I’ve been comparing local businesses that perform well on Google Maps with the businesses recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI platforms.

What surprised me is how little overlap there can be. A business may have a strong rating, more than 100 reviews, and years of history—but still not appear in AI recommendations.

I’m curious whether anyone managing a Google Business Profile has tested this:

1. Search Google for the best businesses in your category and city.
2. Ask an AI platform the same question.
3. Compare the businesses mentioned.

Are you seeing roughly the same companies, or completely different results?

Hi! I have to rebrand my freelance business in Germany.

I need to change two things on my Google Business Profile: the business name and the website URL. It's a pure rebranding, same owner, same service, same site, just a new name and a new URL.

I'm worried about doing it wrong. Specifically I'm afraid that changing the name and URL could trigger a suspension.

What I've gathered so far as the safe approach:

- Update the name in the imprint, privacy policy, and logo on my current site. Update the name on social channels. Optional: New signage with the new name on mailbox and door bell at my registered address in case I need to do a verification video.

- Switch website to the new domain

- Set up a 301 redirect from the old domain to the new one

- Change only the name in the GBP dashboard first, exactly as it reads on my registration. Then leave the profile completely untouched for about a week while Google processes it.

- Then update the Google Business URL to the new domain.

I'd like a sanity check on whether this is right and whether there's anything I'm missing. Thank you very much!

(I don't have many reviews yet, so if deleting the old profile and getting a new one is the less risky approach I am more than willing to do that too.)

Takeout doesn't seem to include them.

I have my LLC registered, but not possible for me to get verified my GMB profile as I am not there at location so of course.

Any other possibilities if I can get it done , it’s really important for me.

I am having major issues with a business that we closed at one location and moved to another. It’s a legacy one, where I have just taken over management of the Google my business! I am trying to establish the new profile at a new address, that’s okay but I’ve permanently closed the old one and it’s still showing!

New let’s add some layers to complicate this!
- Old company has ownership, so we only have manager access and it cannot be verified due to the fact the old phone is dead!

- We want to add a new business into the old business address and sorry these are all restaurants so let’s be honest reviews are super important! So I need the old one gone etc. new one is built and addressed there!

I need advice please what is the best way to

A) Get the old place removed from Google
B) Make sure the new one out ranks it
C) establish the new business at the new address (old address of the old one)

Any advice/numbers or emails are welcome!

I’ve been working more on local SEO lately, and I’ve noticed that different businesses seem to get stuck at completely different points.

Some have a strong Google Business Profile but a weak website.

Some have a good website but barely any reviews.

Others have decent reviews and content but struggle to show up outside their immediate area.

For business owners here: what’s the biggest local SEO problem you’re dealing with right now?

If you share your industry and location, I’d also be interested to hear what you’ve already tried.

Hi, I have a relatively new business like a month old on google.

The reviews were consistently coming on my profile and it reached 13 reviews but suddenly no new reviews are coming. The reviews are showing on Guest's end on my business but not publicly on my profile

Earlier guests used to review by searching business name on google and those guests whose reviews are not appearing have gave review through Google maps and this is happening since 3 days

What to do please help

When I try to save the changes I make, the update animation cycles and never accepts the changes, freezing the window. I even let it cycle overnight last night to see if it was a slowness in acknowledging issue. Firefox, Chrome and Google Pixel 9, all three ways of changing fail.

Before I start, I am kindly asking anybody who posts replies to this to please do your best to avoid the typical demeaning “you just don’t understand, but i do”, “you’re clearly not understanding what you should understand” etc type responses. I’ve done a lot of reading and a lot of research and I’m still at a standstill, but I’m not claiming to be a pro with this. I’m sure that a couple people will throw it in my face that im
stupid for asking these questions, or that I should know better, but I consider myself pretty advanced at researching topics like this, and I’m officially worn out. Some of you are pros at this, and I respect that. If this wasn’t such a difficult topic for people to understand, then your skills wouldn’t have as much value. I respect your skills and will not argue a topic, only ask for clarification.

Here it goes…

We have not started the verification process yet, but we will be a service area business. I will ask now if this is even possible to do as a moving company.

If this is not possible, disregard everything I say below. If it is, continue reading.

I started a moving company with a partner who lives at an apartment complex with a huge parking lot. We rented a garage specifically for the truck at this complex. So we have a parking space for our truck and a garage. This complex has no issue with us parking our truck there. There are other mobile businesses with their vehicles parked there as well, such as a pet grooming sprinter van.

I’ve already gone through the frustration of finding out about the virtual business issue. We got ours through Ipostal. The option we chose with Ipostal is the more expensive option where we have a physical location with staff, but it’s not our staff. It’s called Pak N Ship. Inside of this business is our mailbox. I realize at this point this will be an issue. We also registered our business with this Ipostal address. So I assume when we do the verification for SAB, they will require a picture of our business registration, which will show this virtual office address.

Would it be best to change our address on our LLC from the virtual office to the apartment address before trying to get verified?

Is it possible to leave our address on the LLC as a virtual office address, and then during verification use the apartment address? Or do those two addresses have to match?

Since we are moving company, we don’t have a storefront. So can we use our truck as the office? Or during video verification do we need to walk into the apartment and show the computer desk where we do business at, show them our website etc?

Also, is it imperative that if we show them the computer inside of the apartment that we open up a CRM software during the video?

i’ll stop there for now as I’m sure more questions will arise as the conversation starts. Again, thank you for all your professional help.

