▶  SEO · S6E144 · · November 9, 2026

Google Maps SEO: The Centipede Strategy to Win More Local Clients | Conrad Saam

Guest: Conrad Saam, President of Mockingbird Marketing
Hosts: Jon Clark & Joe DeVita

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ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Is AI search really transforming local SEO, or are digital marketers overlooking the strategies that actually generate leads? In this episode of the Page 2 Podcast, hosts Jon Clark and Joe DeVita sit down with Conrad Saam, Founder and President of Mockingbird, to challenge some of digital marketing’s biggest assumptions about AI SEO, Google Business Profiles, performance reporting, online reviews, and local search growth. Conrad brings years of experience in legal SEO and law firm marketing, along with an outspoken, research-driven perspective on what agencies should prioritize to deliver measurable results. Is AI search overhyped? Conrad shares findings from consumer research suggesting AI-powered search plays a much smaller role in finding service providers than industry headlines might imply. He discusses why Google Local Services Ads (LSAs), traditional SEO, and Google Maps visibility still deserve serious attention, and why agencies should be skeptical of tools claiming to have cracked the code on AI visibility. But the conversation doesn’t stop at AI. You’ll discover his Centipede Strategy, a local SEO expansion framework built around identifying underserved markets, opening legitimate additional locations, and treating office rent as a measurable marketing investment. The episode also explores how to generate meaningful Google reviews, why customer experience often matters more than technical expertise in online reputation, and how AI-generated search results can distort referral attribution. Whether you’re an agency owner, SEO professional, law firm marketer, or local business operator, this conversation offers practical ways to rethink your marketing investments and focus on strategies that move the needle.

In This Episode

  • Why agencies are replacing performance reports with clients’ own dashboards and CRMs
  • How often do consumers actually use AI to choose a local provider?
  • Inside an AI-generated network of fake Google Business Profiles and reviews
  • The Centipede Strategy: census population maps plus Local Falcon to find winnable locations
  • Treating office rent as a marketing channel with its own cost per client
  • Do directories and NAP consistency matter again in AI search?
  • Review generation for sensitive practice areas, family members, and non-clients

This episode cuts through AI marketing hype to help agencies and local businesses make smarter SEO decisions, identify new growth opportunities, and create more meaningful client relationships.

Connect with Conrad Saam

Conrad on LinkedIn

Chapters

  • 0:00

    Intro: Conrad Saam of Mockingbird

  • 2:21

    Why we stopped sending performance reports

  • 7:15

    When clients send AI-generated feedback

  • 9:56

    Is AI search overblown for local businesses?

  • 15:52

    How AI scaled fake Google Business Profiles

  • 20:22

    Why fake listings and reviews persist

  • 22:35

    The Centipede Strategy for new offices

  • 26:38

    Why office rent is a marketing expense

  • 28:45

    Choosing Google Business Profile categories

  • 31:38

    Do directories matter again in AI search?

  • 34:11

    How AI pollutes UTM and call-tracking data

  • 35:22

    When to stop building local citations

  • 38:09

    Getting reviews in sensitive practice areas

  • 42:43

    Reviews measure bedside manner, not results

  • 44:11

    Can AI ever tell a good lawyer?

  • 46:49

    Rapid fire: powder days and ski patrol

  • 49:06

    The orange vest and personal branding

  • 50:18

    Why Conrad won’t write another book

  • 51:43

    Where to find Conrad

Resources mentioned