The local SEO mistake that's hurting your reputation

Most small businesses set up a Google Business Profile once and never touch it again. Old photos, a two-line description, reviews with no replies.

For a lot of customers, that profile is the first thing they see of you. Before your website, sometimes instead of it. A neglected profile quietly says "neglected business", even when your work is excellent.

The mistake isn't technical. It's treating the profile as a listing instead of a shopfront.

Three things change how it reads: a description that says what you do differently, recent photos of real jobs and real people, and a reply to every review in your own voice. People often read how you handle a complaint more closely than the complaint itself.