Paul David Truscott
Paul David Truscott is a British semantic SEO and generative engine optimisation (GEO) specialist, author and podcaster, known as the King of Google Maps.
Paul Truscott co-founded Maptimal, Be The Brand AI Recommends, Define Your Entity and Omnipressent Publishing, and runs lead generation sites for home service businesses in the United States that have generated over 150,000 leads. Paul Truscott is a qualified financial technical analyst and applies that discipline to how Google Maps and AI search engines rank and recommend businesses.
Key Facts
| Full name | Paul David Truscott |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Paul Truscott; King of Google Maps |
| Born in | London, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Based in | United Kingdom |
| Occupations | Semantic SEO and GEO specialist; lead generation operator; author; podcaster; financial technical analyst |
| Known for | Google Maps and local SEO; AI search visibility; semantic SEO; the 2019 KGMID proximity-filter discovery |
| Co-founder of | Maptimal; Be The Brand AI Recommends; Define Your Entity; Omnipressent Publishing |
| Books | Six, as co-author |
| Podcast | Host of 60 Second SEO Tips; regular guest on the Fatrank Podcast |
| Working in SEO since | 2015 |
| Credentials | MSTA (member 11311); IFTA CFTe; ATAA Advanced Diploma; STA Diploma with Distinction |
| Knowledge Graph ID | /g/11zf3xwlx1 |
| Official website | paultruscott.com |
| Contact | me@paultruscott.com |
Current Businesses
Paul Truscott is a co-founder of four businesses and runs his own lead generation sites for home service providers.
Maptimal
Co-founded with James Dooley and Peter Victor Jones. Launched 13 October 2026.
Maptimal ranks local businesses on Google Maps and in Google AI Overviews. Paul Truscott leads its Google Maps work: the Business Profile, the listings around it and where a business appears on the map across its service area.
Be The Brand AI Recommends
Co-founded with James Dooley and Peter Victor Jones. Founded 18 October 2026.
Be The Brand AI Recommends is an AI SEO agency that gets businesses named and recommended by ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Perplexity, pairing AI SEO with James Dooley's decision engine optimisation (DEO) method. Paul Truscott leads its semantic SEO and GEO work.
Define Your Entity
Co-founded with James Dooley, Kasra Dash and Peter Victor Jones. Launched October 2026.
Define Your Entity builds Google Knowledge Panels for founders, authors, experts and companies, by getting the sources Google trusts to agree on who they are.
Omnipressent Publishing
Co-founder.
Omnipressent Publishing publishes Paul Truscott's books on semantic SEO, local SEO and GEO.
Home service lead generation
United States.
Paul Truscott builds and operates dedicated niche websites for national home service providers across the United States. They have generated over 150,000 leads over the last six years, ranking through semantic content networks and topical maps rather than link acquisition.
AI Search Visibility
Paul Truscott helps brands become visible, retrievable and accurately represented in the answers AI systems give, the work known as generative engine optimisation (GEO) and answer engine optimisation (AEO). He has studied Jason Barnard's published frameworks in depth, including the AI Résumé and the Brand SERP.
Paul Truscott coined four measurement frameworks that apply financial technical analysis to AI search data.
Citation RSI
Measures the speed and magnitude of change in an entity's mention frequency across AI answers.
Entity Support and Resistance
The floor and ceiling of trust an entity holds inside AI systems.
Visibility Bollinger Bands
The statistical range of normal citation fluctuation, separating genuine shifts from noise.
Visibility Drawdown
Quantifies the severity and duration of a visibility decline before recovery begins.
Semantic SEO
Paul Truscott has studied Koray Tugberk Gubur's semantic SEO methodology since 2022 and has completed the course eight times. In 2024, James Dooley invited him to join a Koray cohort mastermind group.
The concepts Paul Truscott teaches include entity-attribute-value (EAV) triples, query-based salient terms (QBST), query augmentation, topical maps, geotopicality and knowledge graph engineering.
