Chris Patterson
Local SEO Specialist
Most Recent Articles
Read more →How To Ask For More Google Reviews For Your Australian Business
Most happy customers won't leave a Google review unless you ask. This guide provides Australian businesses with a repeatable, friction-free system to increase review volume. Learn how to time your requests, use direct links and QR codes, and craft professional responses to build trust and improve local SEO while maintaining compliance with Google’s guidelines.
Chris Patterson··110 views
Read more →How Review Sentiment Affects Local SEO (And How to Optimize for It)
Most local businesses optimize for star ratings and ignore the one signal that actually moves the needle in Google's local algorithm: the language inside your reviews. This guide breaks down how Google's NLP engine reads review sentiment, why descriptive feedback outranks generic five-star reviews, and five advanced strategies to turn your review profile into a compounding local SEO asset.
Chris Patterson··185 views
Read more →How to Change Your Business Name on Google My Business (Without Getting Suspended)
Log into the Google account tied to your listing, search your exact business name on Google to pull up your profile, then: Open Edit Profile. Click the Edit profile icon (the pencil icon) inside the merchant menu on the search results page. Go to Business Info. Select the Business info tab, find the Business name field, and click the pencil icon next to it. Type the new name. Enter your updated name exactly as it appears on your signage, website, and legal documents. Save. Click Save and give it time to process.
Chris Patterson··199 views
Read more →Google Review Points: What They Mean and How to Earn Them
Google review points are a scoring metric inside the Google Local Guides program. Every time you contribute content to Google Maps, whether that is writing a review, uploading a photo, or answering a question, Google awards you points based on the type and quality of that contribution.
Chris Patterson··319 views
Read more →How to Get More Reviews for Your Plumbing Business: Proven Strategies
Most plumbing companies lose review opportunities every single day, not because customers are unhappy, but because there is no system. In this guide I break down 15 proven strategies to get more reviews for your plumbing business, including technician scripts, automation sequences, Google Business Profile tactics, and how to recover from negative feedback.
Chris Patterson··243 views
Read more →How to Get More Google Reviews for Your Auto Repair Shop (The Ultimate Guide)
If you want to know how to get more Google reviews for your auto repair shop, you are sitting on one of the highest-leverage moves in local SEO that most shop owners completely ignore. I have spent years managing online reputations for independent repair shops, and I can tell you with confidence: the shops dominating the Google Map Pack in their cities are not there by accident. They have a system for collecting reviews, and it runs almost on autopilot. In this guide I am going to walk you through exactly how to build that system, step by step. No theory -just what actually works.
Chris Patterson··248 views
Read more →How to Share and Create a Google Review Link in 2026 (Step-by-Step Guide)
If you run a local business, getting Google reviews consistently is no longer optional. Reviews shape your Google Maps ranking, build customer trust, and directly influence whether someone chooses you over a competitor. The single biggest barrier to getting more reviews is friction. Most customers are willing to leave a review, but they won't go hunting for your business profile on their own. A direct Google review link removes that friction entirely. One click, and they land straight on the review form, ready to write.
Chris Patterson··258 views
Read more →60+ Best Plumber Review Examples (And How to Gather Them)
I have put together this guide to give you 60+ original plumber review examples you can copy, adapt, or use as inspiration. You'll also find templates, semantic keywords, and the exact step-by-step process I recommend for gathering more reviews from happy customers.
Chris Patterson··261 views
Read more →What Motivates Customers to Leave a Google Review? (Data + Psychology Explained)
What motivates customers to leave a Google Review? It’s not random. From emotional triggers and social proof to incentives and timing, this guide breaks down the real psychology behind customer behavior, plus how you can use it to consistently generate more high-quality reviews without breaking Google’s rules.
Chris Patterson··325 views