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ScamWatch: Don’t Pay for What’s Already Yours – The Google Business Profile Ownership Scam

Last Updated: November 10, 2025

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We’ve been hearing a lot of chatter lately from our clients about a sneaky new scam making the rounds, and it’s time we shine a big ol’ spotlight on it.

Here’s the setup:
You, a small business owner, get a call. The person on the other end – often with an overseas accent – says they’re offering you “full ownership” of your Google Business Profile (GBP) for a one-time payment. Sometimes it’s $300, sometimes a little more or less. They’ll promise you sole ownership, the ability to delete any reviews you don’t like, and full control over your listing.

Sounds official, right? Maybe even a little tempting?

Don’t fall for it.

Let’s break down why this is 100% a scam and what you actually should know about your Google Business Profile.

1. Google Business Profiles are always free

You do not have to pay to claim, manage, or use your GBP. Google offers this service to business owners completely free of charge. Anyone asking for money in exchange for “ownership” is either confused or trying to rip you off.

2. You can’t “own” your GBP the way they say you can

The terminology these scammers use is misleading at best. While you can claim your GBP and become the primary owner (which gives you full control), that process involves verifying your business – not sending someone your credit card info.

Think of it like your social media account: you sign up, prove it’s yours, and manage it as you see fit. But it’s still hosted by a platform (Google) that has its own rules and systems.

3. “Sole owner” is a made-up title

This is where the scammers get clever. They’ll toss around the term “sole owner” like it’s some kind of premium status. In reality, a GBP has one primary owner, and that person can assign managers or additional owners if they want to. But that’s a management structure – not a tiered payment system. You either have control of your profile or you don’t.

4. You cannot delete reviews just because you don’t like them

This is one of the juiciest promises scammers dangle – “Give us a few hundred bucks and you can remove any bad reviews you want.” Not true. Google has clear policies about reviews, and the only way one gets removed is if it violates those policies. Owning or managing your GBP doesn’t change that.

So, what can you pay for?

It’s completely valid to hire someone to help you recover access to a lost profile, optimize your listing, or manage your local SEO. That’s like hiring a lawyer to handle paperwork or a plumber to fix your leak – you’re paying for expertise, not for something that’s supposed to be free.

But you should never pay someone just to “own” your GBP. That’s like someone selling you the title to your own house after you’ve already moved in.

Final thoughts

Scams like these rely on confusion, urgency, and a bit of fear. They target hardworking business owners who are too busy running their companies to double-check every call that comes in.

So let’s keep it simple:
If someone says you have to pay to own your Google Business Profile, hang up.
If you’re ever unsure about a call or email like this, reach out to someone you trust – your marketing team, your web agency, or even a savvy friend.

We’ll be back with more ScamWatch tips soon. Until then, stay sharp out there.

The Geeks At Google Just Threw A Monkey Wrench Into Your Day

Last Updated: November 4, 2025

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Up in their ivory tower, Google’s just cooked up what they seem to think are a pair of small changes. But out here in the real world, we’re about to face a mess. They just turned Google Maps into HomeAdvisor AND are giving you less value for your Local Service Ads (LSA) dollar.

Let’s rip the Band-Aid off, then go over some ways you can salvage a win from each of these changes.

1. The “Have AI Get Prices” Button

Google just turned your business into a line item on a price comparison list with this new feature they’re trialing. It’s appearing in some areas and for some searches, but there’s a high probability this becomes a standard feature soon.

What it looks like

A new blue button now appears under the map-pack: “Have AI Get Prices.”

Google's new "have AI get prices" button on google map results

How this likely works

  1. Customer taps
  2. Google’s bot calls or texts you and your competitors looking for pricing info
  3. You have just moments to blindly name a price or be left out
  4. Google compiles the data and delivers it via text or email to the customer

What we expect it to look like from the business’ side

Let’s say someone searches for “shower repair in Austin.” Instead of calling you, they tap the button.

  1. Google’s AI sends your business a message (via call, text, or chat) asking for a price quote based on the user’s request.
  2. You’ll get a short message like: “A customer in your area is looking for a price to repair a leaking shower. Please reply with an estimate.”
  3. You won’t know much. Most likely you’ll have no photos, no call, no way to ask questions. Just a vague request and a tight window to answer.

It’s starting to sound a lot like HomeAdvisor, but with even less interaction with the client. It’s turning you into a commodity.

