Treating Google Maps as a one-time setup

The single most common mistake I see across Metro Detroit businesses is setting up a Google Business Profile once and never returning to it. The address is there, the phone number is there, maybe a couple of photos were uploaded at launch. Then nothing for months or years.

Google interprets this inactivity as a signal. An abandoned profile looks like a business that may no longer be operating, may have moved, or simply doesn’t care enough to stay current. Google’s job is to recommend trustworthy, active businesses to searchers, and a profile that hasn’t been touched since last year doesn’t inspire that confidence.

Meanwhile, the competitor down the road who posts every week, uploads fresh photos regularly, and responds to every review is sending consistent signals that their business is alive, active, and worth recommending.

Using a vague or keyword-free business description

Most business descriptions I audit fall into one of two categories: completely blank, or a generic paragraph that could apply to any business in any city in the country. “We provide quality service with a focus on customer satisfaction” tells Google absolutely nothing useful about who you are, what you do, or where you do it.

Your business description is one of the few places in your GBP where you can use natural language to give Google rich, specific context. Google reads that description when deciding which searches your listing is relevant for. A Troy HVAC company whose description mentions furnace repair, air conditioning installation, and service areas including Troy, Sterling Heights, and Warren is giving Google clear, specific signals. One whose description says “We’re a local HVAC company committed to excellence” is giving Google almost nothing.

Ignoring the services section entirely

The services section of a Google Business Profile is where you list every specific service your business offers, each with its own name and optional description. It’s one of the highest-leverage, most underused features in the entire platform, and the majority of businesses I audit in Metro Detroit have either left it blank or added only one or two vague entries.

Every service you add is a keyword signal. When someone in Ferndale searches “custom wedding photography,” Google checks whether businesses in the area have listed that as a service. If you offer it but haven’t listed it, you’re not in the running for that search. Your competitor who spent twenty minutes populating their services section will show up instead, even if you’re the better photographer.

This matters especially for businesses that offer multiple distinct services. A med spa that lists only “Facials” when they also offer Botox, laser treatments, and body contouring is invisible for searches targeting those other services. Every unlisted service is a category of searches you’ve opted out of without realizing it.

Not responding to reviews, especially negative ones

Responses to reviews are one of the most visible activity signals on your entire Google Business Profile, visible to both Google and to every potential customer who reads your listing before deciding whether to call you. Despite this, the majority of profiles I audit have either zero responses or sporadic ones that stop months ago.

For Google, review responses signal that your business is monitored and engaged. A profile where the owner responds to every review consistently looks fundamentally different in the algorithm than one where reviews pile up unanswered. The first signals a healthy, active business. The second raises questions.

For potential customers, how you handle a negative review is often more persuasive than the review itself. A calm, professional response that acknowledges a concern and offers to make it right demonstrates character. An angry rebuttal, a dismissive reply, or no response at all each tell their own story. In a competitive market like Metro Detroit, that story matters.

Inconsistent business information across the web

Your business name, address, and phone number (collectively called NAP) need to be identical everywhere they appear online. Not similar. Not close. Identical. Google cross-references your GBP information against what it finds in Yelp, the BBB, your website, local directories, and dozens of other sources. Inconsistencies create confusion and erode the trust signals that help you rank.

This is a more common problem than most business owners realize. A suite number formatted one way in one directory and another way somewhere else. A phone number with dashes in one place and without them in another. An old address that was never updated after a move. An abbreviation in one listing and the full word in another. Each of these looks minor in isolation, but together they tell Google that your business information isn’t reliable, which makes Google less confident about recommending you.