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How Long SHOULD Things Take? Setting Realistic Timelines

Last Updated: March 17, 2025

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In today’s digital world, everyone expects instant results. But when it comes to SEO, backlinks, and Local Service Ads (LSAs), things don’t work that way. Many business owners assume that once they launch a website or add a backlink, they’ll see immediate results on Google. In reality, even a Google Ads campaign (arguably the quickest thing to turn on and off) won’t be at peak performance for at least a month or two.

Let’s break it down so you can understand why things take time and what to expect when working on your online presence.

The Search Engine Road Atlas

A great way to think about Google is to compare it to an old-school road atlas. Back in the day, if a new road was built, it wouldn’t appear in printed atlases until the next edition was published, maybe a year later. Google works in a similar way.

When you search for something on Google, you’re NOT searching the live internet. You’re searching Google’s database of known webpages. If Google hasn’t discovered your new site or backlink yet, it won’t show up in the search results.

Here’s how the process works:

  1. Google’s bots (also called crawlers or spiders) find your website. This could take days or weeks, depending on how often your site is updated and linked to.
  2. Google processes and categorizes the data. Your website isn’t immediately visible in search results. It goes through indexing, testing, and ranking processes first.
  3. Google updates its search results. Only after this entire process is complete will your site or backlink start appearing in search results.

If everything happens quickly, you might see your site or backlink appear in a week or two. But if you’re on the slower end of the cycle, it could take two to four weeks or more before anything changes in the search results.

Backlink Delays: Double the Wait

Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are an important part of SEO. But even after you add a backlink, it doesn’t mean Google will recognize it immediately. There are two reasons for this:

  1. The site hosting your backlink needs to approve and publish it. If you add your business to an online directory, for example, you may have to wait for their team to review and accept your listing.
  2. Google then has to find and process the backlink. Just like with a new website, Google’s bots need to crawl and index that backlink before it has any impact on your rankings.

This means you could be waiting weeks or even months before a new backlink actually helps your SEO.

Local Service Ads (LSAs): No, They Won’t Go Live Today

Some marketing agencies promise they can get your Local Service Ads (LSAs) live in just a few hours. This is completely false.

LSAs require:

  • Business verification: You must submit business licenses and insurance documents.
  • Employee background checks: If your employees enter customers’ homes, they must pass background screenings before your ad is approved.

This process takes days or weeks, not hours. If someone tells you otherwise, they’re either misinformed or lying.

Recent Changes to Google Timelines

If you think SEO and online marketing delays are frustrating now, 2025 has made things even worse.

Google Business Profile (GBP) Appeals Are Taking Longer

  • If your GBP gets suspended and you appeal it, expect delays.
  • Many responses from Google seem AI-generated and unhelpful.
  • Even with aggressive follow-ups, some appeals are taking months to resolve.

Google Business Profile Reviews Are Also Delayed

  • If your reviews disappear from your GBP, getting them back is now a long, uphill battle.
  • We’ve seen cases where it took months of back-and-forth with Google just to restore lost reviews.
  • If your GBP is suspended, your reviews may be stuck in limbo for an extended period.

Bottom Line: Be Patient and Plan Ahead

SEO, backlinks, LSAs, and Google Business Profiles all take time. If you expect instant results, you’ll only end up frustrated. The best approach is to:

  • Plan for delays. Expect at least a few weeks for most online changes to take effect.
  • Work with knowledgeable experts. They can help navigate these roadblocks efficiently.
  • Don’t believe “instant” SEO promises. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

While it’s frustrating to wait, understanding these timeline myths can help you set realistic expectations and avoid unnecessary stress.

SEO Myth-Busting: Dominate All The Rankings Through GBP Optimization

Last Updated: March 3, 2025

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Lately, we’ve been hearing a common misconception: if you purchase a Google Business Profile (GBP) optimization service, your listing will skyrocket to the top rankings in cities far and wide, sometimes even hundreds of miles away.

We hate to break it to you, but that’s just not how it works.

Optimizing your GBP is essential, yes. It’s critical to have the right categories, high-quality photos, a well-defined service area, and strategic keyword placement. But no amount of optimization will override Google’s built-in ranking limitations.

What GBP Optimization Can (and Can’t) Do

Think of GBP optimization like fine-tuning an engine. You can get it running at peak performance, but it won’t magically turn a sedan into a race car. There’s a ceiling to what optimization can achieve.

Here’s what proper GBP optimization can do:

  • Improve your visibility in your immediate service area
  • Ensure your business information is complete and accurate
  • Help you rank higher than competitors with weak profiles

But here’s what it won’t do:

  • Make you rank in cities far from your physical location
  • Override Google’s local ranking factors
  • Guarantee you a #1 spot in all searches

In fact, over-optimizing your GBP (stuffing it with keywords or misleading information) can actually get your listing penalized or even suspended. That’s where the real expertise comes in: knowing where the limits are and how to push them effectively.

GBP Optimization Alone Isn’t Enough

Even with the best GBP optimization, your rankings are still influenced by other SEO factors. If your website isn’t optimized, if you lack high-quality backlinks, or if your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) citations aren’t consistent, you’ll hit a ranking wall.