Why it feels like a gut punch

  • You’re in the middle of a job.
  • You have no idea what the problem ACTUALLY looks like.
  • If you ghost the bot, it instantly serves the job to the two other guys who answered in 11 seconds.

It’s HomeAdvisor-style race-to-the-bottom

Week 1: Everyone quotes real prices.
Week 2: The clown low-balling by $200 wins every lead.
Week 3: Margins are gone and you hate your life.
Week 4: The clown is broke and so are you.

How to win anyway (do this now)

  1. Build a response plan
    Prepare some fast, flexible “starting at” responses that give customers something to compare, without locking you into a price. These can be saved as quick replies or text snippets on your phone.
Snippet 1: “Typical shower rebuild starts at $398. Requires a free 15-min inspection to confirm.”
Snippet 2: “Drippy faucet fixes usually run $109 and up. Same-day available.”
Snippet 3: “Water heater replacement starts at $1,299. Includes haul-away of old heater.”
  1. Make sure someone answers the AI
    You need someone who can respond fast. That can be your office admin, your cousin who’s helping part-time, or a dedicated answering service. Give them your pricing sheet and let them reply to AI quote requests instantly while you’re on the job. It’s actually more affordable than most people think.
    We recommend Professional Answering Service. We’ve worked with them before and can get you preferential rates if you want to give them a shot.
  2. Close the upsell in the driveway
    These quotes are just your foot in the door. The real money comes when you’re face-to-face with the homeowner. When presented with a Goldilocks style list of options, a large percentage will choose the better, more-profitable option. That’s your paycheck, so don’t leave it on the table.

Set this up by Friday and the bot becomes your $0 receptionist.

2. Green “Guaranteed” Badge Is Now A Blue “Verified” Badge

Google killed the green checkmark and the $2,000 refund promise in October. No longer do you get the guarantee that came with your LSA campaign.

What you still have

    • Same top-of-page LSA placement.
    • Same background checks.
  • Nearly the same trust, but now in millennial blue.

How to Turn This Into a Win

  1. Screenshot your new blue badge.
  2. Text your recent customers:

“Hey John! We just went Google Verified 🔥 Quick 20-second favor: tap here to leave us a review?”
[Link straight to your Google review form]

  1. Add one line to every email, invoice, and homepage:
    “Google Verified + OUR Fix-It-Free Promise”

Here’s the truth:

  • These tools are built for customers, not for your convenience.
  • Ignoring them doesn’t make THEM go away…just YOU.
  • Playing along (smartly) can still put money in your pocket.

So prep your price snippets. Get someone on quote duty. Show off that shiny blue badge. You don’t have to be the cheapest, you just have to be the fastest to show up and the best at following through.

Do that, and the robot doesn’t replace you, it routes the job straight to you.

 

 

Google Changes & Local Service Business FAQs


Google is trialing a new feature where a “Have AI Get Prices” button appears in the local map results. When a user taps it, Google’s bot may contact your business and competitors via call, text or chat to get price quotes, then the user receives a compiled list of prices. This turns your service into a commodity‑list item.


Because the business gets very little context — no photos, limited information, and only a short time window to respond. This “quote‑race” dynamic can force businesses into low‑margin bidding, resembling the model of lead‑generation platforms like HomeAdvisor.


Prospect Genius recommends: (1) Build “starting at” pricing snippets you can respond with quickly; (2) Ensure someone (an answering service or staff) is ready to respond instantly to the AI quote request; (3) Use the quick quote to get the prospect in the door, then upsell the profit‑making job when you meet the customer in person.


Google replaced the green “Guaranteed” badge (which included a refund promise) with a blue “Verified” badge in October. This means the refund guarantee is gone, though the placement and background check requirements remain largely unchanged.


Businesses should screenshot the blue badge, promote it by text‑messaging recent customers to leave reviews, and add a line on their website/emails/invoices like “Google Verified + OUR Fix‑It‑Free Promise” to maintain trust and differentiate despite the removed refund guarantee.


The broader message is: these tools are built for consumers, not necessarily optimized for your convenience. Ignoring the changes doesn’t make them go away—but adapting can allow you to harness them. Be the fastest to respond and deliver the best experience, so rather than being replaced by the bot, you become the routed business.

