12 Local SEO Myths to Ignore (and What's True Instead)
Most bad local SEO advice was true once, or was never true at all. Here's the short version of each, with the source.
About your Google profile
1. "Google posts expire after 7 days, so post every week."
That ended years ago. In 2021, BrightLocal reported that "Google Posts are now visible in the business's Knowledge Panel for more than 7 days." (BrightLocal) Today Google says "Posts older than 6 months are archived unless a date range is set." (Google Business Profile help)
2. "Post every day to rank higher."
There's no evidence posts move your Maps ranking. Whitespark's experts put post frequency at #148 of 187 for Maps. (Whitespark) Post for the people who find you, not for the ranking. The evidence is here.
3. "Put keywords and your city in your business name."
It can lift rankings. It also breaks Google's rules, and extra words in your name "could result in the suspension of your Business Profile." (Google Business Profile help) And competitors watch for it. Phil Rozek told Whitespark, "Competitors' scrutiny of your GBP page is the #1 suspension risk." (Whitespark) More here.
4. "Seed your Q&A with your own questions."
Google pulled Q&A from Maps in December 2025, and the Q&A API "was officially retired on November 3, 2025." (BrightLocal) Put your FAQs on your website. One thing to watch: in August 2026, "Google seems to be testing a revamped and updated Q&A feature." (Search Engine Roundtable) That's a test, not a launch.
About your website
5. "Titles must be under 60 characters."
Google sets no limit. Long titles just get cut to fit the screen. The same goes for descriptions: "There's no limit on how long a meta description can be." (Google Search Central) How to write both.
6. "Pages need 1,500 words."
Asked if it has a preferred word count, Google says "(No, we don't.)" (Google Search Central) Write until the question is answered, then stop.
7. "Use the meta keywords tag."
Google said this back in 2009: "Google doesn't use the keywords meta tag in our web search ranking." (Google Search Central blog)
8. "Make a page for every suburb."
Copies of one page with the town name swapped are spam in Google's rules. Make a town page only where you really work and have something real to say. Here's the line.
About reviews and listings
9. "Offer a discount for a 5-star review."
Google bans businesses that "Offer incentives – such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services - in exchange for posting any review." Any review, not just 5-star ones. (Google's contribution policy)
The law cares too. The FTC's rule on reviews "went into effect on October 21, 2024." It bans rewards tied to positive reviews, and courts can impose "civil penalties for knowing violations." (FTC) How to ask the right way.
10. "Submit your business to 300 directories."
Brian Barwig, in Whitespark's 2026 report: "Most other citations are still worthless." (Whitespark) Keep the important listings accurate instead. Which ones, and why.
About AI and promises
11. "Add an llms.txt file to show up in AI answers."
Google: "You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, or markup" to appear in its AI features. (Google Search Central) What does help.
12. "We guarantee you #1 on Google."
Google's own page on hiring an SEO: "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." It suggests asking any SEO you talk to, "What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe?" (Google Search Central)
What's true instead
The boring stuff works: a complete profile, a page for each service, steady reviews, real mentions, and a look at your numbers every month. Here's that month, week by week.
Drop 08 has these myths on one page, next to the full local SEO checklist.
Quick wins
- Posts don't move your Maps ranking, and they don't expire after 7 days
- Keywords in your business name break Google's rules
- Google has no title length limit and no preferred word count
- Any reward for a review breaks Google's rules
- No one can guarantee you a #1 ranking
