The Latest News From Melon Local

Stay in the know with the latest news in digital marketing, best practices and updates from Melon Local.

How AI Determines Which Business Is the Best

You know your business is the best. But when someone asks AI (Artificial Intelligence) for the best business nearby, does your name come up? And if another business gets recommended, what made AI choose it over yours? Let’s look at how ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity find business information and

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Colin Heald, Senior Software Architect at Melon Local, featured in a “Melon of the Month” spotlight graphic.

Melon Spotlight: Colin Heald

Introducing our July 2024 Melon Spotlight, Colin Heald, our one and only Senior Software Architect. Though not always front and center, Colin’s impact on Melon Local’s operations is tremendous as the founder of our proprietary software known as “The Patch.” We took some time to speak to Colin to learn more about his unique background, creating The Patch and what he enjoys most about working at Melon Local! Check out

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Andrew Smith, insurance agent, sharing five things he loves about working with Melon Local and its digital marketing services

5 Things I Love About Melon Local – Feat. Andrew Smith

While working as an intern at an Atlanta-area accounting firm after his graduation from Kennesaw University, Andrew Smith realized he wanted a career that would allow him to have a greater impact on his community. When given the chance to join a local insurance office as a team member, he fell in love with the industry and eventually opened his own office 11 years later in Marietta, GA in 2019.

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Lee Ann Stach, founder of Helpy Hour, featured in a Melon Local interview discussing networking, business growth, and community connections

Interview with ‘Helpy Hour’ Founder Lee Ann Stach

If there’s anything that can be said about Helpy Hour, it’s that their approach to networking insurance agents with each other is unconventional. What originally began as a satirical social media page in 2018 for like-minded agents to vent about common challenges has since become a trusted voice that has amassed a following in the thousands and regularly holds educational workshops across the country. Now on the horizon is their

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Natalie Nunez, Social Media Content Creator at Melon Local, featured in a “Client Success Story” graphic.

Client Success Story with Natalie Nunez

Meet one of Melon Local’s talented Social Media Content Creators, Natalie Nunez! Natalie has been an integral part of our Melon Patch, from helping our One in a Melon agents create their social accounts to helping them stand out in their local market. We caught up with her to learn more about her innovative approach to social media and how she’s had an impact on our One in a Melon

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Melon Local team members sharing creative social media ideas to help insurance agents celebrate Insurance Nerd Day and engage with their audience

4 Ways to Celebrate ‘Insurance Nerd Day’ On Social Media

Have you ever wondered why so many people in the insurance industry proudly call themselves “insurance nerds”? It’s because they genuinely love what they do, and there’s even a day to celebrate this passion! July 18 is Insurance Nerd Day, a fun-filled occasion for all the dedicated insurance enthusiasts out there. Insurance Nerd Day is a celebration for everyone in the insurance industry, from agents to policyholders and even those

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Melon Local team member explaining the importance of accurate business listings for improving local search visibility and customer trust

Not All Business Listings Are Created Equal

First impressions often happen online, especially when it comes to online business listings. You can think of them as digital storefronts where your customers can learn everything about your business, including your contact info, your services and products, workplace culture and reviews. In fact, online listings may receive 2.7 times more views than a brand’s own website. Notably, one 2024 survey found that 77 percent of consumers use at least

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Man holding Google and Microsoft items while comparing advertising platforms in a Melon Local blog graphic.

Deciding Between Google and Microsoft Ads

Google accounts for over 90 percent of the global search engine market — making it the world’s most popular search engine — but this doesn’t mean you should overlook the lead-generating potential of Microsoft Ads — in particular through its search engine Bing. Let’s break down how both Google and Microsoft Ads differ and what they share in common. 1. Demographics Perhaps one of the most notable differences between these

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Woman holding a measuring tape beside the headline “Our Approach to Measuring Success” on a Melon Local paid search blog graphic.

How Melon Local Measures Success in Paid Search

At Melon Local, we believe paid search isn’t just about being seen — it’s about letting people know you run the best business in town. With an average 30 percent click-to-quote rate, our comprehensive approach ensures you not only reach your local market but also convert them into loyal customers. Here’s how we “ex-seed” expectations when it comes to our paid search services. Monthly In-Depth Meetings We get that sifting

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Michael Long, Director of Client Success at Melon Local, featured in a “Melon of the Month” spotlight graphic.

Melon Spotlight: Michael Long

Meet our June 2024 Melon Spotlight, Michael Long, one of our exceptional Directors of Client Success. Since day one, Michael has proven himself as a valuable team player by consistently driving results and forging fruitful partnerships with agents all across the country. Join us as we delve into what fuels Michael’s passion for digital marketing and his passions beyond Melon Local!  

