Pour a drink, put your phone on Do Not Disturb, and learn something game-changing.
I hope you’re getting some serious lounging in this summer, but with the liveliness of our industry’s newscycle right now, I’d be willing to bet you’ve got local search marketing on your mind even while you’re sipping iced tea. This content stack is a powerhouse for local search marketing agency decision-makers. See the major trends in what’s driving client reputation, retention, and revenue. Build a strategy you can guide teams and clients with for the rest of 2025.
1. New Agency Research: Digital Agencies Face Stiff Headwinds in 2025 After a Tough 2024 – Promethean Research
Should your agency specialize or generalize? 84% of specialists are outperforming their generalist counterparts. Is your SaaS brand or marketing product’s growth keeping pace with industry trends? Smaller shops are stabilizing more easily than medium-to-large agencies following 2024’s upheavals. This landmark report from Promethean answers tons of hot questions like these and will give you truly valuable benchmarks on pricing, staffing, AI adoption, and more to help you measure the health of your brand.
2. Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends For 2025 – Greg Jarboe, Search Engine Journal
Is your agency’s strategy aligned with the broad marketing shifts for 2025? H2 is a great time to look back at H1 to see whether you’re observing the predicted trends within your own client base and meeting the goals you set. This comprehensive guide covers everything from doubling down on fundamentals to the rising impact of AI in marketing. Notably, it urges agencies to break silos with omnichannel strategies and to involve C-level leaders in adapting to emergent changes. Benchmark lived experience with this resource to help you stay ahead of the curve in Q3.
3. 15 Q&A on How Consumers Use Reviews to Choose Local Businesses – Mél Attia, GatherUp
Send this piece directly to your sales and customer support teams so that they can accurately answer top FAQs on the value of reputation management in 2025. Get more sign-ups and offer better responses with this research-backed resource. From the percentage of consumers who rely on reviews (a whopping 99% at least occasionally) to why responding to feedback matters, this piece is packed with stats (e.g. 85% of consumers trust online reviews to some extent) and practical insights. A must-read for anyone tasked with converting and retaining local search marketing agency customers this year.
4. Why Google Reviews Will Power Up Your Local SEO in 2025 – Elizabeth Rule, Search Engine Land
Level up on the impacts of Google reviews on rankings and consumer trust, and the visibility benefits of photo-rich, specific reviews. A tactical piece explaining how Google reviews directly influence local search rankings and consumer trust. For agencies, this article reinforces that investing in review generation and response is one of the smartest strategies for growing authenticity in the AI era – something that should be top-of-mind for every digital marketer in 2025.
5. AI and Local Search: The New Rules of Visibility and ROI in 2025 – Benu Aggarwal, Search Engine Land
There’s AI advice around every corner these days, but this piece stands out for its local search marketing agency focus. It outlines strategies for agencies to optimize for AI-enhanced search results and maintain ROI as search evolves. Read this to future-proof your local SEO approach – from content optimization to leveraging schema – so your clients stay discoverable amid AI market disruption.
6. HyperLocal PR + Online Reviews: the two-step dance of AI-aware Local SEO – Miriam Ellis, GatherUp
Now that you’ve looked at Benu Aggarwal’s intro to visibility in the AI era, Miriam Ellis will show you the silver lining amid all this upheaval. Even if you’re not an AI fan, you’re going to love how hyperlocal PR and reviews are coming to the fore in the quest to earn maximum visibility for your agency’s clients. Map out your local media grid and make the most of AI tokenization in this timely and approachable guide.
7. AI, Reviews, and the Future of Local SEO: What Darren Shaw Says You Need to Know – NearMedia
You get a seat at the smartest table in any room when you sit down with local SEOs of the caliber of Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal, and Darren Shaw. This is a video to sit down with at lunchtime when there’s nothing to distract you. 45 minutes later, you’ll know exactly how to guide your agency’s team in the coming months when it comes to AI, rep management, and the new directions local search is taking.
8. The Theory and Praxis of Local SEO: What Mike Blumenthal Wants Every Agency to Know – Mike Blumenthal, NearMedia
“People treat reviews like decoration. They’re not. They are the content. They’re your brand,” said Mike Blumenthal at AmpUp 2025, and this extremely detailed recap of his presentation is foundational reading for every local search marketer. Praxis = actionable tactics, but no amount of execution can make up for not aligning with how local search actually works. Here, you’ll get Mike’s reality-based playbook that covers everything from audits, to reviews, to the resilience of your agency.
9. The #1 Local SEO Roadmap to Dominate Your Market – Joy Hawkins, Sterling Sky
A treasure trove of proven local SEO tactics and an up-to-date playbook to help clients be found, be chosen, and convert in their local markets, plus critical advice about not getting it wrong. Joy Hawkins’ expertise will help you avoid the pitfalls of GBP optimization, local link building, reputation management, and more. So often, local SEO success actually comes down to knowing what not to do. Protect and inform your agency with this practical resource.
10. The Current State of Google Local Justifications – Miriam Ellis, Search Engine Land
Your agency’s picture of the benefits of reviews has a big hole in it unless you’re explaining Google local pack justifications to prospective clients. These bonus snippets of text can be CTR competitive-difference-makers, and reviews are just one of ten major flavors they come in. Before your salespeople have that next client meeting, brush-up on these click-worthy tidbits of local business listing appeal.
11. SEO vs. Brand Voice? You Don’t Have to Choose – Mél Attia, GatherUp
Mél Attia took some deep notes at the recent AmpUp conference and if you didn’t get to attend, this piece is your chance to tune into a key topic for agencies: how to satisfy search engines without losing authenticity. Ground yourself in intent, SEO basics, reviews, and meaningful metrics. In this recap of the joint presentation of Cathy Atkins and Jim McDannald, your agency can find a path forward that isn’t hindered by treating the SEO vs. Brand Voice dynamic as a binary choice.
12. Beach Towel Basics: Local Marketing Must-Knows You Can Actually Read on Vacation – Miriam Ellis, GatherUp
In case you missed our first installment, GatherUp is devoted to creating your summer reading lists so that you can head into fall with your agency’s lunchbox packed with thought leadership. Catch up on our last edition, bursting with rep management expertise, and check back with us in August for another handy round-up!
