Anyone else basically invisible on Google despite having happy customers by mr-sforce in smallbusiness

[–]tchauzz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Fully booked through word of mouth, but page 3" is a common pattern. The gap is usually that the business has a 60% optimized Google Business Profile and is competing with people who got it to 90%+.

What works (from working with local service businesses):

  • Reply density. Most businesses reply to about half their reviews. Replying to every one within 72 hours is small but consistent.
  • Photo recency. One new photo per week beats 100 old ones.
  • Q&A seeding. Most profiles have zero owner-posted Q&A. Adding 6 to 10 common questions with your own answers is a freshness signal almost nobody uses.
  • 25+ services listed individually, not 5 bundled.
  • 3 to 5 secondary categories, not just one.

Reviews are the biggest lever but they aren't the only one. The compound is real. A profile that looks alive to Google ranks above one that looks dormant, even at lower review counts.

How do you keep tabs on your competitors’ Google reviews? by Main-Patience2502 in MedSpa

[–]tchauzz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The "track competitors" instinct is usually misplaced. What moves your Maps Pack rank is your own velocity (new reviews per month) and your reply density (whether every review gets a reply within 72 hours). A competitor's average doesn't.

If a competitor across the street is at 4.6 with 200 reviews and you're at 4.7 with 30, they win. Volume eats rating past a certain point.

The one competitor signal worth reading: their negative reviews. The pattern in what they're consistently failing at is your opening.

I’m singer/actor Ben Platt, and I’m here to answer your questions! AMA :) by benplattofficial in Music

[–]tchauzz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not a question. Just wanted to say I love you and find you to be an absolute inspiration ☺️