There is no getting away from it. Google Business Profile verification has become a bit of a nightmare. Phone verification sometimes never calls. Video verification can feel like you’re filming a documentary. The camera angle has to be perfect, the evidence has to be perfect, somebody walks into view, and suddenly you’re rejected. Then come […]

Google Business Profiles (formerly Google My Business) allow businesses to engage with customers through reviews. While positive reviews can boost credibility, harmful or inappropriate reviews can be damaging. Fortunately, Google provides tools to help you report and remove reviews that violate its guidelines.   How to Report a Review for Removal Google has streamlined the […]

There is one thing I see repeatedly with local businesses when discussing local SEO and online marketing. The moment you mention content, their eyes glaze over. Many still believe local SEO works by some magic. Create a homepage, add a service page, verify a Google Business Profile and somehow Google sends customers flooding through the […]

I am old school. I still call it online marketing, whilst the cool kids call it digital marketing. Call it what you want, the principle has not changed. You are putting your business in front of people who may need what you offer. The difference now lies in where it happens, how quickly it happens, […]

Online marketing has matured. Local SEO has evolved. AI is changing search behaviour. Yet the mistakes I see today are often the same ones I saw ten years ago, just wrapped in new terminology. Most local businesses are not failing because Google is against them. They are failing because the basics are missing, rushed, or […]

If you’ve found a verified Google Business Profile for your business but no longer have access to it, perhaps a previous staff member verified it, or login details have been lost, you’ll need to request ownership of the verified profile to manage it moving forward. Do Not: Attempt to create a new listing. This will […]

A hotels knowledge panel is generated via the hotels Google Business Profile, however unlike a non lodging category profile, there are limited items that a hotel can control directly within the GBP profile. So what can you control directly from profile?   Hotels Business Knowledge Panel     1. Hotel Image Images can be controlled […]

Google can’t or won’t help your Google Business Profile from a malicious competitor activity. This malicious activity against a Google Business Profile is usually only seen in super competitive niche markets where millions of pounds are at play. Although legitimate, these markets also have an organised crime undercurrent. Think it won’t happen to you in […]

Do you use a Google product every day in your work or personal life? Whether it is Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, YouTube, Android, or something more specialised like Google Analytics or Google Ads, if you enjoy learning about the tools you use and helping others understand them, there is an opportunity you should be […]

After 20 years of working in local SEO, I’m still seeing businesses get the most basic part of their online presence wrong – their Google Business Profile account setup. It’s not their fault, but it’s time we put on the due diligence hat and stop the endless mess of lost access, hijacked profiles, dodgy agency […]