And if you’re trying to rank in multiple towns outside your immediate area? GBP won’t get you there, but other digital marketing strategies will.

  • Want to rank in other cities? Consider local landing pages and PPC (Google Ads).
  • Want immediate visibility in new areas? You need PPC.
  • Want stronger local rankings? Work on your reviews as well as getting backlinks and citations.

Understanding GBP Limits Using a Submarine

Think of your GBP like a submarine. It can be deep in the ocean (low rankings), or it can float up toward the surface (top rankings). But no matter what you do, it will never float above the water because there’s a natural ceiling to how high it can go.

Once you hit that ceiling, the only way to expand your visibility is to focus on other strategies.

Use the Right Tool for the Job

GBP optimization is important, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. If your goal is to dominate rankings in multiple towns, you need a mix of GBP Optimization, SEO, and PPC to get there.

So, if someone is telling you that GBP optimization alone will rank you in every nearby city, they’re selling you a myth. The real pros know the limits, and how to work within them to get you the best results.

Need a strategy that actually works? Let’s talk.

ScamWatch: AI-Powered Fake Leads: The Next Big Scam?

Last Updated: March 3, 2025

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We’ve all seen AI technology evolve at an insane pace, sometimes for the better, sometimes… not so much. AI customer service bots, Google’s AI making restaurant reservation calls, and even deepfakes, have become normal. But what’s the next scam we should be watching out for?

Here’s a prediction: AI-generated fake leads.

The Rise of Fake AI Leads

Right now, plenty of lead generation companies sell small businesses “qualified leads.” Some are legit, some… not so much. But what if scammers took this to the next level?

Imagine a HomeAdvisor- or Thumbtack-style business that promises to connect you with paying customers, but those “customers” don’t actually exist. Instead, AI-generated voices call you, ask the right questions, and sound just human enough to make you think it’s a real lead. You talk to the “lead” for a few minutes and it either fizzles out, you’re given a brush off like “I have to talk to my husband about it,” or even worse, you book a completely bogus appointment. You are then charged for this lead, regardless of the outcome.

And here’s the real kicker: Even legitimate lead-gen companies could be tempted to do this. If just 1 in 10 leads were AI-generated fakes, they increase revenue by 10% and it’s almost entirely profit! After all, they don’t get paid when you land a customer, they get paid when you buy a lead. See the problem?

At Prospect Genius, we’ve always avoided business models where our success isn’t directly tied to our clients’ success. We believe in (and harp on) aligned goals. And this is why it’s so important for small businesses to stay ahead of potential scams.

How to Protect Yourself

Since this isn’t a scam that’s happening yet (that we know of), the best thing you can do is prepare. Here’s some suggestions:

1. Track Everything

If you’re buying leads, you need to know which ones are actually turning into paying customers, not just which ones feel productive. A campaign might seem busy, but if it’s not bringing in real revenue, it’s not working.

Here’s how to track your leads effectively:

  • Use a metered phone number like our CallTrax to track and record inbound calls from each campaign.
  • Implement PhoneSwap to automatically swap phone numbers on your website, so you can segment data based on where leads are coming from.
  • Review your call recordings—if something seems off, you’ll have proof.

A major bonus of using CallTrax? Spaminator technology. It blocks known spam numbers, saving you time and keeping bogus calls from clogging up your pipeline.

Why Tracking Matters More Than Ever

Now is the time to establish your baseline numbers, before AI scams start creeping in. If you suddenly notice a 10–20% shift in your metrics, that’s a red flag. Being proactive now will make it easier to spot suspicious activity later.

For lead-gen campaigns, make sure you’re tracking:

  • Average leads received (per day, week, or month)
  • Close rate (percentage of leads that turn into paying jobs)
  • Average revenue per completed job
  • Overall cost per lead
  • Total cost per closed job (this one’s key!)

Most businesses focus too much on cost per lead, but what really matters is cost per completed job. It’s not just the price of the lead, it’s the total amount spent on all leads, plus the cost to fulfill the jobs you booked, divided by the number of closed jobs.

For example:
A $20 lead might actually cost $100 per completed job once you factor in the big picture. That changes the way you evaluate lead-gen campaigns, and it’s exactly why tracking every step of the process is so important.

2. Trust Your Gut

AI voices are getting better, but they’re still not perfect. If something feels “off” about a call—maybe they respond too quickly, avoid answering direct questions, or use strange phrasing, take a closer look.

If a company can’t provide real proof that their leads are legitimate, walk away.

The Bottom Line

AI is changing the game for businesses, but it’s also creating new ways for scammers to take advantage of hard-working people. Fake AI leads might not be everywhere yet, but it’s only a matter of time.

Stay smart, stay skeptical, and most importantly—stay in control of your marketing.

ScamWatch: Positive Reviews Used As An Offensive Weapon

Last Updated: February 24, 2025

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In the competitive world of local business, your online reputation is everything. A few great reviews can bring in a steady stream of new customers, while just a handful of negative ones can scare them away. Unfortunately, some people are exploiting this reality in the worst way possible—by weaponizing fake reviews ( both negative AND positive 😲 ) against their competitors.

