The Latest News From Melon Local

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

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

Read More »
Customer using a smartphone to leave a five-star review for a business

6 Ways You Can Generate Reviews for Your Insurance Agency

As part of your insurance marketing strategy and online reputation management, generating and encouraging online reviews is essential.  Online review statistics have shown over 54 percent of online shoppers read at least four product reviews before purchasing a product.  Having a substantial number of positive reviews is crucial for adding credibility to your agency’s reputation. On the other hand, negative reviews can also help you determine any unmet needs of

Read More »
Person using a tablet to perform a Google search, representing search engine optimization and online visibility

What to Know About Google’s Responsive Search Ads

Google will no longer serve new expanded text ads starting June 30, 2022 The world of paid advertising is constantly evolving, especially with Google, which is continuously updating how it runs its ad programs. If your business revolves around insurance marketing – let alone any kind of marketing – you should be aware of Google’s plans to scrap expanded text ads to instead focus on responsive search ads on June

Read More »
Portrait of insurance agent Kira Schnell-Harrison featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series

Interview with an Agent: Kira Schnell-Harrison

Before she became an insurance agent, Kira Schnell-Harrison was a competitive synchronized figure skater. Kira grew up ice skating in Wisconsin and, at one point, qualified for Team USA. After her skating career, she worked in various roles in the consumer goods industry before opening her Chicago-area insurance agency in 2019.  Although she doesn’t compete anymore, she still coaches ice skating and applies the same experience to managing her insurance

Read More »
Woman holding a magnifying glass and laptop to represent organic search optimization and SEO research

What is Organic Search Optimization?

You’ve likely heard of Search Engine Optimization, but have you ever heard of Organic Search Optimization? If not, we’d love to explain! Melon Local offers an exclusive Organic Search Optimization (OSO) insurance marketing package which can boost your web presence by focusing on your organic content.  There are many ways your insurance agency can benefit from this package, including being listed in the most popular business directory listings and having

Read More »
Woman reacting to Facebook notifications on a smartphone, representing audience engagement and social media interaction on Facebook

20 Ways to Use Facebook in Your Insurance Marketing Strategy

If there’s any social media that’s necessary for your insurance marketing strategy, it’s Facebook.  With over 2.45 billion monthly users, Facebook is a great platform for making fun and engaging insurance social media posts. It also has the power to boost your agency’s visibility, drive leads, add value to your customers and strengthen your relationship with them and your local community.  Whether you’re just starting off or you’ve been using

Read More »
Portrait of insurance agent Kevin Hayward featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series

Interview with an Agent: Kevin Hayward

Kevin Hayward originally envisioned himself as a newspaper writer. He studied communication and was an active freelance writer for his local newspaper, but soon realized he had a passion for the insurance industry.  After earning his bachelor’s degree, Kevin entered the insurance world as a claims agent in 2007. He worked his way up the company ladder and became a public affairs specialist and wrote articles for the insurance company’s

Read More »
Business professional holding a computer keyboard to represent choosing an SEO-friendly domain name for a website

7 Tips for Choosing an SEO-Friendly Domain Name

Having an SEO-friendly domain name can make a huge difference in the overall success of your insurance agency’s marketing strategy. So, why is it so crucial for your insurance agency to choose the right domain name? Well, it helps:  Define your brand Increase your click-through rate Generate more leads Boost your traffic Give credibility to your agency If your domain is too long or complicated, chances are it will be

Read More »
Smiling customer expressing appreciation for a positive business experience

10 Ways Your Insurance Agency Can Show Customer Appreciation

Just because your insurance agency sells someone a new policy doesn’t mean that things end there. The insurance industry is all about nurturing long-term relationships, and like any healthy relationship, there needs to be a balance of mutual appreciation between you and your customers.  Reciprocity is crucial to your agency’s long-term success and, in turn, makes your customers more likely to return the favor through additional sales, reviews and referrals.

Read More »
Google Premier Partner graphic featuring the Google logo and Melon Local branding celebrating Melon Local's 2022 Premier Partner status

Melon Local Named 2022 Google Premier Partner

All of us at Melon Local are ecstatic to announce that our insurance marketing agency has achieved 2022 Google Premier Partner status in the Google Partners program! Okay, so what does this mean exactly? It means Google now ranks Melon Local in the top 3% of all Google Partners and distinguishes us as a top industry performer. That’s a pretty big deal! This February, Google recognized the achievements of Melon

Read More »

Latest Blog Posts

Kirsten Nguyen, Senior Director of Client Success at Melon Local, featured in a “Client Success Story” blog graphic.

Client Success Story with Kirsten Nguyen

As an endless encyclopedia of SEO knowledge who’s always up to date on the latest digital marketing trends, it’s safe to say Senior Director of Client Success Kirsten Nguyen knows what it takes to deliver results. Listen to our conversation with her about how she helps our clients improve their online reputation, rank higher on Google through strategic organic search optimization and overcome hurdles with their digital presence — of

Read More »
Melon Local team members sharing marketing strategies to help insurance agents grow their life insurance business during Life Insurance Awareness Month and beyond

How to Grow During Life Insurance Awareness Month and Beyond

National Life Insurance Awareness Month may be in full swing, but there are plenty of opportunities to grow your business year-round — especially when you have a fruitful partner like Melon Local in your corner! Let’s discuss how you can empower your customers with knowledge and how we can help them make informed decisions about their life insurance needs during September and beyond. The Numbers Behind Life Insurance: Why It

Read More »
Sati Soulakhian, insurance agent, sharing five things she loves about working with Melon Local and its digital marketing services

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

Read More »
Man speaking into a microphone beside the headline “Don’t Let Your Leads go to Waste!” on a Melon Local follow-up strategies blog graphic.

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:

Read More »
Melon Local team member explaining the timeline for improving organic search rankings through SEO and long-term digital marketing strategies

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

Read More »
Kieran Taylor, Client Success Assistant at Melon Local, featured in a “Melon of the Month” spotlight graphic.

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

Read More »
Man giving a thumbs-down gesture beside the headline “How Are You Handling One-Star Reviews?” on a Melon Local blog graphic.

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.

Read More »
Bryan Nowlin, insurance agent, featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series discussing agency growth, leadership, and business success

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

Read More »
Christina Shields, Director of Client Success at Melon Local, featured in a “Client Success Story” graphic.

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!    

Read More »