Google Business Profile: Why Local Visibility Still Requires Human Strategy?
- Lucas Raganhan
- Feb 6
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
AI helps, but it doesn’t replace judgment, local context, and professional management.
Many people believe that Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) “runs itself.” Others assume AI will handle everything, including local visibility.
That’s when phrases like these appear:
“Just create the profile.”
“Google will do the rest.”
“AI will optimize it automatically.”
Spoiler: it won’t.
In this Sirène Lab article, we’ll explain:
Why Google Business Profile remains a critical local asset worldwide,
Which criteria does Google actually use for local rankings,
Where AI supports the process, and where it cannot replace specialists,
Why leaving your profile unattended costs visibility, trust, and sales.
What Google Business Profile really is today?
Google Business Profile is not just a listing.
It is:
A direct local SEO ranking factor
A decision point for potential customers
A trust signal
A reflection of the real operation of a business
According to Google itself, well-managed profiles significantly increase the likelihood of contact, visits, and conversions.
The criteria Google uses for local rankings:
Google is explicit about this.
How well the business profile matches the user’s search intent.
Relevance
O quão bem o perfil corresponde à busca do usuário.
Distance
How close the business is to the searcher’s location.
Prominence
How well-known, trusted, and active the business is.
These criteria apply globally, whether you’re in Brazil, Canada, the United States, the UK, Australia, or Europe.
Important! Prominence includes:
Reviews and ratings,
Update frequency,
Information consistency,
Online reputation,
Presence outside Google (website, citations, links).
Where the specialist fits in (and why it matters):
Creating a profile is easy. Structuring it properly is not.
Anyone can:
Create a profile
Fill in basic fields
Upload random photos
But a local SEO and strategic marketing specialist knows how to:
Define correct primary and secondary categories
Write descriptions aligned with real search intent
Work images with context and brand strategy
Configure services, products, and attributes
Avoid penalties and inconsistencies
According to Google Business Profile guidelines, inconsistent or misleading information harms visibility and trust.
The common mistake: “AI will take care of it later”.
Here comes the necessary provocation:
AI can:
Suggest copy,
Automate responses,
Help organize information.
But AI does not understand:
The real operational reality of a business,
Local culture (which varies widely by country),
Human expectations,
Tone, context, and sensitivity.
Believing AI can manage your brand’s emotional reputation is like asking a robot to handle human relationships.
Where AI strengthens and where it weakens strategic local marketing:
This works exactly like a catfish profile on a dating app.
The profile looks perfect:
Beautiful photos
Polished description
But when the customer arrives:
Business hours don’t match,
Services don’t align,
Expectations were artificially created.
The result isn’t just frustration. It’s negative reviews, and those directly affect local rankings.
Google confirms that reviews influence both prominence and consumer decisions worldwide.
Reviews: why they’re not “just stars”.
Reviews are signals of algorithmic and human trust.
According to Think with Google:
Users trust businesses with recent reviews,
Owner responses increase perceived care,
Transparency impacts decision-making.
Here’s the strategic balance:
The specialist structures,
The business manages daily interactions,
That combination is what works.
Why is it especially critical in local markets:
Across countries:
Local search is highly competitive,
Users rely heavily on reviews,
Small differences define who appears in the Top 3 local results.
In markets like Brazil, Mexico, India, and Southern Europe, trust signals are even more decisive.
In markets like Canada, the US, and the UK, consistency and responsiveness heavily influence visibility.
According to SEMrush data, searches with local intent show significantly higher conversion rates, especially for services.
The human role in Local SEO.
In strategic marketing, Google Business Profile requires:
Decision-making
Consistency
Context
Humanization
AI supports.
Specialists guide.
Businesses see results.
Google Business Profile is not a listing. It’s a strategy.
Managing Google Business Profile is:
Not a secondary task,
Not purely operational,
Not something to “set and forget.”
It’s a strategy for local visibility, trust, and growth.
AI does not replace:
Judgment,
Sensitivity,
Experience,
Human strategy.
And in local marketing, that makes all the difference.
Curious about how we help businesses manage Google Business Profile strategically?
Explore real case studies from clients who treat local visibility as a growth asset.
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