Hello, everyone, I need a professional to help me verify my Google my business.

I recently changed the address in Google maps but didn't change my address everywhere else before. Ever since I can't get my business verified.

I work from home since I'm a web developer, even did the video verification but no luck.

What am I to do here?

I recently just noticed someone left a fake review on my business page & when I clicked on the profile I don't recognize the name, so I clicked on their reviews and to my surprise its two other businesses that I'm actually friends with outside of work but does anyone know how I can find out who this person is, Im willing to pay at this point because I have never had a real bad review besides one & It ended up her committing insurance fraud & Theft of services as well as Defamation. I'm just trying to figure out if this is a competitor or what this is even over. I take my business very seriously & any help I would greatly appreciate it & don't care to pay for help. Please & Thank you!

I have a new business as an acupuncture physician/integrative medicine. Google is taking away nearly every single review I have had. I had 18 and only 4 remain. I got a canned response email. I don't know how or if it is possible to speak with anyone. I can't find a number or get a person to respond. It seems criminal. These were all legit reviews, and some were beautiful testimonies from patients, some who I treated previously before I moved. They even removed the review of the clinic owner where I run my practice who I treated and she stated that in the review. Any help? As a new, small biz owner, every review means so much. I see other people with hundreds of reviews. i feel targeted somehow. I am just confused. There are no red flags or violations that I see. Any help or insight is greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone

I'm new to GBP management and am getting started with my first clients.

What'd you say takes the most time to manage or deal with in GBP management ?

Thanks a lot

This will come in handy when replies dox the reviewer

We purchased and are rebranding and converting over 30 restaurants into a new concept. We want to start fresh with reviews, photos, etc as this is a new brand but at the same address.

GMB is getting confused when we are choosing to permanently close the old brand while we convert and reopen as the new brand.

It wants to just change the name of the current profile since the addresses are the same, which is keeping all the old photos, reviews, etc… We want to avoid this hassle 30+ times over the next 2 years. Help.

Hey guys!

So i want to make a software and for that i need to get approval for the gbp api

And for that i need to be atleast a manager of a verified and atleast 60 days old business

How do i even find one who would be giving me manager access?! ;-;

(Also this is my first time using reddit so please be friendly / not harsh )

Seen many profiles. Google is auto updating keywords stuff or other profiles with some random names. Also edits get rejected

Example

Original - Barber Shop

Stuff Keywords - Mr Jacob | Barber Shop In California | Best Hair Specialist

Google Renamed - Mr Jacob Barber Shop

Has anyone seen this. I had seen on many profile

Google Business Profile Suspended – Need Help With Specialist Escalation

Hi everyone, I’m looking for help from someone experienced with Google Business Profile reinstatements or a Google Product Expert.

My legitimate business profile was suspended:

Business: Famous Psychic Reader Indian Astrologer & Spiritual Healer

Profile ID: 9754025153450383272

Case ID: 5-5250000041700

I submitted my first appeal, but it was denied. I then gave temporary Manager access to a person who helped with reinstatement. That person submitted the additional appeal, but is no longer helping me. They removed their access and threatened me.

I have all my legitimate business documents and am willing to provide them directly to Google, including business registration and other supporting documents.

I am now unable to understand how to get my case reviewed by the appropriate specialist team.

Can anyone experienced with Google Business Profile suspensions please advise me on how to request a manual specialist review/escalation or connect me with a legitimate Google Product Expert?

I am not looking to pay anyone to “guarantee” reinstatement. I just need guidance on the correct Google process.

Thank you.

Hi folks my business has two adresses very close to each other. Literally same street but one is number 8 and other is number 25.

How can I manage this on google my business? The second adress was added recently. I don’t want to start for scratch on that one can I put them under the same account?

​

One local SEO thing I’ve been paying more attention to lately is how businesses set up their Google Business Profile categories and services.

A lot of businesses seem to treat the primary category as the only thing that really matters. They choose one category, maybe add one secondary category, and move on. Then when you look at their actual services, there might be 15 or 20 things they offer, but only a few of them are listed on the profile.

I think that’s a missed opportunity.

If a business genuinely offers multiple services, I want the GBP to make that clear. Not by stuffing every possible keyword into it, but by properly representing what the business actually does.

For example, a plumber might have “Plumber” as the primary category, but they may also genuinely offer drainage services, water heater work, bathroom remodeling, gas installation, and other related services. Those services should have a logical place in the profile instead of being buried somewhere on a generic website page.

The same thing applies when I’m looking at the website. If the GBP says one thing and the website says something completely different, I start wondering which version Google is supposed to trust.

One of the simplest checks I’ve started doing in local SEO audits is this: I compare the GBP categories and services directly against the website structure.

If they don’t line up, I usually know there’s a relevance problem before I even start looking at backlinks or blog content.

Sometimes the boring stuff is where the biggest problems are.

In the last week, we got 2 fake POSITIVE reviews on our google business page, i know they are not from our clients and the user history is from out of state and out of the country.
What is the scam here? I hope it is just fake users trying to create history but I am worried it is a competitor doing something shady.

Has Google stoppped screening Locksmith listings? In my local area over 10 fake shopfronts have been listed over the past week. Reporting the listings gets knocked back even after supplying photos of apartment buildings and vacant shopfronts that the businesses are listed at.

Melbourne, Australia for reference.