Your GBP Looks Ghosted. Here’s How to Fix It.

If your Google Business Profile hasn’t been updated since your cousin’s wedding, Google thinks you’re dead.

And if Google thinks you’re dead, so do your customers.

Let’s Call This What It Is: Digital Ghosting

You’re not doing it on purpose. You’ve got a biz to run. Employees to wrangle. Inventory to stock. But to the online world, silence looks like shutdown.

That’s why an outdated GBP is one of the sneakiest revenue leaks most small biz owners don’t even know they have.

Think about it. We obsess over Instagram, email lists, maybe even TikTok. But the profile that shows up first when someone Googles you? Crickets.

And when customers see crickets, they assume tumbleweeds.

Why Updates Matter (Like, A Lot)

Google uses activity signals to determine which businesses to show first. That includes:

• Recent photo uploads
• Frequent review responses
• New posts or updates
• Accurate info changes

If your listing hasn’t changed in months, it gets pushed down. Simple as that.

A Moz study ranked GBP signals as the #1 local ranking factor.

You read that right: #1. Above website content. Above links. Above reviews.

Why? Because your GBP is Google’s own playground. When you update it, you're feeding the algorithm exactly what it wants: proof you're active, reliable, and responsive.

Translation: Active Profiles Get Chosen

The good news? You don’t have to post daily.

Even 1 update a month can tell Google, “Hey, we’re still alive over here.”

Even better? Customers notice too.

Regular activity doesn’t just keep you in Google's good graces - it builds confidence with your audience.

A current photo or update makes people think:

• "They're still open."
• "They look busy."
• "They care about the details."

And people buy from businesses that feel trustworthy.

Brain Bonk: Customers assume dead listings = dead businesses.

Even if they love you. Even if they’ve been before. If your profile looks abandoned, it triggers doubt.

And people don’t buy when they’re unsure.

Not updating is like leaving a handwritten "Back in 5" sign on your storefront - with no return time and no explanation.

The Micro-Action That Makes a Massive Difference

Try this:

1. Open your Google Maps app
2. Search for your biz
3. Tap "Add Update"
4. Write one line:
   • “We’re open all weekend for last-minute gifts!”
   • “New summer menu just launched.”
   • “Closed Tuesday for repairs - back at it Wednesday!”

Boom. You’re back on the radar.

It doesn’t have to be deep. It just has to be current.

Bonus: Set a Monthly Reminder

Make it part of your routine. Like cleaning out your inbox or posting on Instagram. Set a calendar reminder for the first of the month: "Update Google Biz Profile."

It’ll take less time than reheating your coffee.

Here's what Wash & Squash did

Wash & Squash. a laundromat + vegan cafe in the city of Pamlandia* hadn’t updated in a year. When they realized they could get more customers in the door with a couple of quick changes to their Google Business Profile, they added:

• A post about their new lunch menu
• A photo of the sandwich board
• One response to a review that was 7 months old

Within 10 days, foot traffic went up by 27%.** Because the neighborhood saw proof-of-life and responded.

That’s not luck. That’s visibility.

Still Not Convinced?

Here are 3 sneaky things your ghosted profile is saying to customers:

1. "We might be closed."
2. "We don’t keep up with the basics."
3. "No one's really watching this listing, so don't expect good service."

No one will say these things out loud. But they will think them.

You Deserve to Be Seen

You work hard. Your services are solid. Your reviews are glowing. But none of that matters if you’re buried under six other listings because your profile is gathering dust.

Let’s change that.

Want to Resurrect Your Listing Without Lifting a Finger?

Come to Talk To Me Tuesday. We’ll revive your profile together, right there on your phone.

You’ll leave knowing what to post, when to post, and why it matters, without becoming a marketing zombie.

Plus, I’ll show you what your profile looks like to real customers.
Not to marketers. Not to robots. Real Humans.

Let’s un-haunt your visibility. And let the people know: you’re still here. And you’re still awesome.

Your next customer might be Googling your biz right now. What do they see?

If the answer makes you cringe - come find me on Tuesday and we'll fix it together. Every week I post my upcoming Tuesday location on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

I can't wait to meet you and help give your Google Business Profile the attention it deserves!