Most businesses set it up and walk away
Getting your Google Business Profile set up is real work — verifying your listing, filling in your details, choosing the right categories, adding photos. When you're done, it feels complete. So most business owners close the tab and don't go back for months, sometimes years.
The problem is that Google actively favours listings that show signs of life. An account with regular posts, fresh photos, recent review responses, and up-to-date information signals a business that is currently operating and engaged. An abandoned listing, even a well-built one, gradually loses ground to competitors who are paying attention.
The good news is that ongoing GBP maintenance doesn't take much time. Fifteen minutes a week is enough to stay ahead of most local competitors. Here's what that looks like in practice.
The weekly rhythm
Google Posts are short updates that appear directly on your listing in search results and Maps. They can be offers, announcements, events, or general updates. They expire after 7 days, so posting weekly keeps something live at all times. Aim for 150–200 words, one clear point, and a photo if you have one. Don't overthink it — "We have openings this week" with a photo of your work is better than nothing.
New reviews should be responded to within a few days. For positive reviews, be specific and genuine — not just "Thanks!" but something that acknowledges what they mentioned. For negative reviews, stay calm and offer to resolve it offline. Other potential customers are reading your responses as a proxy for how you treat people. Enable notifications in the Google Business Profile app so you see reviews as they come in.
Anyone can post questions to your GBP, and anyone can answer them — including people who've never been to your business. Check weekly for new questions and answer them promptly yourself. Incorrect answers from random users do appear and can mislead customers. This takes 30 seconds when you're already in your GBP.
The monthly rhythm
Regular photo uploads signal an active business and give Google fresh visual content to associate with your listing. Aim for at least 2–4 new photos per month. Real photos from your work — a completed job, a new team member, a seasonal service — outperform stock images. If you're a trade who does before-and-after work, document every interesting job. That content serves double duty on GBP and on your website.
Google provides basic analytics inside your GBP dashboard: how many people saw your listing, how many clicked for directions or to call, and what search terms triggered your listing. This data isn't perfect, but over time it shows you whether your visibility is growing or shrinking, and which searches are actually finding you. Look for trends month over month, not day to day.
Reviews need to accumulate steadily, not in one big push. Building a habit of asking 2–4 satisfied customers per month for a review is more sustainable and looks more natural to Google than 20 reviews appearing in one week. Send a direct link using Google's "share review link" feature — fewer steps means higher completion rates. See the full guide on getting reviews for the complete system.
The seasonal checklist
Some updates are event-driven rather than calendar-driven. Do these whenever relevant:
- Update hours for holidays — statutory holidays in BC include Family Day, BC Day, and Remembrance Day on top of federal holidays. Set special hours in advance so customers aren't showing up when you're closed. A wrong "open" status on Google causes real damage to trust.
- Add or remove seasonal services — if you offer snow removal in winter or deck building in summer, update your services list accordingly
- Refresh your description for seasonal relevance — a landscaper mentioning spring cleanup in March or fall leaf removal in September captures seasonal intent
- Update photos seasonally — a photo of your business covered in snow from January is less appealing in July
Watch for suggested edits: Google allows members of the public to suggest edits to your listing — including your hours, address, and business name. Check your GBP monthly for suggested edits and approve or reject them. Unapproved edits can sometimes go live automatically, quietly changing information on your listing without your knowledge.
What happens if you don't maintain it
Over months, a neglected GBP shows the signs: no recent posts, photos that are years old, unanswered reviews, a Q&A section with incorrect community answers. Google interprets inactivity as a signal that the business may have reduced hours, closed, or is no longer operating normally. Rankings drift down gradually as more active competitors pull ahead.
The businesses that have held top-three positions in Duncan and the Cowichan Valley for years aren't there because they had a great setup day. They're there because they've treated their GBP as an ongoing channel, not a one-time task.
If you want help building a maintenance system that actually fits into your schedule — or you want someone to handle this for you — send Michael a message.
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Based in Duncan, BC. I help Vancouver Island small businesses get found on Google — without the agency markup.