Blog · Notes from the Operation

Notes from running the work.

The running commentary — algorithm updates we read, GBP suspensions we reinstated, methodology evolution, industry observations, anonymized case-file teasers. Date-stamped. Opinionated. Different from the reference hubs.

Read the latest →
Featured · The Latest
Algorithm Watch 2026-05-18 9 min read

How the March 2026 Core Update Hit Local Service Businesses

We watched the update roll through 40+ client GBPs and tracked which patterns Google targeted, which businesses survived, and which playbooks we adjusted before recovery cycles compressed. Here's what we saw — and what we changed.

Read the full report →
Recent Reports

More from the operation.

Methodology2026-05-04

Why We Charge for Audits (And You Should Too)

The free-audit model is a sales pitch dressed as work. Charging for the audit changes the economics — and the outcomes.
Case File2026-04-22

Reinstated a Med Spa GBP After 9 Months Down

Anonymized account of a GBP reinstatement that took 23 days and surfaced three platform-policy nuances most agencies don't know.
Industry WatchComing soon

The GMB Gorilla Pricing Model — Reverse-Engineered

What their per-location pricing reveals about LSA-margin compression in the multi-location GBP management space.

AI SearchComing soon

What ChatGPT Actually Cites for Local-Intent Queries

30 days of probing AI engines for local-business citations across 5 verticals. The citation economy patterns are starting to clarify.

Operator's NotesComing soon

Multi-Location GBP at Scale — Lessons from 60 Locations

What broke, what worked, what we changed across a 60-location HVAC rollout completed Q1 2026.

Operator's NotesComing soon

What Last Quarter Looked Like, Anonymized

Active operations report — verticals, markets, average map-pack movement, geo-grid deltas. Real numbers, anonymized clients.

Faded entries are upcoming reports. Three real reports published, six more in queue — published as work mature and observations accumulate.

Engagement Options

Want a custom audit on your own market?

Every engagement starts with Local Intelligence — the competitor map and audit findings specific to your market.
Entry — required before any engagement
Local Intelligence Audit
Competitor authority map, entity weakness audit, realistic timeline projection. A one-time fee. Yours to keep whether or not you engage us.

Organic SEO visibility

Local Authority

SEO across every organic surface — the compounding asset that widens the lead on its own.

  • Website foundation, GBP, citations, reviews
  • Entity-based optimization & content
  • AI-search visibility (GEO / AEO)
Starting at
$3,000/mo
Claim Your Market

Paid search visibility

Paid Surge

Immediate visibility — the fast strike across every paid surface while the asset builds.

  • Google Ads / PPC management
  • Google Local Services Ads
  • Facebook & Instagram advertising
Starting at
$1,500/mo
+ ad spend
Claim Your Market
Recommended

The complete growth marketing stack

Total Takeover

Organic and paid visibility, fully integrated and run by one specialist team.

  • Everything in Local Authority
  • Everything in Paid Surge
  • One coordinated operation — no fragmentation
Starting at
$4,500/mo
Start The Takeover
The Next Step

Start with the diagnosis.

30-minute strategy call. We scope your market, project the realistic timeline, and tell you honestly whether we're the right agency.

Book Your Strategy Call