Here’s the tough part of about local SEO – Google pretty much sets the rules, keeps score, and owns the game, so they will continue to see how they can use local search rankings to make money – there is no getting around this fact, but savvy marketers are still finding gold by applying the techniques that allow them to show up in local and organic listings as the game is played today. Blumenthal is the owner of Blumenthals, one of the founders of Local U, as well as GatherUp, a review service that helps local businesses. He specializes in developing and assessing feedback and review strategies for location-based businesses, local search consulting, Google Maps, and local search optimization.