Local SEO and Google Maps
Paul Truscott is known as the King of Google Maps for his original research into how Google Maps ranks businesses. In 2019 he found a method of using KGMID entity data to influence the Google Maps proximity filter. He later recorded that, for searches containing a city name, a Google Business Profile's distance from the city centroid affects rankings. Both findings come from his own testing, not from Google.
In 2019, Paul Truscott was responsible for the now famous 'GMB Hacks' course, which grossed over $300,000 in revenue.
The Analytical Foundation
Paul Truscott trained as a financial technical analyst before he worked in SEO. He studied technical analysis in one-on-one mentorship under Trevor Neil and advanced Market Profile methodology under Jim Dalton. In 2011 he qualified with the STA Diploma in Technical Analysis with Distinction, the IFTA Certified Financial Technician (CFTe) designation and the ATAA Advanced Diploma, and won the Society of Technical Analysts' Bronwen Wood Memorial Prize, which fewer than twenty people received between 2005 and 2025.
Paul Truscott applies that training to search: testing rankings as data series, separating signal from noise, and measuring AI visibility with the four metrics he coined. Read the full analytical foundation →
Podcaster
Paul Truscott hosts 60 Second SEO Tips, a short-format podcast that explains one semantic SEO, GEO or local SEO idea per episode in under a minute. He is a regular guest on James Dooley's podcasts and has appeared on Julian Goldie's SEO News Today.
| Show | Role | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Second SEO Tips | Host | 53 |
| Fatrank Podcast | Guest | 21 |
| James Dooley YouTube Channel | Guest | 13 |
| Online Reputation Management Podcast | Guest | 7 |
| Semantic SEO Podcast | Guest | 4 |
| SEO News Today | Julian Goldie SEO Podcast | Guest | 1 |
Featured episodes
Google BrainLoc Explained and How It Affects Your Local Maps Rankings
Paul and James break down Google BrainLoc and local map rankings, covering how boundaries, centroids, and geospatial signals control local visibility.
Query-Based Salient Terms (QBST) and Their Effect on Google Ranking
A direct breakdown of how Google evaluates expert-level language and how QBST affects ranking eligibility.
The Power of EAV Triples in Semantic SEO
Paul breaks down entity-attribute-value triples, how Google connects facts about businesses, and how third-party corroboration turns assumptions into accepted truth.
Geo Topicality Explained and How to Leverage It for Local SEO
Paul explains the real reason some businesses rank strongly on Google Maps while others do not.
See every episode on the Podcaster page.
Events
Paul Truscott attended these industry events in 2026.
Awards and Credentials
Excellence in Digital Leadership Award, for Innovation in Generative Engine Optimization
Global Biz Awards, 2026
Bronwen Wood Memorial Prize
Society of Technical Analysts, 2011
Professional affiliations
Society of Technical Analysts (STA)
Full Member, MSTA
Member number 11311
International Federation of Technical Analysts (IFTA)
Certified Financial Technician (CFTe)
Australian Technical Analysts Association (ATAA)
Advanced Diploma of Financial Market Analysis
Career Timeline
Early Career
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Paul qualified as a refrigeration technician and started an air conditioning business in the UK. In 1999, a serious car accident forced him to close the business. That event became a turning point — unable to return to physical trade work, he redirected his analytical energy toward financial markets.
2000s
Technical Analysis and Trading
Paul studied technical analysis through formal courses and one-on-one mentorship under Trevor Neil, one of the most recognised names in global technical analysis education. He later studied advanced Market Profile methodology under Jim Dalton. In 2011, he qualified with the STA Diploma (with Distinction), the IFTA CFTe, and the ATAA Advanced Diploma — and won the Bronwen Wood Memorial Prize.
2004–2011
The Peninsular Tea Gardens
In 2004, Paul emigrated to Perth, Western Australia. In 2006, Paul and his wife Emma bought a run-down riverside tearooms on the Swan River and rebuilt it as the Peninsular Tea Gardens. The venue became an iconic destination in Perth. They grew revenue tenfold before selling in 2011.
