Are you looking for alternatives to BrightLocal?
In this article, we will explore our top 7 alternatives that offer similar features and functionalities to help you boost your online presence and attract more local customers. Whether you’re a small business owner looking to improve your local search rankings or a digital marketer managing multiple clients, these BrightLocal alternatives have you covered.
Let’s dive in and discover the perfect alternative for your needs.
What are Brightlocal’s Main Limitations?
Brightlocal is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that provides local search marketing tools and solutions to help businesses improve their online visibility and reputation. They offer services such as local SEO, reputation management, citation building, and Google My Business optimization to help businesses attract more customers in their local area.
While BrightLocal offers a robust suite of tools for local SEO, it’s important to consider some of its limitations as highlighted by user reviews on G2 and Capterra. Here are a few common concerns:
1. Pricing
Brightlocal is a good platform if your focus is on tracking SEO performance and managing your listings, but if you’re mainly interested in review management, it’s pretty expensive and or limited compared to other solutions out there. To monitor and respond to reviews, run review generation campaigns, and create a review widget for your site with BrightLocal, you’ll need to pay $59 per month. However, if you’re only interested in review management, a more affordable option is Reviewgrower, which costs just $37 per month.
“It’s a bit expensive considering what my clients are willing to pay for the services.”
2. Citation and directory issues
BrightLocal users have reported inaccuracy and slow updates with their local citation software, impacting timely local search engine optimization improvements. Additionally, while the platform covers a wide range of directories, it lacks some niche options and often requires manual corrections to ensure local listing accuracy.
“Some of the directories are not safe connections, some of them are not directories anymore so you should update and exclude some options”
3. Performance and Reliability
Customers have praised BrightLocal for its comprehensive features and ease of use. However, some users have experienced occasional performance issues, such as slow loading times and minor glitches within the platform. Additionally, their local citation finder or checker tool has been criticized for displaying an ever-growing number of citations, including those that no longer exist, which can give a misleading impression of growth.
“The initial set of the software could be better, and once set up, there are a few glitches here and there. It’s not as intuitive as we’d hoped, but at least they provide great support and are extremely helpful.”
“The fact that their “Citation Checker” shows an ever-growing number, and displays a chart giving a false impression of growth when the old citations may no longer exist. When a citation no longer exists, it should come off the report just like a lost link would. The Google Analytics integration is also very basic, and it would be nice to have more data options, but for a basic customer dashboard, it’s okay. It’s going to need an update soon since new businesses are defaulting to GA4 and I don’t think this integrates.”
4. User experience
BrightLocal’s platform initially posed challenges due to its complexity. The user interface and menus, sometimes cluttered and unintuitive, added to the difficulty. The main dashboard appeared disorganized and cluttered, making it challenging to navigate multiple locations, and the reporting options were limited in customization.
BrightLocal has recently introduced a new free academy. This initiative includes valuable videos in the course “Level up your local SEO with BrightLocal,” aiming to assist users in overcoming these user experience challenges effectively.
“The UI and menus are a bit busy and a little unintuitive sometimes.”
“It is difficult to use in the beginning because it is a robust platform. I also do not like being sold to when I have other concerns I’m trying to address.”
Understanding these aspects can help you make a more informed decision about whether BrightLocal meets your specific needs.
However, if you are looking for alternatives to Brightlocal, here are the best options below:
The Best Brightlocal Alternative For Review Management
Reviewgrower: Comprehensive Review Management from $37/mo
Reviewgrower is one of the top Brightlocal alternatives consumers use nowadays. It is a comprehensive tool for monitoring and responding to reviews, running review generation campaigns, and creating review widgets/social media posts.
Compared to Brightlocal, you can get access to all of these features for just $37 per month. You can also track SEO performance with the Geo Grid Rank Tracker on the higher Grow plan, and if you are a multi-location business, you can do all of this for up to 20 locations on the Scale plan for just $97 per month (compared to BrightLocal’s $269 per month), and any additional location after 20 is just $10per month per location.
And if your needs are truly lightweight, there is a completely free plan that lets you monitor reviews and your local SEO rankings, and even publish widgets for social proof.
Now, let’s go deeper into what makes Reviewgrower the best option for review management.
Monitor and respond to reviews
Reviewgrower excels in its ability to monitor and respond to reviews effectively, ensuring you stay on top of customer feedback. Here’s how it works:
Real-time Monitoring: Reviewgrower provides real-time monitoring of reviews across various platforms, including Google, Yelp, and more. You can track new reviews as they come in, ensuring prompt responses.
Response Management: Easily manage responses directly from the Reviewgrower dashboard. Respond swiftly to positive reviews to reinforce customer satisfaction and address concerns promptly for negative ones.
