Growing Your Business with Google Business Profile

What this means for attorneys and businesses that rely on trust This post is a few months late. But, I have a good excuse. The post has been sitting in my review folder for quite a while and I’ve forgotten about it. So, here goes: Google recently rolled out an update for users to create […]

Fake businesses on Google are stealing calls from legitimate local companies Image source: FTC Press Release (https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/05/ftc-illinois-take-action-stop-deceptive-conduct-company-created-thousands-business-listings-fake)  Let’s say you’re in Illinois. You search Google for “HVAC contractor near Buffalo Grove.” A company called “Levine Heating and Cooling” shows up in Google Maps; 4.7 stars, 14 reviews, local address, local phone number. Not bad. Looks […]

Google just updated its review policy, and the SEO world is doing what it does best: catastrophizing on Reddit. Before you panic-delete your review request templates or start yelling into the void about Big Tech overreach, let me offer my unasked-for advice: a take from someone who’s watched Google break things, fix things, and occasionally […]

Numbers don’t lie — But they do confuse people Your Google Business Profile (GBP) collects data on how customers find and interact with you. But many business owners never check it — or worse, they glance at the numbers and shrug. At MyLocalStart.com, we’ve helped hundreds of small businesses in WNC turn GBP data into […]

Protect your business’s reputation by learning how to spot, report, and professionally respond to fake reviews and scams targeting your Google Business Profile.

Reviews are one of the biggest ranking factors for your Google Business Profile (GBP). More reviews = more trust = more visibility in local search. If you want customers to find you in Google Maps, you need a steady flow of real, positive reviews. Do deal with the bad reviews though. We can talk about […]