FIELD NOTES · BLOG
How local businesses actually grow.
Plainspoken guides for the owner-operator: local SEO, reviews, conversion mechanics, industry deep dives, and comparisons that make sense if you've ever been quoted $25,000 for a website.
More than a website: why local businesses need an operating system
Most local businesses don't have a marketing problem — they have a tool problem. Six vendors, no clarity, the asset is rented. Here's what an operating system replaces, and why it matters in 2026.
Read the essay →NAP consistency: the boring fix that doubles local rankings
Name, Address, Phone — identical across 23+ directories. The least sexy item on a local SEO audit and the one that moves Map Pack rank more reliably than almost anything else. Here's how to do it in a week.
Growth Local Co. vs. Squarespace — when each makes sense
Squarespace is fine. Until it isn't. Here's the honest breakdown of where each delivers, where each falls short, and which kind of local business should pick which.
How to ask for reviews without sounding desperate (8 templates)
Review velocity moves Map Pack rank more than star count. Here's the SMS + email script library we use to take a typical local business from 1.2 reviews/month to 6+ inside 30 days.
The Google Business Profile setup checklist for local businesses (2026)
A line-by-line GBP checklist used by Growth Local Co. on every audit. Categories, attributes, services, photos, posts cadence, Q&A — what changed in 2026 and what still matters.