Google’s Secret, Unpublished, But Very Real Business Hours Rule

Last Updated: September 3, 2025

You’ve probably spent way more time than you’d like to admit fiddling with your Google Business Profile. From double-checking your categories to making sure your service area is up to date, most folks assume that if you just follow the rules, your listing will stay safe and visible. But what if the rules aren’t actually published?

That’s exactly what we discovered with one of our clients in the taxi industry.

The Mystery of the Repeated Suspensions

Over a six-month span, this taxi company kept having its Google Business listing suspended, again and again. Each time, we combed through the profile, double-checked the policies, and made sure nothing looked off. No keyword stuffing, no fake reviews, no duplicate locations. Just a clean, rule-following listing.

So why the suspensions?

After a long back-and-forth with Google support, we finally got a surprising (and honestly, kind of ridiculous) answer: taxi companies aren’t allowed to list business hours on their Google profile.

Wait… what?

The Official Word from Google (Sort Of)

In a message from a Google support rep, we were told:

“Please mark the business hours as open with no main hours on the profile as the taxi services are not allowed to have business hours.”

Email from Google stating that taxi companies are not allowed to list business hours

Let that sink in for a second.

This isn’t mentioned anywhere in the public-facing Google Business Profile guidelines. No footnotes, no asterisks, no helpful tooltip saying “Hey, taxi folks — leave your hours blank.” Nothing. Just a secret, unpublished rule that you’d never know about until your listing gets nuked for violating it.

Why This Matters for Every Local Business

Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, but I’m a plumber — not a cab company.” Fair. But this story isn’t just about taxi businesses. It’s a reminder that:

  • Not all Google rules are public
  • Even if you follow the published rules, you can still get penalized
  • Sometimes the only way to get real answers is to push through layers of generic support until you reach a human who knows what’s actually going on

What You Can Do

If you’re in a niche or highly regulated industry (like taxis, cannabis, locksmiths, or even mobile repair), it’s worth doing a little extra homework, or working with someone who’s been through the wringer with Google before. Here are a few quick tips:

  • Don’t assume the rules are complete. Sometimes, Google makes internal changes that don’t show up in the documentation.
  • Keep records of your interactions with support. If you do get a real answer, you’ll want proof.
  • Join industry-specific forums or groups. Other business owners often uncover these secret rules before Google ever acknowledges them.
  • Work with an expert. If you’re not sure what’s triggering suspensions, a professional can help identify red flags you might not see.

Final Thoughts

Google’s local business ecosystem is powerful, but it’s also a bit of a black box. As this experience shows, even when you’re doing everything “right,” you can still run into invisible walls. The good news? With a little persistence (and the right support) you can figure it out.

And if you’re a taxi company, now you know: don’t list your business hours,  no matter how weird that sounds.

We’ll keep sharing what we learn as we uncover more of Google’s behind-the-scenes quirks. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

Hidden Google Business Profile Rule FAQs


Some taxi company Google Business Profiles can be suspended for listing business hours, due to a hidden rule not published in Google’s official guidelines. Google support informed a client that “taxi services are not allowed to have business hours”—a policy you won’t find publicly.


Yes. Google sometimes enforces internal rules that are not in its public documentation. Businesses may follow published rules perfectly and still face penalties if they violate an unpublished policy.


According to a communication from Google support, taxi companies are specifically instructed to mark their business hours as “open with no main hours” because listing hours is not allowed—yet this restriction is not included in any public guidance.


To uncover unpublished Google Business Profile rules, document all support communications, ask probing questions to support staff, engage in industry-specific forums, and consider speaking with marketing or GBP experts who may have discovered such hidden rules before.


Niche or regulated businesses (like taxi, locksmith, cannabis, mobile repair, etc.) should assume the public guidelines may be incomplete. They should track support records, connect with industry peers, and enlist professionals experienced with Google Business Profile complexities.


Keeping detailed records of support conversations can provide proof of an unexplained rule if a suspension happens. Working with an expert who’s navigated similar issues helps anticipate and avoid unpublished pitfalls before they lead to penalties.

Show Me the Google Business Profile and I’ll Show You the Violation

Last Updated: September 3, 2025

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Google feels more Soviet every day. They demand that we “optimize” our profiles, update them often, and keep everything accurate and fresh (in other words, do their work for them.) The problem is that Google’s rules for Business Profiles are so convoluted, ever-changing, and sometimes completely undisclosed that it’s almost impossible not to step on a landmine.