Reviewgrower goes beyond basic monitoring with advanced features:
Sentiment Analysis: Utilize sentiment analysis tools to gauge the tone of customer reviews automatically. This feature helps you identify trends in customer sentiment over time.
Negative Feedback Manager: Proactively manage negative feedback with Reviewgrower’s dedicated tools. This helps businesses identify and address unfavorable reviews, allowing quick responses and resolutions. This proactive approach helps prevent damage to a business’s reputation and improves overall customer satisfaction.
Reviewgrower’s comprehensive approach to review management ensures you maintain a positive online reputation while effectively responding to your customers.
Run review generation campaigns
ReviewGrower’s review generation campaign is designed to encourage customers to leave positive reviews for a business. A campaign typically involves creating a customized message asking for feedback through the review feedback funnel, which is then sent to customers via various channels such as email or SMS. These campaigns are often automated, making it easy to consistently request reviews without manual effort, and can be scheduled to send at optimal times to maximize response rates.
Review Feedback Funnel: It is a tool that guides customers through the process of leaving feedback. It typically starts with a personalized message asking for a review, directing satisfied customers to public review platforms while collecting private feedback from those who had a less positive experience.
Landing Pages for Review Collection
Reviewgrower enhances review collection with dedicated landing pages designed to optimize conversion rates:
Customizable Templates: Choose from a variety of professionally designed templates to create landing pages that resonate with your brand’s identity.
Easy Integration: Integrate landing pages with your existing website or marketing campaigns. Capture customer reviews directly from the landing page interface.
Using Reviewgrower’s review generation capabilities and user-friendly landing pages, businesses can gather authentic customer feedback effortlessly and significantly boost their online presence.
Create review widgets / review social media posts
Reviewgrower simplifies the process of creating review widgets and review social media posts to showcase customer feedback effectively:
Widget Customization: Customize review widgets, including a Facebook review widget, to match your brand’s look and feel. Choose from various layout options and design elements to integrate into your website or social media channels.
Embedding Options: Easily embed review widgets on your website. Display ratings, individual reviews, and customer testimonials to build trust with potential customers. You can embed Google reviews and other online review sites directly onto your website.
Create review rich snippets
Reviewgrower enables businesses to generate review rich snippets, enhancing search engine visibility and attracting more qualified traffic:
Structured Data Markup: Automatically generate structured data markup for reviews using Reviewgrower’s tools. This markup helps search engines understand and display review information prominently in search results.
SEO Benefits: Improve click-through rates and SEO performance by showcasing star ratings, review counts, and review snippets directly in search engine results.
By using Reviewgrower’s review widget creation capabilities and the implementation of review-rich snippets, businesses can amplify their online reputation and drive more conversions through compelling customer feedback.
GEO Grid
Geo grid rank trackers simplify tracking local Google rankings by using colored pins on a map to show your position in different areas. This visual tool helps businesses quickly see how well they’re performing locally and identify trends, making it easier to adjust their SEO strategy for specific neighborhoods. By tracking and comparing rankings across various regions, businesses can spot performance changes over time and stay ahead of competitors.
Integrations
Reviewgrower offers integrations with various platforms and tools, enhancing its functionality and compatibility with your existing business systems:
CRM and Customer Support Integrations: Integrate Reviewgrower with popular CRM systems and customer support platforms like Zapier, Automate.io, Integrately, Integromat, Pabbly, Tray.io, and Webhooks. This ensures that customer feedback gathered through Reviewgrower is synced with your customer relationship management workflows.
Social Media Platforms: Connect Reviewgrower with social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Automatically share customer reviews and testimonials across your social media profiles to amplify your brand’s online reputation.
Analytics and Reporting Tools: Sync Reviewgrower with analytics and reporting tools such as Google Analytics. Track the impact of customer reviews on website traffic, conversion rates, and other key metrics to measure the effectiveness of your review management strategies.
With these integrations, businesses can facilitate review management processes, enhance customer engagement, and leverage valuable customer feedback across multiple channels and platforms.
Agency features
Reviewgrower offers specialized features for agencies to efficiently manage multiple client accounts and enhance their service offerings:
Multi-Account Management: Agencies can easily manage multiple client accounts from a single dashboard. Switch between accounts to monitor and optimize review management strategies for each client.
White-Label Solutions: Customize Reviewgrower with white-label branding options. Agencies can brand the platform with their own logo and colors, providing a cohesive experience for clients under their own brand identity.
Client Reporting: Generate comprehensive client reports with customizable templates. Showcase key metrics, review performance, and insights to demonstrate the impact of review management efforts on clients.
