What Darren Shaw Wants Every Local Business to Know About SEO (But No One Teaches)

I’m sitting down with Darren Shaw, the founder of Whitespark and one of the most trusted names in Local SEO.

We’re talking about what actually works for local businesses who want to rank, get leads, and avoid SEO scams.

We’ve known each other for over a decade, following each other on social and in SEO circles.

How to Spot Bad SEO

The first thing Darren says? “If an SEO company cold emails you, run.“ A legit agency doesn’t need to spam your inbox. The best ones are too busy with inbound demand. He’s right. I’ve seen too many plumbers waste thousands on shady SEO promises.

Darren says to avoid anyone selling SEO myths like geotagging photos, stuffing keywords into your GMB description, or adding service areas. None of those moves the needle. If your SEO guy is pitching that, fire them.

He explains how many of these gigs offer things like bulk citations or “map pins”—20,000 for a few bucks. Sounds impressive, but it’s worthless. These low-quality services often spam your listing across garbage directories or create visual tricks that have zero ranking impact.

Worse, some Fiverr sellers offer fake reviews or even buy positive reviews for your competitors just to report them and get them penalized.

You can get basic citation work done cheaply, but you have to know what you’re doing. Most Fiverr sellers don’t. As Darren said, “Most of the stuff on Fiverr is basically garbage and I would not recommend that either.”

What Actually Works in Local SEO

I asked Darren what works for local businesses, and his answers are practical:

• Focus on Google Business Profile (GBP) optimization.
• Respond to reviews and post regularly.
• Add real photos and short videos.
• Optimize your service pages with actual content.

He also emphasizes that citations still matter when done right—meaning selective, relevant directories. And social media posts on platforms like Facebook can influence your GBP performance.

He warns about things like using call tracking numbers incorrectly. If you replace your primary phone number with a tracking number without also listing your original number as the secondary, it can confuse Google and hurt your rankings. The same goes for your hours of operation: if they’re wrong or inconsistent across platforms, it’s a problem.

Darren’s agency, Whitespark, has affordable monthly packages starting at $500. They’ll manage your GBP, do weekly posts, review management, and make your listing stand out. At $1,000/month, they also handle your website and apply real SEO. And for $1,349, they even build legit backlinks through guest posts.

Linking Strategy That Actually Works

We talk about backlinks. Darren drops a stat: most local businesses only have 3–4 real ones.

I explain how we’ve built a network of business owners who link to each other through real content—guest posts, FAQs, and interviews.

• Plumbers in Easton (e.g, Plumbing Pros) linking to HVAC pros in San Antonio.
• Med spas in Salt Lake are linking to dermatologists in Denver.

It’s relevant, natural, and it works.

Darren says, “That’s how Google expects links to happen. Through real relationships.”

• Add video to your Google Business Profile. Darren emphasizes the growing impact of uploading short videos. Whitespark includes this in their GBP service: showing your team in action, giving walkthroughs, or sharing quick tips makes your listing more engaging.

“We think of GBP like a mini-website,” Darren said. “We treat it with the same care: optimizing photos, Q&A, services, products, and yes—videos.”

This helps turn views into phone calls.

• Use the Dollar a Day strategy to amplify helpful content. I bring this up with Darren, and he agrees: “Google watches user behavior. If people click, stay, and engage—that’s a quality signal.”

We tested this with my buddy Caleb Guilliams, a financial advisor, by boosting 60-second clips on Twitter:

• 40% click-through.
• 1 cent per click.
• Visits that led to calls and conversions.

Local pros can do the same. For example, a roofer answering “How do I spot hail damage?” and boosting it for $1/day can drive real engagement, and that lifts everything else.

Citations, Hours, and Call Tracking in Real Life

I joke that I eat at 2 a.m., and if your restaurant is open then, I’ll show up. If your hours on Google say you’re open but your door is locked, you’re losing trust, and Google notices that.

Same with phone numbers. Darren explains how using a call tracking number the wrong way can kill your rankings. Google expects your main business number to match across all listings. If you switch it out for a tracking number without listing the original as a secondary, Google gets confused. That hurts you.

And citations? They still matter. Darren points out that it’s not about quantity but about consistency. Being listed accurately in a handful of real directories sends strong signals to Google.

Fixing Location Pages the Right Way

Darren points out that most local businesses have weak location pages. He mentioned Home Depot as an example of doing it right. Most plumbers just copy and paste content and swap out city names. That might still rank, but it won’t convert.

Instead, Darren recommends:

• Use People Also Ask questions to guide content.
• Add author bios for credibility on service pages.
• Include real photos and project examples.
• Record and embed short videos.

I demonstrated this live before when performing an SEO audit for Daniel Joseph (Owner of Twins Garage Door Repair). This involved analyzing his location service page against Google’s EEAT guidelines.

He also stresses the importance of marking up your pages with schema and adding your name and face to the content. Google wants to know who’s behind the business.

The $1 Software Every Business Should Use

Darren also built software that monitors changes to your Google Business Profile.

It’s only $1 per month per location. If Google or a competitor changes your listing, you get notified. Total no-brainer.

It even tracks if your categories change, your phone number gets edited, or if some shady competitor tries to suggest edits to get you suspended. It’s cheap insurance that could save your GBP.

Final Advice from Darren Shaw

If you’re serious about ranking locally, follow Darren’s advice:

• Stay away from Fiverr gigs that promise 20,000 citations or fake reviews.
• Stop focusing on tricks. Do what real businesses do.
• Build EEAT by being legit and showing proof of work.
• Add helpful videos to your GBP and website via our Content Factory process.
• Use citations and social posts strategically.

Want us to audit your local SEO? Start with a Quick Audit and let’s see what’s holding you back.