Each week, Greg and Ben answer your questions on digital marketing for local businesses … local search engine optimization (SEO), Google Business Profile, social media, email marketing, websites, online advertising and more.

Updates and Questions

• AI can now update your GBP.
• New categories for Local Service Ads.
• Google Support contact options are back - chat and call support.
• Vicinity update fixes.
• Google In-store Products can help increase your GBP ranking. 
• Google reviews aren’t showing up even though I can see them in the alert email - what should I do?
• We have really inconsistent results with Google Local Service Ads. Is there anything we can do with GBP other than accurate info?
• Any updates to Business Messages?
• Has anyone ever set up a a local business directory to get links from other local businesses or would that be considered spam?  
• Google keeps changing "Dine-in" to "No dine-in" which is hurting my business. What can I do to "lock in" the correct "Dine-in?" 
• I have a client who had reviews disappear or never show up, and Google support says there is nothing they can do to bring them back - is there anything to do about this? 
• My Restoration client would like to expand their hours to 24 hour services. Will that get me a suspension on my GBP?
• Can the tone of a 5 star review (ie. enthusiastic, specific information) make a difference in business ranking more than bland reviews? 
• Does the Get Quote button only show for contractors? What categories get the ‘Get Quote’ button?
• I used to use my personal name for LinkedIn, but have now rebranded. Does my LinkedIn profile have to match all the other platforms and GBP?  
• How can I show varied hours on my GBP such as closing early because of slow business?

Links

• Google AI article
• Google Support
• Local U
• Google In-store products

Links mentioned in this session are available on our website at https://localmarketinginstitute.com