Collaboration Tools: Facilitate collaboration between agency teams and clients. Grant access levels and permissions to stakeholders, allowing them to view and respond to reviews collaboratively while maintaining control over sensitive information.
Reviewgrower’s agency-focused features enable marketing agencies to organize operations, enhance client satisfaction, and deliver impactful review management services efficiently.
Other features coming in: Google Business Profile Audits and Citation Audits are on the roadmap for Q3 2024, promising to enhance the platform’s capabilities further.
Pricing: While it provides a free plan option, access to additional features begins at $37 per month.
G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5 (3 reviews)
Customer reviews:
“Solid platform with comprehensive functionality and sterling support.”
“The team is blazing through an aggressive dev roadmap (sweet)… but as such, the documentation for new feature sets is running behind (so it’s a good thing their support is spot on).”
“The plan is a great value with a ton of clients to manage. The white label feature allows us to generalize it and use it across the brands we manage.”
6 Other Brightlocal Alternatives
SoCi
Empowers enterprise brands with comprehensive social media and reputation management solutions
SoCi is a platform for enterprise customers, that helps businesses manage multiple social media accounts and locations from a single dashboard. They can also create surveys and localize ads to engage with your customers. SoCi’s analytics provide insights into social media performance, helping enterprises make data-driven decisions. While its features are good, they may not offer the same depth as some specialized tools. SoCi focuses on scalability, making it suitable for large businesses. For enterprises seeking an all-in-one social media management solution, SoCi is a viable option.
Pricing: Available on request.
Pros:
- The platform lets businesses handle multiple social media accounts and locations from one dashboard, saving time and simplifying operations.
- Offers detailed analytics to give businesses valuable insights into their social media performance.
- Built also for large enterprises.
Cons:
- Users on Capterra find it less intuitive and often struggle to navigate.
- Another user on Capterra mentioned that it’s a bit expensive compared to other platforms.
Elfsight
Offers simple and customizable website widgets for easy embedding.
Elfsight offers a variety of website widgets that can be easily embedded without any coding skills. These widgets range from social media feeds and forms to galleries and sliders, enhancing website functionality and user engagement. The integration process is straightforward, making it accessible for users of all technical levels.
While the customization options are good, they might not be as flexible as some users would like. Reviewgrower also provides similar embedding features but with potentially more customization and at a lower cost. Elfsight’s widgets are designed to be compatible with numerous website platforms. However, for a more budget-friendly option, Reviewgrower might be preferable.
Pricing: Offers five pricing plans such as Free, Basic, Pro, Premium, and Enterprise. The free plan has limited features, while the Basic plan costs $6 per month and offers more widgets and views. The Pro and Premium plans, costing $12 and $24 per month respectively, provide even more features and views. For those requiring higher limits and more advanced features, the Enterprise plan offers extensive customization options for larger and more demanding needs.
Pros:
- Good for its customizable widgets that businesses can tailor to their needs.
- Easy-to-use interface for creating and embedding widgets without technical skills.
- Easily integrate with many website platforms like WordPress, Shopify, and Wix, ensuring they work well on different sites.
Cons
- Users on G2 find their pricing to be relatively high, especially when multiple widgets or premium features are needed.
- Another user on G2 feels that the customization options for widgets are not as extensive as they would like.
Vendasta
Provides powerful tools for marketing agencies to grow their clients’ businesses.
Vendasta is a comprehensive platform designed to support agencies in managing their clients’ digital needs. Agencies can use their workflow with Vendasta’s all-in-one solution, allowing them to focus on delivering value to their clients. Vendasta’s platform includes automated marketing services that can save agencies time and resources. However, when it comes to detailed analytics and reporting, tools like Reviewgrower tend to offer more in-depth insights.
Additionally, Vendasta’s pricing can be prohibitive.
Pricing: Vendasta provides three pricing tiers — Starter, Professional, and Premium. The Starter plan, priced at $99 per month, is tailored for startup agencies and solopreneurs. The Professional plan, at $649 per month, caters to agencies with growing or established teams. Meanwhile, the Premium plan, priced at $1279 per month, suits medium-sized companies and multi-location businesses. For large enterprises, custom plans are available upon direct consultation to meet specific business requirements.
Pros:
- Customers appreciate Vendasta’s intuitive interface and user-friendly design.
- Effective client relationship management and communication tools.
- Includes a website builder for your business.
Cons:
- Users on G2 say the pricing is higher compared to other similar platforms, especially for smaller agencies or startups.
- Users on Capterra mention that Vendasta can have a steep learning curve initially, especially for new users who are not familiar with digital marketing platforms.
