What 25 Years in Local Marketing Has Taught Me: Greg Sterling

Greg’s Journey: From Civil Litigator to Local SEO Legend

Greg didn’t exactly take a straight path into local marketing. He started out as a civil litigator, then pivoted into content creation for early internet companies back in the late '90s. That led to gigs at startups, media companies, and eventually The Kelsey Group, where he published what might’ve been the first whitepaper ever on local search.

From there, Greg became a true analyst of the local landscape—advising companies, publishing insights, and helping shape how the industry understands user behavior in local search.

Local Search Behavior: It’s Not One-Size-Fits-All

One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation was this: consumer behavior changes drastically depending on the vertical.

Whether it's pest control, self-storage, healthcare, or restaurants—how people search, what they look at, and what triggers a decision are all different.

Here’s a breakdown of a few key insights from Greg’s user testing research:

• Healthcare: People scroll deep into the local finder. They want to see photos, staff, and real images—not stock photos. Reviews matter, but only if there's enough of them.

• Legal: Click-throughs to websites are high. Local Services Ads (LSAs) also perform incredibly well because users don’t always realize they’re ads.

• Self-Storage: Price and proximity dominate. Review count matters less than things like “first month free” offers in the SERP title.

• Restaurants: Users rarely click to websites. They make decisions right from the Google Business Profile based on photos, menus, and reviews.

This kind of insight makes it clear why niching down as a marketing agency matters. It’s almost impossible to effectively optimize across all these categories without fully understanding each customer journey.

AI Is Here—and Local Businesses Are Already Embracing It

Something that surprised even Greg: local businesses are actually ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting AI tools. Unlike in the past—where you'd have to drag SMBs into digital marketing—many are now proactively using AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to create content, automate tasks, and even answer phones.

Here are some developments we discussed:

• AI Call Answering: This tech is still maturing, but it's already being tested by some restaurants and service businesses. As latency improves, expect it to become mainstream by end of year.

• Automated Website Builders: Tools like Wix, Squarespace, and Mozilla-backed Soloist are making it ridiculously easy to launch a polished, mobile-friendly website with minimal effort.

• Omnichannel Marketing with AI: New platforms are emerging to automate campaign creation across social, email, and paid channels—all with AI-generated content.

But the biggest challenge? Tool overload. There’s no shortage of software—but local business owners often don’t know what to trust or where to begin.

What Actually Drives Clicks in Local?

If you're wondering what helps businesses stand out in search today, here are some truths backed by Greg’s research:

• Review Stars and Quantity: Users often don’t even read the reviews. They judge based on the star rating and how many reviews you have. Text reviews are scanned only when users are on the fence.

• Brand Recognition Matters: Even in local, people click brands they know. In pest control, that might be Orkin. In storage, it’s Public Storage. That brand familiarity alone can drive conversions.

• Speed of Response Is Everything: Especially in home services, Greg emphasized this: If you're not answering calls or responding to leads quickly, you're losing business. Many local businesses are leaving money on the table simply by not getting back to customers fast enough.

Where Google Is Headed

One of the most fascinating parts of our chat was hearing Greg’s take on Google’s evolution:

• Google is shifting toward more AI-organized experiences (like carousels and AI overviews).

• Local is still critical to Google's strategy—it’s their biggest differentiator from platforms like ChatGPT or Reddit.

• Google Business Profile will remain central, but AI overviews and map interactions are starting to play a bigger role in visibility.

And for those wondering if there's anything you can do to "optimize for AI overviews"? The answer: just follow local SEO best practices—reviews, photos, accurate info, and GBP engagement. Everything else is largely out of your hands (for now).

What Near Media and Local Dialogue Actually Do

If you're wondering how Greg and his team get all this intel—it’s legit. Here’s how their research works:

1. They recruit panelists based on specific user demographics and needs.

2. They present real-world scenarios (e.g., "Find a pest control company for your new home").

3. Participants perform the search while narrating their thoughts aloud.

4. Every move is tracked—what they search, click, skip, and why.

5. They compile quantitative and qualitative data into detailed reports.

It’s a goldmine of real user behavior that can’t be captured by keyword tools or heatmaps alone.

The Final Lesson: Don't Burn Out

At the end of our conversation, I asked Greg what his biggest lesson has been over the last few years. His answer hit home:

"There’s too much to do, and you can’t do it all. Prioritize. Create boundaries. Try to enjoy your life a little bit—or burnout is inevitable."

Solid reminder for those of us grinding 24/7 in this space.

Final Thoughts

This was one of the most insightful interviews I’ve done to date. Whether you're a local business owner or a marketer serving local clients, the key takeaway is this: Know your audience. The user journey isn’t one-size-fits-all, and success in local marketing comes from understanding those nuances.

Massive thanks again to Greg for coming on the show. If you want more from him, check out:

• Near Media

• Local Dialogue

• @gsterling on X/Twitter

And stay tuned—because this space is evolving fast.

P.S. Check out the full episode here: