Your GBP is the most important marketing asset you have. Not your truck wrap. Not your branding. GBP. Most shops lose months by tinkering with everything except the thing that actually drives leads.
Start with a simple audit and fix the basics:
- Choose the correct primary category
- Write a real description that reflects what you do
- Make sure your business info matches everywhere
- Upload real photos instead of stock garbage
- Build a consistent review system tied to every job
These fundamentals support the three factors Google cares about most: proximity, keyword strength, and reviews.
What Actually Moves Rankings
If you want consistent lead flow, the kind that gets you to 20 to 30 calls a week, you need to treat GBP like a real channel, not a side task.
Here is what moves the needle:
- Post three to five times a week
- Add new photos every month
- Keep reviews coming on a predictable cadence
- Maintain accurate data everywhere your business appears
There are hundreds of small optimizations you could do, but these actions carry most of the weight.
What to Expect
GBP performance will bounce around. Google tests new layouts constantly. Lead volume can drop from 50 calls a week to 40 overnight because of an experiment, not because you did anything wrong.
Expect:
- 60 to 90 days before you see meaningful improvements
- Rankings that shift by block, not city, because proximity is that sensitive
- Occasional dips tied to seasonality or algorithm changes
Stay consistent and keep going.
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