Whitespark
Specializes in enhancing local SEO to help businesses improve their online visibility.
Whitespark is a Brightlocal alternative for local SEO. It specializes in local SEO services, helping businesses improve their visibility in local search results. Their offerings include local citation building, citation audits, and reputation management, which are crucial for enhancing local search rankings. Whitespark’s tools are designed to optimize Google My Business profiles and manage online reviews effectively. While their solutions are good, they may not offer the same breadth of features as some larger SEO platforms. Additionally, their reputation management offering is not as comprehensive as dedicated tools like ReviewGrower.
Pricing: Available on request.
Pros:
- The platform is easy to use compared to Brightlocal
- Provides complete tools to boost local search visibility.
- Gives automatic weekly reports to track your success.
Cons
- G2 user says it didn’t have as much functionality as the BrightLocal citation system.
- Another G2 user mentioned It is very time-consuming to build citations by hand.
Podium
Optimizes your sales funnel by generating and managing leads.
Podium is a versatile platform designed to enhance full-funnel lead generation strategies. It offers a suite of tools that businesses can integrate into their customer acquisition processes. From initial prospecting to nurturing leads through to conversion, Podium provides good solutions for managing customer interactions at every stage. Podium’s approach emphasizes efficient full-funnel lead generation without overwhelming users with unnecessary features, making it a good choice for businesses looking to enhance their customer engagement strategies.
Pricing: Podium has 2 pricing tiers — Core and Pro. In the Core plan, priced at $399 per month, you can get essential AI features, automation, reporting, and customization. The Pro plan, at $599 per month, offers advanced AI and automations. For large enterprises, custom plans are available upon direct consultation to meet the complexity of your operations.
Pros:
- Offers intuitive text messaging tools that simplify customer communication.
- An AI is available to handle responses to reviews.
- The user experience is very intuitive and the platform is user-friendly
Cons:
- Users on G2 say their plans are overpriced.
- Users on Capterra say that Podium’s search feature is limited, making it difficult to find old conversations without remembering the contact’s name due to the absence of standard keyword search functionality.
Weave
Integrates essential tools for local business operations and communication.
Weave is an integrated platform designed for local businesses, offering a range of management tools in one cohesive solution. It simplifies daily operations by combining functionalities such as appointment scheduling, customer communication, and payment processing. Weave’s dashboard provides insights into business performance and customer feedback, aiding in decision-making and service improvements. Overall, it’s a good choice for local businesses seeking to consolidate their management tasks and improve operational efficiency without overwhelming complexity.
Pricing: Available on request.
Pros:
- Integrates scheduling, communication, and payments in one platform.
- Tools for personalized messaging and client engagement.
- The dashboard provides metrics and feedback for better decision-making.
Cons:
- Users on G2 say automated messaging is unreliable with frequent system failures requiring support calls.
- Users on Capterra mention that It’s expensive but worth the cost.
More on Brightlocal
What is Brightlocal Used For?
Brightlocal is a tool used for local SEO software, helping businesses manage their local business listings, review monitoring, and listing management. It also offers a local rank tracker and helps in identifying and fixing duplicate listings.
Brightlocal’s Key Features
Brightlocal offers various key features for businesses looking to improve their online presence. Some of these features include local search ranking tracking, citation building, reputation management, and review monitoring. Brightlocal provides valuable insights and analytics to help businesses understand their online performance and make strategic decisions.
While BrightLocal is good for managing local SEO, ReviewGrower stands out with its stronger reputation management capabilities. If your primary focus is enhancing and monitoring your online reputation, ReviewGrower is a superior choice.
Brightlocal’s Pricing
BrightLocal’s pricing structure is straightforward and offers flexibility based on business needs. They provide three main plans: the Track at $39 per month, Manage at $49 per month and Grow at $59 per month. BrightLocal’s pricing options cater to various scales of operation and specific requirements.
Brightlocal’s Integrations
BrightLocal integrates with various platforms to enhance its functionality for businesses. This includes integrations with Google My Business, Google Analytics, and Facebook, among others. These integrations enable businesses to synchronize data, analyze performance metrics, and manage their online presence more effectively.
Wrapping Up
While BrightLocal is a solid choice for managing local SEO and online reputation, there are several alternatives worth considering in 2024, each offering unique features and pricing advantages. ReviewGrower stands out as a cost-effective alternative, excelling in online reputation management with many features and competitive pricing.
If you’re seeking a platform that simplifies review generation, monitoring, and response management, ReviewGrower offers a compelling solution. Explore its capabilities and see how it can enhance your business’s online reputation with a free trial today.