2011–2018
Pest Control and the Road to SEO
Paul started a pest control business in Perth that relied on buying shared leads. The broken model — racing competitors by the second, poor quality, constant stress — drove a single goal: generate his own leads, on his own terms. He began studying SEO in 2015 through Google patents, SERP data, and direct testing.
2018–2022
SEO: From Patents to Breakthrough
In 2019, Paul made his first major SEO breakthrough: a method for manipulating Google Maps' proximity filter using KGMID data. He discovered that for keywords containing a city name, Google Business Profile proximity to the city centroid directly affects rankings. Neither finding had been taught by any course.
2022–Present
Semantic SEO and GEO
Paul discovered Koray Tugberk Gubur's semantic SEO methodology and completed the course eight times over four years. In 2024, James Dooley invited Paul to join a Koray cohort mastermind group. He has generated over 150,000 leads for local service businesses and now provides semantic SEO and GEO services to brands seeking visibility across Google, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Perplexity.
2026
Co-Founding Three Businesses
In October 2026, Paul co-founded Maptimal (launched 13 October) and Be The Brand AI Recommends (founded 18 October) with James Dooley and Peter Victor Jones, and Define Your Entity with James Dooley, Kasra Dash and Peter Victor Jones.
The Origin Story
“I didn't come to SEO as a technologist. I came as a frustrated business owner who was being exploited by an industry that was supposed to help me.”
The pest control years in Perth shaped how Paul thinks about lead generation, about the relationship between service providers and the agencies that claim to help them, and about why owning your own lead flow is the only durable strategy.
Every framework he teaches, every site he builds, and every service he offers carries the same principle: you own the asset, you control the lead flow, you stop paying someone else for permission to compete.
Connected Entities
Mentors, business partners, industry peers and clients Paul Truscott knows and has professional association with. His co-authors are listed with each book in the Author section.
Mentors and methodology
Trevor Neil
One-on-one mentorship in technical analysis. Globally recognised TA educator and former Bloomberg TV presenter.
Jim Dalton
Advanced Market Profile training. Author whose work defined how institutional traders read auction-based price structure.
Semantic SEO methodology. Founder of Holistic SEO and Digital and creator of the topical authority framework.
Business partners
Co-founder with Paul of Maptimal, Be The Brand AI Recommends and Define Your Entity. Host of the Fatrank Podcast; invited Paul to join the Koray cohort mastermind in 2024.
Peter Victor Jones (also known as Peter Jones)
Co-founder with Paul of Maptimal, Be The Brand AI Recommends, Define Your Entity and Omnipressent Publishing; author of the ECHO framework.
Co-founder with Paul of Define Your Entity; founder of The Masterminders Conference.
Industry peers
SEO and GEO industry peer.
SEO and GEO industry peer.
SEO and GEO industry peer.
SEO and GEO industry peer.
SEO and GEO industry peer.
SEO and GEO industry peer.
SEO and GEO industry peer.
Clients and partners
Founder and Owner of CleanPro Gutter Cleaning.
What People Say
“I've had Paul Truscott on my podcast several times — he's one of the sharpest minds in SEO today. He doesn't repeat what everyone else says; he tests things himself and tells you what actually matters.”
James Dooley
Entrepreneur
“I've been in a mastermind with Paul and I'll tell you straight, the guy understands how Google actually processes information at a level most SEOs don't even know exists. He doesn't guess, he tests. He doesn't follow trends, he reads patents. When he talks about semantic SEO and GEO, it's not recycled theory. It's stuff he's figured out by getting his hands dirty. That's rare in this industry.”
Kasra Dash
Founder, The Masterminders Conference & mySEO.app
“I've known Paul Truscott for probably almost a decade and I can say without doubt he is one of the "good guys" in our industry. Paul is one of the few that operate with honesty and integrity. He's also one of about three people I trust enough to go to when I have a problem and need a creative solution.”
