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
4 Questions to Ask Before Granting GBP Access
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most valuable digital assets your business owns. It’s often the first thing potential customers see when they search for your business, making it a key driver of organic calls, website visits and foot traffic. In fact, a fully optimized GBP gets around 70 percent more in-store visits. Because of its importance, it’s not uncommon to receive emails or notifications asking you
4 Lead Follow-Up Strategies From Insurance Agent Katie Olson
When lead performance starts to slow down, it’s easy to assume the leads are the problem. But after working with thousands of insurance agencies across the country, we’ve found the best opportunities come from improving what’s done with a lead after it comes in. That’s exactly what Melon Local Business Development Specialist and experienced insurance agency owner Katie Olson discusses in our latest Melon Minute. As the owner of her
Melon Spotlight: Cassidy Fehr
From rolling out the green carpet as a CSM to helping keep The Patch running smoothly as Executive Assistant, Cassidy has continued to grow alongside Melon Local. Known for her organization, positivity and attention to detail, she’s become a go-to resource for keeping projects on track, supporting leadership and adding thoughtful touches that make Melon feel like home. Whether she’s coordinating behind the scenes, helping elevate the client experience or
How to Write Better AI Prompts with the GREEN Framework
Artificial intelligence has changed the way businesses create content, brainstorm ideas and solve problems. With nearly 75 percent of companies adopting AI for at least one business function, its use will inevitably increase over time. But here’s something many people overlook: the quality of AI’s output depends on the quality of your input. Two people can ask the same AI platform the same question and walk away with completely different
Melon Local Hosts Successful Open House for 2026
For two days in May, Melon Local opened its doors and welcomed hundreds of clients, partners, sponsors and friends at our Las Vegas-based Melon Patch. Yes, there were live demos. Yes, there were even tacos, drinks and a dunk tank. But the biggest takeaway from Melon Local’s 2026 Open House wasn’t found in any activation station or presentation. It was the people. Throughout the event, we had the opportunity to
The Importance of Staying Visible During Uncertain Times
If you’ve been in business long enough, you know how market shifts can make you rethink everything. Maybe AI is changing how your customers find your business. Maybe it’s rising costs of operations. Or perhaps it’s your own ROI not keeping pace with your business’s needs. But after years of working with our clients across the country, we’ve seen one thing consistently hold true: The businesses that stay visible during
Melon Local Named a 2026 Quantum Certified Workplace
Melon Local is proud to be recognized as a 2026 Quantum Certified Workplace, a designation awarded to organizations that demonstrate a consistent commitment to building strong workplace cultures and high-performing teams. The recognition reflects Melon Local’s ongoing investment in its people and the belief that a thriving internal culture directly drives better outcomes for clients. The certification, awarded by Quantum Workplace — a leader in employee experience and workplace culture
RECAP: Melon Local Celebrates Bring Your Child to Work Day
Bring Your Child to Work Day officially took over the Melon Local office on April 23, and for a few hours, our usual crew of marketers, strategists and Client Success pros shared the spotlight with some very important guests — the future generation of Melon leaders! Throughout the morning, 14 kids ages 4–11 got a behind-the-scenes look at life at Melon Local, starting with an office tour where they met
What to Know About Google’s Review Response Update
Did you know you may be replying to Google business reviews without realizing your responses never went live? Google has quietly introduced a new moderation layer for business review replies — meaning responses can now be delayed, filtered or rejected before ever appearing publicly on Search or Maps. Here’s what’s changing, and what your business should do about it. How is Google Now Moderating Reviews? Before this update, Google review
Latest Blog Posts
5 Things I Love About Melon Local – Feat. Sati Soulakhian
Motivated by her passion for helping others and shaped by her upbringing in a hard-working immigrant family from Armenia, Sati Soulakhian knew she was on the right path when she opened her insurance office in Glendale, CA, in 2022. Her journey hasn’t been without its challenges—especially when it came to finding a digital marketing agency that truly understood her needs and local market. Fortunately, Sati found a fruitful partnership with
Converting Insurance Leads to Customers: Follow-Up Best Practices
You’ve invested in your paid search leads, but are they actually paying off? As Ernie said in our Melon Minute video above, you may not realize it, but quality leads may be hiding in plain sight, including places like day-to-day conversations with customers, your social media and Yelp. Let’s take a deeper dive into our lead follow-up tips so you can start closing more leads than ever before! Tip 1:
How Long Does it Take to Improve Organic Search Results
Have you wondered how long it takes to grow your business’s organic search ranking? The truth is, there’s no clear consensus on this. Typically, it can take anywhere between 3–12 months to notice an improvement in your organic search results, but this can be contingent on a number of different factors — some in your control, others not so much. Let’s explore what factors influence your organic ranking and dispel
Melon Spotlight: Kieran Taylor
Say hello to our August 2024 Melon Spotlight, Kieran Taylor! As our first-ever Client Success Assistant, Kieran has played an instrumental role in providing additional support for our agents and Client Success team, including helping with the onboarding process, optimizing Google Business Profiles, resolving map issues and assisting with reputation management. Watch our conversation with her to learn more about what she most enjoys about working at Melon Local and
How to Address One-Star Online Business Reviews
As a business owner, feedback should always be welcomed, but what should you do when you get a negative review? Digital feedback can be very influential for your business, considering over 75.5 percent of consumers put their trust in online reviews. We talked about what to do in the video up above, but now let’s debunk some common myths, as well as what it takes to remove unwanted negative reviews.
Interview with an Agent: Bryan Nowlin
After spending four years learning about the ins and outs of insurance while working for his cousin’s agency, Bryan Nowlin fell in love with the industry and felt compelled to open his Fort Worth, TX agency in 2022. Having seen firsthand the success and results Melon Local was able to deliver while working as an insurance representative, he knew it only made sense to go with us for his own
Client Success Story with Christina Shields
From delivering results for her clients to managing her own team’s marketing strategies, Director of Client Success and Client Relations Christina Shields plays a crucial role in forming fruitful relationships with all our clients at Melon Local. We caught up with Christina to learn more about how she “ex-seeds” expectations across the board. Need someone in your corner like Christina? Schedule a demo today!
How Insurance Agents Can Maximize Social Media Engagement
Social media isn’t just about posting content — it’s about engaging with your audience to build relationships, trust and, ultimately, your business. But what does engagement look like on different platforms? Let’s dive into what engagement looks like across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok. Community Building and Interaction on Facebook Facebook’s engagement is driven by likes, comments, shares and group interactions. It’s a platform where community building is not just
How Social Media and Organic Search Benefit Each Other
The intersection of social media and organic search optimization isn’t just a crossroad — it’s a digital superhighway to growing your business. Leveraging the strengths of both these digital realms can propel your online visibility to new heights, drive more traffic and, ultimately, help you dominate your local market. Let’s explore how these two powerful forces can be utilized together to grow your business! How Social Media Enhances Organic Search