Most business owners know they have a Google Business Profile. Fewer know what it’s actually doing — or not doing — on their behalf every day.
Border 2 Border’s resident SEO expert, Patrick Rombyer of On Par Media Solutions, showed our group why that gap is impossible to ignore, in his presentation this week. In it he provided a current, detailed roadmap based on what Google’s algorithm prioritizes right now — to maximize business authenticity, product/service clarity, and searching user satisfaction.
The numbers here tell an important story:
Nearly half of all Google searches carry local intent. The vast majority of local searchers visit a business within 24 hours. Managed profiles earn consumer trust at nearly three times the rate of unmanaged ones. And a fully optimized profile can deliver a 41% increase in calls and clicks over five months compared to one left on autopilot. This isn’t a nice-to-have channel — it’s often the first and most consequential impression your business makes to strangers who are in a buying mode already.
Patrick walked through the full lifecycle of a well-managed profile: setup and verification, optimization fundamentals, photo strategy, posting cadence, and review management. Reviews aren’t just social proof — they’re an active ranking signal, accounting for a meaningful share of local Map Pack positioning. Freshness matters too: a review under 30 days old carries full algorithmic weight, while one over 180 days has decayed to a fraction of its value. There’s a right time to ask, a right channel to use, and a right way to respond — to both praise and criticism. Patrick covered it all.
The broader point worth sitting with: fields like SEO move fast, and the professionals who stay current aren’t just more knowledgeable — they’re measurably more valuable. What worked two years ago may be actively hurting you today. Best practices in 2026 are specific, technical, and not obvious without professional help.
That’s precisely what Patrick brings to the table.
If your Google Business Profile hasn’t been touched recently — or has never been properly set up — Patrick Rombyer at On Par Media Solutions is exactly who you want in your corner. Reach out and find out where you stand.
And if you’re not yet part of Border2Border Business Connections, this is the kind of expertise you’d be glad to have access to every week. Come visit a meeting — we’d love to have you join us.
