Pro tip: I was wrong about ignoring local business listings

I was at a coffee shop in Portland last week, the one on 3rd Avenue. Saw a guy pull out his phone, look at the map, and walk right past three other places to get there. Asked him why. He said the photos looked good and the recent reviews mentioned a specific drink he wanted. Hit me right there. I run a pest control business and always thought our website was enough. But that guy didn't search for 'pest control Portland'. He searched for 'coffee near me' and trusted what Google showed him. I spent the next hour checking our own Google Business Profile. It was a mess. Old hours, no posts, one blurry photo from 2019. Fixed it all that afternoon. How often do you guys check your local listings? Is it worth doing posts there every week?

3 comments

3 Comments

black.pat1mo ago

Fixed ours last month, calls picked up right away.

juliag101mo ago

Wait, you really think people trust those little map pins? I've seen too many places with great photos that were total dumps in person. My whole thing is, if your actual service is bad, all the pretty Google posts in the world won't get you a second call. I focus on doing the job right so people tell their neighbors.

kim9631mo ago

Man, that's it exactly. It's like we forgot how to find anything. I needed a new key cut last month. I didn't look up a locksmith's actual website. I just opened maps, looked at the little red pins, and picked the one with the newest photos of a clean shop. The one with a picture from 2008? I scrolled right past it. Your pest control page might be perfect, but if your Google spot looks dead, people will just click the next one that looks alive. I check my uncle's bike shop listing for him now and then. Putting up a picture of the new helmets we got in, or a post about weekend hours... it takes two minutes and it just makes the place feel real, like someone's home.

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