The Moving Goalposts

Remember when they encouraged everyone to set up review kiosks so customers could leave feedback on-site? Business owners invested time and money to follow the advice. But as soon as Google gained ground on Yelp, they flipped the policy. Suddenly, kiosks were forbidden, and anyone using them risked suspension. You changed nothing, yet overnight, you went from doing what they asked to being branded a violator.

These Days: What Triggers Suspensions Now

Fast forward to today, and while review kiosks are no longer the hot-button issue, the story hasn’t changed much. Businesses are still being penalized for well-meaning changes. The most common triggers we see right now are:

  • Adding extra categories that don’t perfectly fit your business, often because a tool or consultant suggested it as a ranking hack.
  • Tinkering with business hours in ways that don’t reflect your true availability, like extending them just to “beat” competitors.
  • Falling into unpublished or hidden rules, where entire industries have restrictions that aren’t even spelled out in Google’s documentation.
  • Adding new locations (for example, trying to add a nearby town) that can trigger Google’s system to suspend or re-verify your entire profile.

Why “Trick-of-the-Day” Advice Is Dangerous

This is where we see the most damage. Tools like Pleper, or sales reps promising quick ranking wins, often push these very tactics. They sound clever in theory (find a low-competition category, set longer hours than competitors) but in practice, they’re landmines.

The truth is, Google doesn’t reward shortcuts. If anything, they punish them. The category that seems like a smart add-on may cause a suspension. The extended hours might flag your profile as misleading. And the unpublished rules? You’ll never see them coming until it’s too late.

A Real-World Example: The Lawyer Who Lost His Reviews

We once worked with a lawyer who frequently handles cases involving juveniles in detention centers. Thinking it would help him show up for relevant searches, he added “juvenile detention center” as one of his business categories. What he didn’t know was that certain categories (like jails, detention centers, and police stations) are not eligible to receive reviews. As soon as he made the change, all of his reviews disappeared overnight.

This wasn’t manipulation. It was an honest attempt at optimization that ended in disaster.

The Bigger Problem

We see situations like this all the time through our GBP Rescue service. Business owners are told to “optimize” their listings, so they do. They’re given advice by tools, salespeople, or even Google itself, and they follow it in good faith. But because the rules are complicated, ever-changing, and sometimes not even published, they end up in trouble anyway.

The worst part is that once you’re caught in a violation, recovery is slow and uncertain. Google gives you limited chances to appeal, and the turnaround time can take weeks. That’s business you may never get back.

Proceed With Caution

This isn’t to say you should never update your GBP or use tools to help. But you do need to be cautious. If a piece of advice sounds like a clever shortcut, or if it feels like a gray area, it probably carries more risk than reward.

At the end of the day, most small businesses just want to play by the rules. The trouble is, Google doesn’t always make those rules clear, and sometimes, they don’t publish them at all. That’s why we recommend keeping your optimizations simple, sticking closely to the guidelines we do know, and getting expert help if you’re unsure. And if you ever find yourself penalized for an honest mistake, our GBP Rescue service is here to help you get back on track.

 

 

 

Google Business Profile Violation FAQs


Your Google Business Profile may have been suspended after updating it due to violating Google’s complex and often unpublished rules. Common changes like modifying categories, altering business hours, or adding locations can trigger automatic suspensions, even if done in good faith.


Common mistakes that lead to Google Business Profile violations include adding extra categories that don’t exactly match your business, adjusting hours to appear more competitive, attempting to list new service areas without proper verification, and unknowingly triggering hidden or unpublished rules.


Yes, adding new categories to your Google Business Profile that do not precisely match your core services can result in suspension. Google may interpret these changes as misleading or manipulative, especially if suggested by third-party tools or consultants.


All your Google reviews may disappear if your business category is changed to one that is ineligible for reviews. For example, adding categories like ‘juvenile detention center’ or ‘police station’ can instantly trigger the removal of all reviews, even if the change was made unintentionally.


Prospect Genius’s GBP Rescue service helps businesses recover from Google Business Profile suspensions and penalties. The service supports owners who were penalized due to unclear rules or bad advice, offering expert help to restore visibility and correct compliance issues.


To safely optimize your Google Business Profile, stick closely to published guidelines, avoid risky ‘trick-of-the-day’ tactics from tools or consultants, and make only accurate, honest changes that reflect your real-world operations. When in doubt, consult professionals like Prospect Genius.

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.

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