the future and the future is here!  Think about what you drink.  Change your water, change your life.

Iron Fireman Management Company

Effectively Managed up to 15 Field and Office employees at a time
•Cut Fuel costs by 30% by integrating GPS software with vehicle fleet
•Set up company policies and handbook for entire organization’s use
•Used Financial Statements to make important business decisions
•Effectively negotiated a 45% decrease in company’s liability and auto insurance policies
•Handled important business meetings with key vendors, including setting up new business, health, dental, and vision benefits for employees and company
•Increased Online reputation from non-existent to front page of multiple search engines increasing customer base and overall revenue
•Increased pricing, which led to 35% growth each of the past 2 fiscal years
•Directed company from F rating through BBB to its current A+ state
•Added 1,250 new and counting Residential customers in past two years through marketing plan I developed.
•Re-organized warehouse to be efficient with all miscellaneous parts labelled and organized for easy re-stocking and re-order

Operations Manager

Iron Fireman

MLG Services Corp

Efficiently Managed accounts payable and accounts receivable for 55 properties
•Verified 99.3% accuracy of all work, so financial statements went out in a timely fashion to investors
•Met weekly and monthly deadlines 100% of the time
•Became team leader, reported directly to Vice President
•Updated, organized, and filed records for 55 properties at a time
•Saved over $2,500 by thoroughly investigating billables
•Handled hundreds of payments per day and ensured they were accurately reflected on customer’s accounts

Accounting Clerk

Wisconsin Taekwondo Academy, Inc

Assumed responsibility for entire operation of Mukwonago facility in September 2009.  Daily responsibilities include: clerical work, billing, writing invoices, bill collecting, scheduling, cleaning, sales of programs, and outstanding customer service.
•Responsible for setting up entire Lil’ Dragons program including curriculum and schedule.  
•I also set-up schedule of events for the entire calendar year for both of our facilities.  20 years of total Taekwondo experience.  13 of these years as an Instructor.  
•Became a Master Instructor in February 2007.  
•Former multiple time National Champion as well as AAU USA National team member.

General Manager

Founder at @Relentless Digital

Over the last years, I've changed traditional trades businesses into digital powerhouses and generated 50%+ yearly growth. 

I'm on a mission to help HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors dominate their local markets without the confusion of digital marketing.

What Makes Us Different? 

→ Built by trades professionals for trades professionals 
→ Ex-HVAC industry insider leading your strategy 
→ Featured in Inc. 5000's fastest-growing companies

Our Track Record: 

→ Delivered 50%+ yearly growth for contractors 
→ Launched hundreds of successful contractor campaigns 
→ Managed portfolio of thriving trades businesses 
→ Multiple successful Local Service Ads optimization cases

For Contractors: 

→ Dominate your local service area 
→ We handle complete digital presence 
→ Lead generation within 90 days 
→ Clear path to market dominance

Why Smart Contractors Choose Us: 

→ Deep trades industry experience 
→ Full marketing team ready 
→ Market-validated strategies only 
→ Proven lead generation system 
→ Multiple growth opportunities

Services we Offer: 

→ Local Service Ads optimization 
→ Strategic SEO implementation 
→ Revenue-focused website design
 → Lead generation within 90 days 
→ Zero marketing stress for you

Current Opportunity: 

→ Scaling contractors to dominate local markets 
→ Proven marketing systems 
→ Full team ready to execute 
→ Limited partnership slots

Ready to grow relentlessly? Book a strategy call,https://www.relentless-digital.com/
 and let's make it happen.

Josh Crouch 🐂🎯

Stop wasting hours figuring out which GBP tools work.
I’ve already sorted it for you.

In one post with zero fluff, and no boring SEO theory.

Just 11 tools that make your Google Business Profile a real lead system in 2026 instead of a static listing:

1️⃣ PlePer
2️⃣ Local Falcon
3️⃣ Localo
4️⃣ BrightLocal
5️⃣ Whitespark
6️⃣ GeoImgr
7️⃣ CallRail
8️⃣ WhatConverts
9️⃣ GBP Post Generator (ChatGPT / Gemini)
🔟 Google Business Profile Manager (official)
1️⃣1️⃣ Google Search Console

Save this so you don’t have to research tools again.

Know a contractor still winging it on Google?
Repost this to give them a solution.

Follow Josh Crouch 🐂🎯 for more content.

Trades Industry Digital Marketing Expert | We help HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Contractors Scale | 50%+ YoY Client Growth | Founder @Relentless Digital

Google’s algorithm is evolving faster than ever.
It’s no longer about stuffing keywords.

It’s about understanding context, intent, and real-time local behavior.

Here’s what’s shaping the future of local visibility 👇

1️⃣ Hyper-Local Targeting
Neighborhood-level SEO wins trust and local clicks.

2️⃣ AI-Driven Personalization
Search results now adapt to why users search, not just what they search.

3️⃣ AR & Visual Search Integration
Businesses with optimized visuals and interactive maps are seeing double the engagement.