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Latest Blog Posts

Whitney Green-Olson reflects on Melon Local's third year in business during a year-in-review recap

Highlights from Melon Local’s Third Year in Business

Wow, where do I even start with all the amazing things we accomplished at Melon Local last year?  As CEO of Melon Local, I can definitely say 2022 was a milestone year for our company. Reflecting on 2022, some of our most notable highlights include: Celebrating three years of fruitful partnerships  Adding 600+ individual agents & offices as clients Achieving Google Premier Partner status (top 3% in the U.S.) Reaching

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Portrait of insurance agent Chasidy Murphy featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series

Interview with an Agent: Chasidy Murphy

If you live in Trophy Club, TX, chances are you’ve probably seen insurance agent Chasidy Murphy cruise around in her agency-branded Jeep.  After spending years working in corporate roles, Chasidy felt the urge to carve a new career path for herself and opened her Trophy Club insurance agency in 2016.  When it came to marketing her insurance agency, she originally signed up with a marketing company that didn’t quite get

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Woman using a smartphone with a Google Maps location pin, representing Google Maps' new Neighborhood Vibe feature

Google Maps to Embrace New ‘Neighborhood Vibe’ Feature

Google is bringing some new ‘vibes’ to Google Maps. During its recent annual ‘Search On’ event, Google announced a new feature called “Neighborhood Vibe,” which will highlight the most popular and hottest destinations across different neighborhoods. The new addition to Google Maps will be made possible by combining AI with local content from Maps users, including info taken from Google.  “When you’re looking at the map of an area, we

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Professional using a laptop and digital marketing tools to manage social media and online marketing efforts

Organic Search vs. Paid Search in Insurance Marketing

When marketing your insurance agency, you may ask yourself if it’s better to get leads through organic search or paid search. While 68 percent of online experiences begin with a search engine, the results from organic and paid search can vastly influence people’s purchasing decisions in different ways.  Not sure where to start? Here are the benefits of going with either an organic or paid search campaign: Organic Search Benefits

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Graphic highlighting 15 reasons insurance agents choose Melon Local for digital marketing services

15 Reasons Melon Local Can’t Be Beat

We’re not like other digital marketing agencies. We’ve planted roots, gained expertise, and established fruitful partnerships in the insurance industry – and only the insurance industry.  While it might be convincing enough to hear we are in the top three percent of Google Partners in the United States as a Google Premier Partner, there are plenty of reasons why we’re your one-stop shop for insurance marketing needs.  In fact, we’re

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Frustrated business owner working on a laptop after experiencing a Google Business Profile suspension issue

How to Address Google Business Profile Suspensions

While having a Google Business Profile (GBP) is a must for boosting your insurance agency’s search engine rankings, having an account can come with complications.  Your GBP can become suspended if you’re not adhering to Google’s guidelines. It is also possible for your account to face suspension due to an internal problem at Google. Even more frustrating is that Google often won’t provide any clear reason for why your account

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Portrait of Joe Nguyen, President of the Asian Hustle Network Association (AHA), featured in a Melon Local interview

Melon Local Interviews AHA President Joe Nguyen

Insurance agent Joe Nguyen and a group of 30 agents came together in Las Vegas, NV for the first-ever Agents Hosting Agents conference in 2005.  Realizing the value agents could gain from in-person networking events like AHA, Nguyen decided to turn the conference into a non-profit organization that has since hosted over several thousand attendees. Now with their fifth conference planned for April 19-21, 2023 in Anaheim, CA, we caught

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Connected profile icons illustrating LinkedIn networking and professional relationship building for insurance marketing

20 Ways to Use LinkedIn in Your Insurance Marketing Strategy

LinkedIn is more than just an online resume — it can be a useful tool for diversifying your insurance marketing strategy.  LinkedIn has over 850 million users and 58 million companies listed on its site, making it a great way to connect with potential customers and business partners. Check out our 20 marketing tips on how to effectively use LinkedIn as an insurance agent! 1. Build Your Brand As an

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Portrait of insurance agent Chris Ferraro Jr. featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series

Interview with an Agent: Chris Ferraro Jr.

The Ferraro name is well known in the insurance world, with over 19 family members working as agents across the country. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Chris Ferraro Jr. is seeking to make a name for himself as a third-generation insurance agent in San Clemente, CA.  Originally starting as a team member for his dad’s office in Mission Viejo, Chris fell in love with the industry before opening

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