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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.

Are GBP Heatmaps (AKA Local Search Grids) Helpful Tools or Shiny Distractions?

Last Updated: February 17, 2025

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When it comes to marketing your small business online, there’s no shortage of fancy tools promising to give you an edge. One of the more recent ones making the rounds is the Local Search Grid (or GBP Heatmaps), a tool designed to show how your Google Business Profile (GBP) ranks across different points on a map. Sounds useful, right?

Well… not really. At least, not for most small businesses. This falls into the category of “data for the sake of data” in my opinion.

Who Actually Benefits from These Heatmap Tools?

These tools were built primarily for multi-location brick-and-mortar stores that rely on walk-in traffic. Think chain restaurants, retail stores, dental offices, or gyms. These businesses need to see how far their visibility extends and where they might need to improve. For them, expanding to neighboring territories is about getting rankings from the next block over, not the town that’s 10 miles away.

If you’re running a single-location service-area business (SAB) like a plumbing, electrical, or roofing company, these tools will be a shiny toy that will lead to very little actionable data. Why? Because your business doesn’t rely on people coming to you—you go to them.

Why SABs and Single-Location Businesses Don’t Need This Tool

Minimal Time Savings

While it might seem like this tool would save you a whole bunch of time, it likely won’t. In fact, it might be a net drain on your time because you’ll spend hours playing with it, trying to gain some key insight that just isn’t there. It’s largely going to confirm what you already know.

You Already Know Where Your Customers Come From
If you’re a service-based business, you don’t need a fancy map to tell you where your jobs are coming from. You can just check your invoices. If you haven’t gotten a job in a certain area in a while, that’s your answer, no heatmap required.

If You Have a Storefront, Checking Your Rankings Is Easy
For most single-location businesses, you probably care about how you rank in 3-5 key areas. Guess what? You can figure that out in under 5 minutes by doing a few Google searches. Better yet, delegate it to an employee. Paying for a tool to do this is like buying a $100 calculator to solve 2×2.

The One Possible Exception: Hyper-Dense Metro Areas

There might be a small benefit if you’re in a super densely populated city like New York, where neighborhoods are essentially micro-markets. In that case, knowing how you rank in one neighborhood versus another could be useful, since getting from, say, Hell’s Kitchen to SoHo for a service call can be a hassle.

However, even then, most people aren’t searching for “Plumber in Hell’s Kitchen” or “Appliance Repair SoHo.” They’re searching for broad terms like “Plumber NYC” or using a borough name like Brooklyn or the Bronx. So while there’s a possible use case in these situations, it’s still a maybe. 

Better Ways to Spend Your Time & Money

Instead of chasing a shiny tool that doesn’t move the needle, focus on the basics that actually impact your local rankings:

  • Optimizing Your Website (better UX, internal links, location pages, refined copy)
  • Fully Optimizing Your GBP (photos, categories, business info)
  • Getting More Reviews (yes, reviews matter a lot)
  • Building Backlinks (local citations, partnerships, and industry directories)
  • Investing in PPC or Local Directories (better ROI than a heatmap tool)

If you’re running a business with multiple locations (like a regional chain or a franchise) these tools can make sense. They help track performance across different areas and locations, giving you a way to optimize at scale.

But for 95% of small businesses? It’s just not worth it.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Chase Data for the Sake of Data

Local Search Grid tools aren’t a scam, they’re just built for a different kind of business than yours. If you’re a small business with a single location, they won’t give you any insights you couldn’t figure out on your own in a few minutes.

So before you spend money on another marketing tool, ask yourself: Is this actually going to help my business, or is it just a distraction? Because in most cases, it’s just not worth it.

Why Were My Google Reviews Removed?!

Last Updated: February 11, 2025

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If you’ve recently noticed that your Google Business Profile (GBP) reviews are disappearing, you’re not alone. The internet has been ablaze for the last week or so as business owners are trying to figure out why they’ve been seeing their hard-earned reviews disappearing from their GBPs. Some have seen their review count drop by dozens, while others have fluctuated wildly, gaining and losing reviews seemingly at random.

So, what’s going on?

A Known Bug (But No Immediate Fix)

Google has acknowledged that this is a known issue with the review counts and claims to be working on a fix. In many cases, the reviews themselves haven’t actually been deleted, it’s just the displayed number that’s inaccurate. On Reddit and other forums, business owners are reporting major drops in their review count overnight.

We’ve seen this firsthand with our own clients:

  • Appliance repair company – started with 1,001 reviews, dropped to 970, then dropped to 926
  • Plumber – started with 200 reviews, dropped to 195
  • Piano instruction business – started with 45 reviews, dropped to 40

Some businesses have seen their review count bounce back temporarily, only to lose them again. One of our plumber clients saw their count drop from 198 to 18, only to return to 198 later.

Another Factor: Inactive Google Accounts Getting Deleted

As we’ve mentioned before, Google announced that it will be deleting accounts that remain inactive for two years. In its support article on the topic, Google states that “all of its content and data can be deleted.” Most experts interpret this to mean that any reviews left by those accounts will also be removed.

However, a smaller group speculates that Google may simply disassociate the reviews from the original account and display them under a generic “Google User” label instead.

If the majority opinion proves correct, this will only add to the chaos because not only will review counts be inaccurate, but actual reviews may also start disappearing permanently.

What Can You Do?

Unfortunately, there’s no magic fix for this situation. But the best thing you can do is keep getting more reviews.

We know, it’s frustrating to hear the same advice over and over, but the only way to combat disappearing reviews is to keep earning new ones. If you’re not actively requesting reviews, now’s the time to make it part of your daily routine. For ideas on how to do this, check out this article from a while back where we put together a guide on getting more reviews: Reviews: Why You Must Get Them (And Tips for Getting More)

If you’re not using our ReviewStream service, you might consider it. It’s an easy, hands-off way to get reviews every month. You just feed it your list of client emails and it will ask them to leave a review each month.

Final Thoughts

Losing reviews is frustrating, but this isn’t the first time Google has had a glitch like this, and it probably won’t be the last. The best way to protect your online reputation is to keep your review count growing so that even if you lose a few, you’re still ahead.

 

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