If you’re a local business, your Google Business Profile is probably more important than your website. That’s why paying a company $500 a month to manage it seems like a smart investment.
But it’s not.
These companies are ripping you off.
To be clear, I’m not talking about all local SEO agencies. A good SEO agency is worth far more than $500 a month. I run one. I’m talking about a specific type of agency that only manages your Google Business Profile. The problem is simple: there’s only so much you can do on the profile itself to improve rankings. Most of what actually moves the needle happens off the profile entirely.
What Actually Impacts Your Google Business Profile Rankings
Four factors matter a lot for local rankings. Everything else makes a tiny difference.
Location (Proximity)
You rank better near where you verified the business. This is the biggest factor you can’t control. If your competitor is closer to the searcher, they’ll probably rank higher.
Business Title
This should be your legal business name. If you can get common search terms into your title legitimately, you’ll rank higher for those terms. Don’t stuff keywords or make up a fake name. Google will catch you.
Primary Category
Choose the most accurate primary category for your business. According to local SEO experts, this is the number one GBP-specific ranking factor. Additional categories matter, but your primary category matters most.
Review Frequency
Total reviews matter, but frequency matters more. Google wants to see you getting reviews consistently month after month. One review per month works for home remodeling. A restaurant should aim for multiple reviews daily. The sustained influx matters more than a single burst of 50 reviews.
Why Your Competitor Ranks Higher Despite Fewer Reviews
If your competitor has fewer reviews but outranks you anyway, it’s almost always an off-profile factor.
Better Link Profile
Their website probably has better backlinks. According to Phil Rozek, “the overall quality of the link profile is the most common reason one business outranks another.” If their website gets linked from local news sites, industry associations, or community organizations, they earn extra credibility that your GBP alone can’t match.
Established Brand
A longer track record helps. If they’ve been online for years, Google has built up data on them. Click patterns, returning visitors, organic traffic. Newer businesses need time to build that trust, even with more reviews.
Better Business Name or Categories
If their name or chosen categories include keywords people search for, that boosts their relevance. Sometimes they’re keyword-stuffing (which is against Google’s rules). Sometimes they legitimately have a descriptive business name.
Higher Click-Through Rates
If their listing attracts more clicks from search results because of their photos, review stars, or description, Google may interpret that as a better result and rank them higher.
The fix isn’t to pay someone $500/month to post on your GBP. The fix is to strengthen your off-page signals. Get good local backlinks. Improve your website’s local SEO. Maintain steady review acquisition. Make sure your business information and categories are fully optimized.
What GBP-Only Management Actually Includes
Most GBP management services do the same basic tasks:
- Post weekly updates
- Upload photos
- Respond to reviews
- Update business information
- Answer Q&A questions
These tasks matter. But after your profile is fully optimized, you only need to budget an hour or two per month for GBP upkeep. Not a full-time retainer.
What Full Local SEO Actually Includes
A comprehensive local SEO campaign goes far beyond your GBP:
Local Citations
Your name, address, and phone number should appear accurately on other directories. Yelp, industry sites, Chamber of Commerce. Fixing inconsistencies builds trust and local authority.
Local Link Building
Backlinks from local news sites, community organizations, and local blogs signal prominence to Google. This is what actually moves the needle for most businesses.
Website SEO
Your website needs location and service keywords in title tags, headings, and content. It needs to be fast and mobile-friendly. A competitor with a stronger website will often outrank you regardless of your GBP.
Brand Building
More people searching for your business by name, clicking through to your website, and engaging with your content all signal to Google that you’re a prominent business worth ranking.
GBP optimization is necessary. It’s your digital storefront on Google. But after it’s set up correctly, most ranking improvements come from off-profile work.
Do Google Posts Impact Rankings?
No. Controlled tests show that weekly Google Posts have no measurable impact on local pack position.
Posts are a communication tool. They keep your profile fresh and inform customers about news or deals. They may help with conversions and click-through rate. But they don’t help you rank higher in Google Maps.
Do keep posting. An active profile looks better to potential customers. Just don’t expect posts to move you up in rankings.
What GBP Management Should Actually Cost
Because the workload for GBP maintenance is small, the monthly cost should also be modest.
Basic GBP plans typically start around $125-$129/month and go up to about $400 for more intensive services. Some experts argue that after initial optimization, a competent setup and simple scheduling tool can handle updates for as little as $99/month.
Many agencies charge $400-$500+ per month for little more than basic posts and review replies. That’s a large markup on a few hours of work. That money is better spent on local link building or website SEO.
If you’re paying for GBP management, look for packages that include real strategic work. Integration with your website content. Link building. Citation management. Not just the menu of GBP profile tasks.
Essential Monthly GBP Tasks (That You Can Do Yourself)
After your profile is fully optimized, only a few ongoing tasks matter:
Add Fresh Photos Weekly
Businesses with more photos get more engagement. New photos signal an active business to Google.
Publish Weekly Posts
One new post per week keeps your profile fresh. It won’t boost ranking, but it keeps customers informed and can improve clicks.
Solicit and Respond to Reviews
Ask customers for reviews constantly. Use emailed links or QR codes. When reviews come in, respond promptly. This shows Google your business is active.
Monitor Q&A
Check if customers have asked questions on your profile and answer them.
Update Information Monthly
Verify your hours, services, and categories are correct. Google sometimes adds new relevant categories. Even small edits refresh your listing.
Review Analytics
Check GBP Insights monthly to spot trends. If you see fewer views or wrong keywords, adjust your description or posts.
Even though these tasks are simple, doing them consistently helps maintain engagement. But you only need an hour or two per month. Not $500 worth of management fees.
How to Report Competitors Who Cheat
If a competitor stuffs keywords in their business name or uses fake locations, you can report them.
Suggest an Edit
Go to their profile on Google Maps and click “Suggest an edit.” Submit the correct information. This flags the issue for Google’s review.
Business Redressal Complaint Form
For serious violations, use Google’s official Business Redressal Complaint Form. Provide the competitor’s GBP link and explain the violation with evidence. Google treats this like a legal complaint. It’s more likely to lead to action than a simple edit.
The more factual evidence you provide, the better. Don’t expect instant fixes, but persistent reports can get Google to correct or suspend spammy listings.
What You Should Actually Pay For
Most businesses don’t need ongoing GBP management. What you need is:
One-Time Complete Optimization
A thorough setup that optimizes your title, categories, description, hours, services, photos, and business information. This is worth paying for once.
Minimal Monthly Maintenance
$100-150/month for automated review requests, weekly posts, and photo uploads if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Comprehensive Local SEO
If you want to actually improve your rankings, invest in full local SEO services that include website optimization, link building, citation management, and content creation. This is what actually moves the needle. Our AI SEO plans at TJ Digital start at $1,600/month and include everything needed to rank in both traditional search engines and AI platforms like ChatGPT.
The bottom line: paying $500+/month just for “managing Google posts and reviews” is unjustified. That money is better spent on things that have a bigger impact on your rankings and lead generation.
Ready to Stop Wasting Money on GBP-Only Services?
Most local businesses need a complete digital marketing strategy, not just someone to post updates to your Google Business Profile.
At TJ Digital, we focus on what actually works: comprehensive local SEO that includes your website, backlinks, citations, and yes, proper GBP optimization. We believe in complete transparency about what you’re paying for and what results you can expect.
If you’re tired of agencies charging premium prices for minimal work, let’s talk. We’ll give you an honest assessment of what your business actually needs to rank higher and get more customers.