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

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Rick Gutenmann of MAP Consulting shares six barriers holding businesses back from growth

6 Barriers to Business Growth – Feat. Rick Gutenmann

Does running your business often feel like solving one challenge after another with no end in sight? The thing is, businesses don’t stall because of a lack of effort. Instead, growth often slows due to a handful of common barriers that quietly limit how far a company can scale. As part of his upcoming Melon University workshop, Mapping Your Growth Blueprint on March 27,  Rick Gutenmann of MAP Consulting will

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Small business owner using Google AI-powered Performance Max ads to scale marketing results

Melon Local’s Approach to Google Performance Max Ads

Google’s Performance Max (PMax) campaigns have continued to evolve, with ongoing refinements to their AI-powered capabilities in recent years. Unlike traditional ad campaigns, PMax campaigns leverage machine learning to dynamically optimize ad placements and improve conversion performance. With AI playing a bigger role than ever before in paid search strategy, PMax campaigns can be a powerful tool when used correctly. Let’s break down how they work and why your business

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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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Latest Blog Posts

Golden 2022 balloons held in the air to represent insurance marketing trends and planning for the new year

2022 Insurance Marketing Trends You Need to Know

Welcome, 2022! Every year, we like to kick things off by examining what’s new in the world of insurance marketing. Digital marketing is always evolving. Technology advances, customer behavior changes, and marketers who stay agile have the best chance of getting ahead.  To help you create an insurance marketing strategy for 2022, we’ve rounded up some of the most popular trends for your industry. We made sure that each of

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Interview with insurance agent Jason Wade featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series

Interview with an Agent: Jason Wade

With a background in education administration, you may wonder how insurance agent Jason Wade found his way to the industry. With a head for business and a desire to find independence, Jason found that an insurance agency was the perfect way for him to flex his entrepreneurial muscles.  From the get-go, Jason decided to take on his own marketing efforts, but he knew there was a better way. After some

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Business professional thoughtfully planning keyword strategies to improve search visibility and insurance marketing results

What’s SEO Got To Do With It

You’ve likely heard the term “SEO” more times than you can count. While it may be common insurance marketing jargon, many of our clients ask us, “Okay, so what does SEO have to do with me and my business?” The short answer is: a lot, if you play your cards right.  Let’s break down the basics of this popular insurance marketing strategy and explain how you can use it to

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Woman holding a carved jack-o'-lantern to represent common insurance marketing mistakes and pitfalls to avoid

Scary Insurance Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

It’s time for a scary story. There once was an insurance marketing agent who owned a local business. While they were trying to grow their agency, they made a dire mistake. They didn’t invest in digital marketing! Marketing your local insurance agency can be hard, but Melon Local is here to help make things a little easier. We work with agents all over the country, so when it comes to

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Woman smiling while using a smartphone, representing social media engagement and communication for insurance agencies

Should Your Insurance Agency Use Social Media?

We get a lot of questions about social media for insurance agents. Is social media marketing really that important? What platforms should I be using? What kind of content should I post? The list goes on and on. Many insurance agencies forgo social media marketing because they think it won’t make an impact on their business. That’s just not the case! Social media has the power to increase your agency’s

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Business professional using a laptop to research and manage pay-per-click advertising campaigns

What is PPC Advertising?

In marketing, we sure do love our acronyms, but at Melon Local, there is one that reigns above the rest: PPC. While we hate to play favorites, we can’t help ourselves on this one. PPC continues to be one of the most effective insurance marketing strategies we use to help our clients generate quality leads. If you’re like many of our clients, you’re probably thinking, “Okay, I’ve heard of PPC,

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Business professional using a laptop to improve an insurance agency's online presence through digital marketing and website optimization

How to Maximize Your Agency’s Online Presence

These days, just about everyone is searching for products and services online. Need a handyman? Just Google it. Looking for a new taco spot? Head to Yelp. The same goes for customers looking for a new insurance agency. When customers are on the hunt for a new agency, whether they’re new to town or looking to bundle deals at a competitive rate, they’re likely to take to the internet. So,

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Portrait of insurance agent Kaan Inceoglu featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series

Interview with an Agent: Kaan Inceoglu

Prior to setting down roots in Greeley, CO, insurance agent Kaan Inceoglu was a man on the go. After graduating from Ohio State with a finance and international business degree, Kaan was drawn to the insurance industry. He became a claims adjuster and eventually joined the catastrophe team, a role that took him all over the country. During his years traveling from state to state, Kaan also earned a master’s

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Donation jar with cash and a heart symbol representing community involvement, charitable giving and local outreach efforts

How Community Involvement Impacts Your Agency

While digital insurance marketing is a great way to help customers find your agency, it’s not the only way to make a name for yourself in your city. As a small business owner, one of the most important things you can do to market your agency is become involved in your community. Big city or small town, people like to create connections and put down roots where they live. By

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