I Finally Set Up My Google Business Profile, And Here’s What Surprised Me

Google Business Profile for home-based business owners has always been something I recommend. If I’m being honest, I’ve been a little hypocritical.

I constantly stress the importance of Google Business Profile for local SEO, urging clients to claim and optimize it as a core marketing asset.

Yet, I hadn’t set up my own profile.

It wasn’t that I doubted its value. I just didn’t want to deal with video verification or risk having my home address show up online.

If you run a home-based business or a small nonprofit like I do, you probably get why I hesitated.

Why 5-Star Reviews Aren’t Enough, And What to Ask for in Google Reviews

Comparison of a generic five-star review and a detailed customer review highlighting service, location, and experience for SEO value.

If you’ve ever wondered what to ask for in Google reviews, you’re not alone.

If your client ever replied to your review request with just, “5 stars, great service,” you’re not alone. That kind of review feels good, but doesn’t do much to boost your online presence.

Many small business owners think the star rating is the most important part of a review. For a long time, that was generally true. But things have changed.

Search engines and AI tools now pay close attention to the words in your reviews, not just the rating. So what your customers say matters just as much, if not more, than how many stars they give you.

Let’s look at what this means and how you can start asking for better reviews without it feeling awkward.

When a Beautiful Website Isn’t Enough

Illustration comparing how people see website design and how search engines interpret website structure, highlighting website SEO for small businesses.

A while back, I wrote about why Local SEO matters for small businesses and how showing up in search results helps nearby customers find you. But another important part of website SEO for small businesses is ensuring your website is built in a way that search engines can understand.

But an important piece of that conversation often gets overlooked. Your website plays a critical role in that visibility, and it needs to be built so search engines can actually understand it.

Recently, I worked with a client who had just invested in a brand new website. They brought me in to help launch their marketing plan. The work included reviewing their website, evaluating their content strategy, and creating a clear execution roadmap for future marketing efforts. Through this experience, I was reminded how a website’s structure can significantly impact search visibility.

Because the website plays such a central role in most marketing efforts, it was important to understand how well it supports search visibility, content marketing, and future growth.

Is Yelp Advertising Worth It for Small Businesses?

Are you worried about missing out because you’re not advertising on Yelp? Many small business owners have the same question as they look for ways to get noticed and grow.

I often use Yelp when I’m searching for restaurants or services, like a plumber. For these, I usually check Yelp before Google. I enjoy browsing photos, reading reviews, and quickly comparing my options.

Recently, I searched for a co-working space on Yelp and had a very unique experience. I expected to see a list of local options. I scrolled through about ten sponsored listings before reaching the actual organic results. But what was surprising was that none of the sponsored businesses were co-working spaces, which made me question how useful those top placements really were.

It also made me wonder whether the issue was Yelp’s targeting or how businesses were setting up their ads. Either way, it reinforced an important point. Paid visibility does not automatically mean precise visibility.

As a marketer, I understood what was going on. But as a user, it was frustrating.

Why Marketing Feels Harder Than It Looks (Especially for Small Business Owners)

At first glance, marketing seems pretty straightforward.

Build a website. Post on Instagram. Maybe run a few ads.

But once you’re the one doing it all, the picture changes. Fast.

If you’ve ever found yourself asking, “Why is this so hard?” you’re not alone. For many small business owners, marketing feels manageable until they’re juggling content ideas, SEO, analytics, and a dozen other moving pieces.

Let’s talk about why marketing often feels harder than it looks, starting with what most people see on the surface, and what’s really happening behind the scenes.

The Part You See: Marketing on the Front End

Most people judge marketing by what they see online. We scroll through polished Instagram feeds, visit websites that look clean and professional, and assume it will be easy to create something similar.