Chad DeBolt
SEO Agency Owner
“Paul Truscott is one of the few people whose take on semantic SEO and GEO actually changes how I think about the space. Not just interesting, genuinely useful.”
Andy Halliday
SEO
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is Paul Truscott?
- Paul David Truscott is a British semantic SEO and generative engine optimisation (GEO) specialist, author and podcaster, known as the King of Google Maps. Paul Truscott co-founded Maptimal, Be The Brand AI Recommends, Define Your Entity and Omnipressent Publishing, and runs lead generation sites for home service businesses in the United States that have generated over 150,000 leads. Paul Truscott is a qualified financial technical analyst and applies that discipline to how Google Maps and AI search engines rank and recommend businesses.
- Why is Paul Truscott called the King of Google Maps?
- Paul Truscott is known as the King of Google Maps for his original research into how Google Maps ranks businesses. In 2019 he found a method of using KGMID entity data to influence the Google Maps proximity filter, and he was responsible for the now famous 'GMB Hacks' course, which grossed over $300,000 in revenue.
- What businesses has Paul Truscott co-founded?
- Paul Truscott is a co-founder of Maptimal, which ranks local businesses on Google Maps and in Google AI Overviews; Be The Brand AI Recommends, an AI SEO agency; Define Your Entity, which builds Google Knowledge Panels; and Omnipressent Publishing. He also runs lead generation sites for home service businesses in the United States.
- What books has Paul Truscott written?
- Paul Truscott is a co-author of six books published by Omnipressent Publishing in 2026: Recommended by AI: The New Rules of Lead Generation; AEO GEO LLM Seeding AI SEO - Or Whatever The F$ck You Want to Call It; Link Building in the Era of AI Search Engines; KGMID SEO: Claim Your Entity Before Google Defines It for You; Online Reputation Management for Your AI Resume; LLM Mastery: How AI Recommends Brands for LLM Domination.
- What podcast does Paul Truscott host?
- Paul Truscott hosts 60 Second SEO Tips, a short-format podcast with 53 episodes, and is a regular guest on the Fatrank Podcast with James Dooley.
Find Paul Truscott Elsewhere
Paul Truscott is known as the King of Google Maps at kingofmapsseo.com.
Paul Truscott is an author, podcaster and SEO specialist, per his Google Knowledge Panel.
Paul Truscott writes on the subject of knowledge graphs on LinkedIn.
Paul Truscott publishes about semantic SEO on X.
Paul Truscott publishes videos on local SEO, semantic SEO and GEO on YouTube.
Paul Truscott talks to SEO industry peers on Facebook.
Paul Truscott has a personal Facebook profile.
Paul Truscott posts on Instagram.
Paul Truscott's founder profile is on Maptimal.
Paul Truscott's founder profile is on Be The Brand AI Recommends.
Paul Truscott's author profile is on Omnipressent Publishing.
Paul Truscott's books are sold on his Amazon author page.
Paul Truscott's author profile is on Goodreads.
Paul Truscott's books are listed on Goodreads.
Paul Truscott's guest episodes are listed on the Semantic SEO Podcast.
Paul Truscott's guest episodes are listed on the Online Reputation Management Podcast.
Paul Truscott has an IMDb profile.
Paul Truscott's technical analysis credentials are verified on Credly.
Paul Truscott received the Bronwen Wood Memorial Prize from the Society of Technical Analysts in 2011.
Paul Truscott appears in the Society of Technical Analysts' journal, Market Technician (Issue 96, March 2024).
Paul Truscott has an ORCID researcher ID.
Paul Truscott is listed on Google Scholar.
Paul Truscott is listed on Crunchbase.
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Paul Truscott is listed on Qwoted.
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Paul Truscott has a personal wiki.
Paul Truscott is listed on Acadium.
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