Privacy Policy
Effective Date: May 20, 2026
Privacy policies usually read like a lawyer’s fever dream. We write ours differently. You trust Sting GMB to help you dominate the map pack. That trust extends to how we handle your data. We collect specific information to run our site, analyze our traffic, and build better local SEO tools. We never sell your personal details to third-party data brokers. Period.
This page explains exactly what we collect. It details how we use it. It outlines your rights. Read it carefully. You need to understand how your data moves through our systems.
The Data We Collect Directly
We gather two types of data. You give us some directly. Our systems collect the rest automatically. When you run a local visibility audit on Sting GMB, you hand over specific business details. We ask for your name, your primary email address, and your exact Google Business Profile URL. We also collect your target keywords and current map pack ranking positions.
We need this raw material to generate accurate reports. If you withhold it, our tools cannot function. You get zero insights. When you submit a question through our contact form, we collect the email address you provide. We use it to reply. We do not add that address to our marketing newsletter unless you explicitly check the opt-in box.
The Data We Collect Automatically
Our servers log technical details the second you land on our site. We record your IP address. We identify your browser type. We track your exact navigation path through our local SEO guides. We use Google Analytics to capture this behavioral data. It illuminates our blind spots. We see exactly where readers lose interest in our technical tutorials.
We track how long you spend reading about citation consistency. We monitor which links you click inside our review velocity articles. This data arrives in our dashboard completely anonymized. We cannot tie a specific pageview back to your personal identity. We look at aggregate trends to understand what local SEO practitioners actually need.
How We Use Your Information
We use your data strictly to operate and improve Sting GMB. We process your GBP URLs to check citation consistency across fifty different directories. We analyze your NAP data to spot discrepancies that hurt your local rankings. We do not guess. We use your submitted data to find the exact friction points in your local search presence.
Your browsing habits dictate our editorial calendar. We watch the metrics closely. If three hundred agency owners read our guide on optimizing the GBP Q&A section but exit before the final step, we rewrite that section. We use analytics to kill weak content. Your interactions force us to publish better, more actionable material.
We also send emails. We alert you when Google updates its local algorithm. We notify you about new proximity signal research. We announce updates to our audit tools. You control this inbox flow. Every email includes a clear unsubscribe link. One click. You are out.
Agency and Client Data Handling
Many of our users run local SEO agencies. If you operate an agency, you probably feed your clients’ data into our tools. We treat client data with the exact same strict protocols as your personal data. We do not claim ownership of the GBP listings you track.
We never contact your clients. We never use your clients’ NAP information to market our own services. You retain full control over the client profiles you manage within Sting GMB. You can export their audit history. You can delete their profiles from our database at any time. Your client relationships remain entirely yours.
Cookies and Tracking Technology
We deploy cookies to keep the site functional and measure performance. Functional cookies remember your session data. They keep you authenticated while you switch between our review velocity calculator and our map pack tracker. Without them, you would have to log in on every single page load. That creates unacceptable friction.
Analytics cookies track your journey. They tell us if you found Sting GMB through an organic search for local SEO tools or a backlink on an industry blog. You can block these in your browser settings. The site will still load. You just become a ghost in our traffic reports.
Browsers offer a Do Not Track feature. Most websites ignore it entirely. We respect it where technically feasible. If your browser sends a DNT signal, we disable our non-essential analytics tracking scripts automatically. You read our content without leaving a footprint.
Third-Party Integrations
We rely on external infrastructure to run this business. We connect to the Google Business Profile API to pull live listing data. We use Google Search Console to monitor our own organic search performance. We process premium tool subscriptions through Stripe. We manage our newsletter through ConvertKit.
These companies operate under their own privacy frameworks. We vet them rigorously. We only integrate with platforms that meet strict data protection standards. We refuse to partner with ad networks that scrape your data to build shadow profiles. We share only the absolute minimum data required to execute a specific task. Stripe gets your billing details. ConvertKit gets your email address. They do not cross-pollinate.
Data Security Protocols
We protect your data with standard encryption protocols. We secure our databases behind strict firewalls. We restrict server access to our core development team. We take security seriously. We do not leave API keys exposed. We audit our code for vulnerabilities regularly.
No system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee absolute security. If a data breach occurs, we act immediately. We will notify you via email within 72 hours of discovering the compromise. We will explain exactly what data was exposed. We will detail the exact steps we are taking to lock down the system. Transparency is mandatory.
Data Retention and Deletion
We keep your data only as long as necessary to provide our services. If you delete your Sting GMB account, we wipe your NAP details and audit history from our active servers within 30 days. We retain basic transaction records longer strictly to comply with tax laws. We do not hoard old data just to inflate our user metrics.
Backups take slightly longer to clear. Your deleted data may persist in our encrypted server backups for up to 90 days. These backups are