That’s right. While you’re working hard to earn honest feedback, others are playing dirty, using fake reviews to damage competitors’ reputations or even get them penalized by platforms like Google. It’s a growing problem that you must monitor vigilantly or you risk the brutal result once the hammer drops.

The Two Types of Fake Review Attacks

There are two main tactics bad actors are using in these attacks and we’re primarily (so far) seeing this on Google.

1. Buying Fake Negative Reviews to Damage a Competitor’s Reputation
This is the most-common, least creative, and has been going on for the longest. In this scenario, someone hires a service or uses fake accounts to flood a competitor’s profile with 1-star reviews. These reviews are often vague, fabricated, and designed to scare off potential customers. For example, you might see reviews like, “Terrible service. Never using them again,” with no details or records of an actual transaction.

As you know, negative reviews directly hurt a business’s visibility on platforms like Google and reduce customer trust. Even a few fake negative reviews can impact your bottom line because a high star-rating can plummet quickly from just a few negative reviews.

2. Buying Fake Positive Reviews to Get a Competitor Penalized
This tactic is more underhanded, far more creative, less obvious, and MUCH harder to defend against. Instead of posting negative feedback, an attacker buys obviously fake positive reviews for their competitor. The attacker actually WANTS them to be obviously fake because the goal is to have Google detect and flag them as such.

Why would someone do this? If Google suspects you’re engaging in review fraud, they will very likely suspend your Google Business Profile (GBP). They may even take more drastic action on your account itself. The problem is that in this case, you’re the victim! So first you’re victimized by this bad-actor, and then you’re victimized again when Google punishes you for something you didn’t do. It’s a truly horrific type of sabotage that is hard to spot and even harder to get out from underneath.

How to Spot a Fake Review Attack

Whether the reviews are negative or suspiciously positive, there are some telltale signs to watch for:

  • A sudden spike in reviews, especially from accounts with little to no history.
  • Reviews with generic language like “Great service!” repeated multiple times without details.
  • Negative reviews that mention services you don’t offer or describe situations that never happened.
  • Multiple reviews coming from locations far outside your service area.
  • Positive reviews that seem over-the-top or too frequent to be genuine.

If something seems off, trust your gut. It’s better to investigate early before the damage piles up.

What to Do If You’re Being Targeted

If you believe you’re the victim of a fake review attack, you need to act quickly but calmly. Here’s some suggestions:

For Fake Negative Reviews

1. Flag the Reviews to Google:
Log into your Google Business Profile and report the suspicious reviews. Be thorough in your explanation, pointing out why you believe the reviews are fake.

2. Respond Professionally:
While you work on getting the reviews removed, post a calm and polite response. Something like:
“We take customer feedback seriously but have no record of this experience. If this was a genuine concern, please contact us directly so we can resolve it.”
This shows potential customers you’re paying attention and taking the issue seriously. Remember, as with all negative reviews, you’re not really writing a reply for the reviewer. That person is likely beyond saving so you need to salvage what you can, rather than try to argue with an obstinate opponent. Instead, you’re writing it for the prospect who reads the review. Keep that in mind and you’ll find it easier to craft an appropriate reply.

3. Document Everything:
Take screenshots, note dates, and track patterns. If this becomes a recurring issue, you’ll want a record of all suspicious activity.

4. Get Help if You Need It:
Dealing with review removals can be time-consuming. If you don’t have the bandwidth, our StarSaver service is designed to handle these situations so you can focus on running your business. You can even sign up online in just minutes.

For Fake Positive Reviews

If you notice a flood of overly positive, obviously fake reviews on your profile, it could be a competitor trying to get you penalized.

1. Flag the Reviews to Google:
Just like with the negative reviews, log into your Google Business Profile and report the suspicious reviews. Explain the situation you’re seeing as thoroughly as possible. Your story will be received as far more credible is you get out ahead of any action taken by Google, so don’t delay this step.

2. Increase Transparency:
Consider making a public statement on your website or social channels, acknowledging the suspicious activity and reaffirming your commitment to honest feedback.

3. Strengthen Your Real Reviews:
Yes, we sound like a broken record on this issue, but the best defense is preparing early. No one tries to build a fort only AFTER the attack has begun. Instead, the walls are built and reinforced in advance so that most attacks can be easily repelled. It’s the same here. If you have 10,000 positive reviews, even 100 negative ones will be a drop in the ocean. This takes time, but the best time to start is right now!

4. Keep Monitoring Your Profile:
Review attacks often come in waves. Stay vigilant and check your profiles regularly to catch any future attempts early.

Stay Proactive and Protect Your Reputation

The rise of fake review attacks is an unfortunate side effect of how important online reputations have become. While you can’t always prevent bad actors from trying, you can take steps to protect your business and respond quickly if you’re targeted.

Focus on building a strong foundation of genuine reviews from happy customers. Stay alert to any suspicious activity, and don’t hesitate to take action if something feels wrong. And remember, you’re not alone in this. If dealing with fake reviews feels overwhelming, reach out and we’ll be happy to help.

Your online reputation is too valuable to leave unprotected. Stay vigilant, stay professional, and don’t let scammers get the upper hand.

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