AI & Search Visibility

Answer engine optimization and being found by AI is one of the most important things you need to know, and to be ready for, in 2026 and beyond.

What Do Customers Search Before Hiring a Local Business?

Sep 11, 2026

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2 min read

What Do Customers Search Before Hiring a Local Business?

Win these five searches and you win the customer, usually before you've spoken a word.

Auggie Diaz

How Do I Build an Online Presence From Scratch?

Sep 11, 2026

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2 min read

How Do I Build an Online Presence From Scratch?

Starting at zero isn't the problem. Starting in the wrong order is.

Auggie Diaz

Case File #10: The 30-Day Plan to Stop Being a Secret Agent

Sep 11, 2026

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2 min read

Case File #10: The 30-Day Plan to Stop Being a Secret Agent

You've met all of them now. Here's how none of them had to lose, in four weeks.

Auggie Diaz

Hootie's Tip: The 3 Searches to Run on Your Own Business Tonight

Sep 11, 2026

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1 min read

Hootie's Tip: The 3 Searches to Run on Your Own Business Tonight

Ten minutes, one incognito window, and you'll see your business the way a customer does.

Auggie Diaz

Case File #08: What Buyers Google Before They Choose You

Sep 11, 2026

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3 min read

Case File #08: What Buyers Google Before They Choose You

She had his name from a neighbor. Then she ran five searches he never knew about.

Auggie Diaz

What Does a Weak Online Presence Actually Cost You?

Sep 11, 2026

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2 min read

What Does a Weak Online Presence Actually Cost You?

The scariest number in your business is the one you never see on any report.

Auggie Diaz

Case File #07: The Realtor Who Lost a $1.4M Listing in 30 Seconds

Sep 11, 2026

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3 min read

Case File #07: The Realtor Who Lost a $1.4M Listing in 30 Seconds

He nailed the meeting. Her husband's phone ended it before the coffee was cold.

Auggie Diaz

Is Referral Business Alone Enough to Grow?

Sep 11, 2026

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2 min read

Is Referral Business Alone Enough to Grow?

Referrals are the best leads you'll ever get. Relying only on them is still a trap.

Auggie Diaz

Hey Auggie, Which AI Should I Use for What?

Sep 10, 2026

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4 min read

Hey Auggie, Which AI Should I Use for What?

ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or NotebookLM? The short answer, plus a free picker that tells you which one to open for the job in front of you.

Auggie Diaz

How Do I Get More Google Reviews Without Being Annoying?

Aug 21, 2026

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2 min read

How Do I Get More Google Reviews Without Being Annoying?

The ask isn't the awkward part — doing it wrong is. Here's the way that feels natural.

Aug 21, 2026

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3 min read

Case File #05: Zero Reviews, Zero Trust

A better business. A worse competitor. One flooded basement decided it in four seconds.

Auggie Diaz

Do Real Estate Agents Still Need Yelp in 2026?

Jul 29, 2026

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2 min read

Do Real Estate Agents Still Need Yelp in 2026?

Short answer: you don't have to market on it — but you absolutely have to control it.

Case File #04: The Yelp Page You Forgot You Had

Jul 27, 2026

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3 min read

Case File #04: The Yelp Page You Forgot You Had

One old review. One page she never claimed. One referral gone before she knew it existed.

Auggie Diaz

Jul 22, 2026

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3 min read

Why Isn't My Google Business Profile Showing Up in Local Search?

Five reasons your profile stays hidden — and the afternoon fix for each one.

Case File #02: "I Couldn't Find You Anywhere"

May 22, 2026

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5 min read

Case File #02: "I Couldn't Find You Anywhere"

Marcus had an agent's name. He had a referral from a coworker he trusted. He had 60 days to buy a house. He had every reason to send the email. He just... didn't. Not because the agent was bad, but because he couldn't find enough proof that the agent was real. This is Case File #02 of The Secret Agent Series, the story of an email that never got sent, a referral that never converted, and an agent who never knew what he lost

Auggie Diaz

Case File #01: The Google Search That Cost Her the Listing

May 18, 2026

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4 min read

Case File #01: The Google Search That Cost Her the Listing

Every day, somewhere in your market, a buyer or seller is Googling a real estate agent. They're scanning for proof — proof you exist, proof you work, proof someone else trusted you. If they can't find it, they don't call. They just pick someone else. We call those invisible agents Secret Agents. This is Case File #01 of a 10-part series following the deals they lost without ever knowing why. It starts with a seller named Sarah and three names on a list.

Auggie Diaz

May 15, 2026

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3 min read

How Do I Claim and Verify My Google Business Profile?

Have you Googled yourself? Cause your leads are. Your Google Business Profile is doing one of two things right now: working for you or working against you. There's no middle ground. If you haven't claimed it, your business is basically a ghost on Google. Customers can still find you, but you have zero control over what they see — wrong hours, missing photos, outdated phone numbers, and a review section you can't respond to. That's not a marketing problem. That's a credibility problem. Here's the short answer: To claim your Google Business Profile, go to google.com/business, sign in with your Google account, search for your business, and either claim the existing listing or create a new one. Then verify ownership through postcard, phone, email, or video, whichever Google offers you. That's the 30-second version. Now let's break it down so you actually do it right.

Auggie Diaz

AI & Search Visibility

What Do Customers Search Before Hiring a Local Business?

How Do I Build an Online Presence From Scratch?

Case File #10: The 30-Day Plan to Stop Being a Secret Agent

Hootie's Tip: The 3 Searches to Run on Your Own Business Tonight

Case File #08: What Buyers Google Before They Choose You

What Does a Weak Online Presence Actually Cost You?

Case File #07: The Realtor Who Lost a $1.4M Listing in 30 Seconds

Is Referral Business Alone Enough to Grow?

Hey Auggie, Which AI Should I Use for What?

How Do I Get More Google Reviews Without Being Annoying?

Case File #05: Zero Reviews, Zero Trust

Do Real Estate Agents Still Need Yelp in 2026?

Case File #04: The Yelp Page You Forgot You Had

Why Isn't My Google Business Profile Showing Up in Local Search?

Case File #02: "I Couldn't Find You Anywhere"

Case File #01: The Google Search That Cost Her the Listing

How Do I Claim and Verify My Google Business Profile?

AskAuggie — Real Answers for Real Estate, Marketing & Business