4️⃣ Mobile-First & Voice Search
Voice-first content and fast mobile sites now define on-the-go visibility.

5️⃣ User-Generated Content (UGC)
Authentic content builds credibility and drives click-throughs.

6️⃣ Google Business Profile Optimization
Your GBP is your local storefront.
 
Want to future-proof your SEO strategy?

Follow Josh Crouch 🐂🎯 Crouch for more data-backed, actionable insights on AI-powered local marketing.

Local businesses only use 30% of their Google Business Profile’s power.
The other 70% is right in front of them, just unused.

And it’s costing you local leads every single day.

Local businesses usually treat GBP like an online listing.
Smart ones treat it like a lead generation engine.

Here’s what top-performing local businesses are doing differently 👇

✅ Managing their profile directly from Google Search 
✅ Using enhanced insights to see which keywords actually drive calls.
✅ Posting offers and updates weekly to stay at the top of the local pack.
✅ Launching ads straight from GBP for instant “near me” visibility.
✅ Responding to every review fast because Google notices.

Every one of these features quietly levels up your visibility, credibility, and conversions.
And 90% of your competitors haven’t even touched them yet.

Start using these 5 GBP features today before your local competitors do.

Follow Josh Crouch 🐂🎯 for more GBP tips.

5 GMB Features

Your 2024 marketing strategies won’t survive 2025.
AI search, smarter automation & multiplatform visibility.

The rules have changed and most contractors haven’t caught up yet.

Here’s what the top 1% are doing differently 👇

The 2025 Marketing Playbook for Contractors

1️⃣ Repurpose for Reach 
2️⃣ Expand Distribution  
3️⃣ Diversify Reviews  
4️⃣ Personalized Automation
5️⃣ Optimize for AI Search

Swipe the carousel to explore more details.

Bonus: Let AI audit your marketing, find hidden gaps and growth opportunities.

2025 isn’t about shouting louder.
It’s about marketing smarter.

Which of these are you implementing first?

Swipe the carousel to explore more details.

Most trade pros either ignore marketing or try everything.
SEO, PPC, social media, content marketing, email campaigns, soon to burn out!

Neither approach works.

What DOES work is this:

Focus on the 3-4 channels that actually drive results for trade businesses, build simple systems around them, and execute consistently.

That's it, that's the formula.

And on December 16th, I'm breaking down exactly how to do it.

It's a practical, roll-up-your-sleeves workshop where we build your 2026 marketing plan together.

You'll learn:

→ Which marketing channels matter (and which ones you can ignore)
→ Simple website tweaks that dramatically increase conversion rates
→ The marketing mistakes that might be wasting your money

This is 100% free, but we’re capping attendance to keep it focused and valuable.

Registration link is in the comments 👇

Marketing can feel overwhelming, unpredictable, and expensive.

Many HVAC, electrical, or plumbing business owners often ask themselves questions like:
 ◼️  Why isn’t my website bringing in more leads?
 ◼️  Am I wasting money on ads that don’t work?
 ◼️  How do I even know what’s working?

We understand it!

Without a clear plan, it’s easy to waste money on things that don’t work.

That’s why we’re hosting a free live webinar on December 16 at 4 PM EST to give you a clear, practical plan for a more profitable year ahead.

Ready to book more jobs in 2026?

Save your spot now https://lnkd.in/gjeeuU52

Too many contractors find marketing overwhelming and expensive.
Mostly, it’s because they’re spending on channels that don’t pay them back.

We’ve seen it time and again:
 ◼️ Websites that don’t convert
 ◼️ Ads that drain your budget
 ◼️ Marketing that feels like guesswork

Our free webinar on December 16 at 4 PM EST will show you which channels to keep, which to cut, and how to build a plan that actually books more jobs in 2026.

What you’ll get:
 ✅ Know which channels actually bring leads
 ✅ A 2026-ready marketing plan
 ✅ Step-by-step guidance to book more jobs
 ✅ Tips to get more leads from your website

Limited Seats Available - Reserve your Spot Now!
Registration link in the first comment.

Contractors tell me $5K a month for HVAC marketing sounds expensive… until we break down the real numbers.

Check the comments. 👇

View company: Relentless Digital Marketing Solutions

If you think $5K a month on HVAC marketing is “expensive,” you haven’t actually run the math.

Check the comments. 👇

A lot of contractors underestimate how much their website holds them back.

We rebuilt a site for a local HVAC company in California and the transformation shows exactly what happens when your website finally helps customers say yes.

Here’s what changed below in the thread.

A contractor website should guide homeowners quickly, clearly, and confidently.

We rebuilt a site for a local HVAC company in California, and the new version shows exactly what happens when clarity and conversion become the priority.

Full breakdown below.

taplio

The Battle

Darren Shaw

Josh Crouch 🐂🎯

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreDarren Shaw's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJosh Crouch 🐂🎯's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Darren Shaw

Josh Crouch 🐂🎯

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Darren Shaw's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJosh Crouch 🐂🎯's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreDarren Shaw's LinkedIn Performance