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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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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Latest Blog Posts

Melon of the Month spotlight featuring Justyna Ruszczak, Paid Search Manager

Melon Spotlight: Justyna Ruszczak

Since joining our team as a Paid Search Manager, Justyna has brought a sharp eye for optimization, steady focus and a genuine commitment to improving performance across every account she manages. She thrives on refining our AI-driven Google Performance Max campaigns, strengthening headlines and descriptions and optimizing for Melon Max to drive higher-quality leads, making her a true force in the Melon Patch. We caught up with Justyna to talk

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Insurance agency growth checklist and 2026 planning guide.

Your 2026 Guide for Growing Your Insurance Agency

The end of the year is more than just reflection — it’s a chance to reset your strategy and prepare your agency for what’s next. Every goal you set shapes how your agency grows. With the right strategy, you can turn ambition into action and set your agency up for success. As technology continues to evolve, optimizing for AI is becoming essential. From how customers find your business to how

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Melon Local CEO Whitney Green-Olson shares insights and updates for 2026

Fireside Chat with Melon Local’s CEO: 2026 Edition

2025 was a year of real progress for Melon Local — not just in growth, but in the tools, support and momentum we built alongside our clients. It’s safe to say we had our share of fresh milestones over the past year, including: Launching Melon Max live transfer calls and internet leads — further solidifying our place as the original one-stop shop for digital marketing. Connecting with thousands of agents

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Melon of the Month spotlight featuring Bailey Swiger, Client Success Manager

Melon Spotlight: Bailey Swiger

Since joining our team as a Client Success Manager, Bailey has brought positivity, focus and a people-first approach to everything she does. Whether she’s hopping on client Zoom calls, digging into the data behind their results or simply being the steady voice they can count on, there’s a reason her clients love working with her. And with a background in education, Bailey’s no stranger to leading with patience, staying organized

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Melon of the Month spotlight featuring Bailey Swiger, Client Success Manager

Melon Spotlight: Trevor Black

Since joining our team as a Paid Search Manager, Trevor has brought a thoughtful approach, steady drive and genuine care to everything he does. He thrives on digging into campaign performance and finding smart ways to deliver results in spaces other agencies might consider too challenging, making him a real difference maker in the Melon Patch. We caught up with Trevor to talk about what excites him most about digital

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Learn how SEO and GEO work together.

How SEO and GEO Work Together to Keep You Visible

Traditional SEO can only take you so far on its own in today’s world of AI-powered search and local discovery. That’s where Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) bridges the gap — expanding your visibility beyond traditional rankings by optimizing for AI. On their own, each optimization practice delivers results, but together, they amplify reach, relevance and digital traffic. Let’s discuss what sets SEO and GEO apart and how they work together

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Woman reacting to ChatGPT’s new Atlas browser and how it is redefining online search

What to Know About ChatGPT’s New Browser Atlas

We’re walking into a new type of internet where people don’t “search” first — they ask first. Instead of treating AI like a separate tool you open in another tab, ChatGPT’s Atlas browser brings it right into the browsing experience. Since launching on October 21, 2025, it’s offered consumers an alternative to traditional search giants like Google or Microsoft Bing. Instead, you ask, it understands the page you’re on and

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Melon of the Month spotlight featuring Liz Anguiano, Social Media Content Creator

Melon Spotlight: Liz Anguiano

Since joining our team as a Social Media Content Creator, Liz has brought fresh ideas, creativity and a true team spirit to everything she does. Her passion for crafting scroll-stopping content, hopping on calls to ensure our clients’ social presence is always on point and helping agents shine online as local legends made her an essential part of the Melon Patch. We caught up with Liz to talk about her

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Photos from the Soaring Eagle Agent Study Group featuring insurance agents and Melon Local attendees

Soaring Eagle Agent Study Group Coming Back Stronger in 2026

The Soaring Eagle agent study group isn’t just back for 2026 — it’s bigger than ever. More than 400 agents and team members from across the U.S. are already set to attend from January 28–30 at the Soaring Eagle Resort & Casino in Mt. Pleasant, MI, making this the largest gathering the study group has hosted yet. Founder and insurance agent David Arce says even as the room expands, Soaring

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