Ep 314. Set Up Your Google Business ASAP!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Side Hustle Squad – Ep 314: Set Up Your Google Business ASAP!

Host: Mike Garvey
Date: March 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Side Hustle Squad, hosted by Mike Garvey, focuses on a crucial yet often overlooked tool for lawn care business owners: setting up and optimizing your Google Business Profile. Mike, who is in the process of launching a new branch of his own business, shares real-world experience and insights on why this digital storefront is essential for attracting local customers, building trust, and differentiating your side hustle—especially before the busy spring season hits.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Google Business Profile Is Non-Negotiable

• Digital Front Door:
  Mike emphasizes, "If you don't have one of these yet in 2026, it's hard to see you don't really exist. It is your digital front door. Every business needs a Google Business Profile." (01:38)
• Customer Decision-Making:
  Most customers will search for your business online before calling. The profile displays important info—reviews, photos, phone number, website, and directions—that helps potential clients decide to contact you.
• Building Trust Pre-Contact:
  "It really is your 24/7 reception. It is providing people with more information and it builds trust before you ever even speak to those people." (02:58)

2. What a Google Business Profile Does for You

• Map Pack Visibility:
  When someone Google searches, "lawn fertilization near me," those with robust, active profiles show up in the maps listing (the “Map Pack”), with trust signals like quality reviews and recent photos front-and-center.
• Impressions & Red Flags:
  No reviews, no photos, or out-of-date info? Major red flag. "If you have no reviews, if you have no photos, if you have no updates, if you have no responses. Those are red flags. You probably won't even get a phone call from that." (03:33)

3. Practical Steps to Optimize Your Profile

• First Moves for a New Branch/Business:
  • Form your LLC
  • Set up your Google Business Profile
• What to Check and Update:
  Mike’s recommended checklist (06:13):
  • Business Name: Is it correct?
  • Phone Number: Is it accurate and working?
  • Website Link: Is it correct?
  • Service Areas: Is your coverage accurate?
  • Business Description & Services Listed: Up to date? Include all you offer.
  • Photos: Mike urges, "Get 20 photos and get them up there." (04:05)
    • Trucks, equipment, lawns, staff—make it real and obvious.
  • Logo & Cover Photo: Professional and recognizable.
  • Videos: Increasingly important for engagement.
  • Messaging: Is it enabled? Where do inquiries go?
  • Hours: Are they listed and accurate?
  • Post Updates: Promotions, new services, reminders.
• Frequency:
  "Treat it like a credibility engine... something that needs to be updated monthly, weekly, however, whatever your cadence wants to be. It is a sales tool." (08:14)

4. The Power of Reviews

• Automate the Ask:
  Mike shares his process: "When a customer gets a job completed by us, we click complete. They get a text saying, please, if you love what we're doing, please leave a five star rating and review." (03:54)
• Goal-Setting:
  • 170 reviews currently; goal is 200+ by July 1.
  • If you’re starting out: "If you have five customers, get a review from each of those five customers. You can text them right now, send them the link and say, please fill this out. It would really help me. Boom, you have five reviews. Five is better than none." (07:37)
• Impact on Trust & Ranking:
  "Reviews impact ranking. Reviews impact trust. Get as many reviews as you can." (07:24)

5. Common Mistakes

• Set and Forget:
  Biggest misstep is setting up your profile and never touching it again. "Some people set this up, they never touch it again, never think about it again. Instead, I think treat it like a credibility engine..." (08:09)
• Not Asking for Reviews:
  Most businesses are inconsistent in review requests. Build it into your workflow.

6. Spring Cleanup Challenge

• Mike issues a challenge to listeners (his “homework” too):
  • Clean up and update your Google Business Profile before the spring rush.
  • Add fresh photos, get new reviews, check all business info for accuracy.

"If someone Google's your business tonight, what do they see? And if the answer is not much, then set up a Google business profile or update it. That's your homework. And I'm going to do it myself too, because I'm doing it with you."
— Mike Garvey (09:17)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On digital presence:
  "It is your digital storefront. So when someone searches lawn fertilization near me... this is where decisions are being made on whether they're going to pull the trigger and call you or visit your website." (02:10)
• On review collection:
  "Reviews drive everything." (03:42)
• On proactive profile management:
  "Treat [your Google Business Profile] like a credibility engine, right? That it's something that needs to be updated monthly, weekly." (08:16)
• Final motivational push:
  "This is time sensitive. This should be done before the spring rush. It's not hard. We got snow on the ground still, we can be doing these things and optimizing, setting up our Google business profiles and really making them look great." (09:51)

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Important Timestamps

• [01:38] – Why Google Business Profile is essential
• [03:33] – Red flags: what drives customers away
• [03:54] – Mike’s process for getting reviews
• [06:13] – Step-by-step Google Business Profile optimization checklist
• [07:24] – The impact of reviews
• [08:09] – Most common mistakes
• [09:17] – The “spring cleanup” and homework for listeners
• [09:51] – Final practical advice and encouragement

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Action Items for Listeners

• Audit and update your Google Business Profile now.
• Add at least 20 new photos.
• Actively request reviews from every customer.
• Treat your profile as a living sales tool—not set-and-forget.
• Complete this before the spring rush hits!

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This episode delivers practical, straightforward steps with real-life anecdotes and encouragement from a host who’s hustling right alongside his listeners. If you haven’t touched your online presence in a while, now’s the time to act!

Transcript

[Mike Garvey]

Are you ready to kick back and get inspired? Grab your favorite drink, pop the top and join the side Hustle Squad with Mike Garvey. This podcast is the perfect resource for anyone who's already started their side Hustle or is just considering taking the lead. With in depth interviews featuring guests from the green industry and beyond, you'll gain valuable insights and learn what it takes to succeed in running a business while juggling a full time career. From personal stories to practical tips, the Soc side Hustle Squad podcast has everything you need to turn your passion into a thriving business. Now, here's your side Hustle Squad host, Mike Garvey.

Hey, what's going on guys? It's your host Mike Garvey with the Side Hustle Squad podcast coming at you from the Brandon Bull Studio here during Ponix at Pod House. We are creating all the content here at Pod House and getting a lot of stuff done. But I wanted to do a short episode because it's got me thinking about how we're starting a new branch and what are we starting with, what are some of the things we're getting going? And number one was obviously form the LLC for that branch. And then one of the next things I did really is start the Google Business Profile. Because if you don't have one of these yet in 2026, it's hard to see you don't really exist. It is your digital front door. Every business needs a Google Business Profile. So if someone hears about your business today, let's talk about that. If someone hears about your business today and Google's your name, what are they going to see? What are they going to find? Are they going to find a Google Business Profile? Are they going to see a couple little links linking you to Facebook or this little podcast you did on something or can't really find your website, your name, your number, a way to contact you, your website. Because the, you know, the Google Business Profile, it is the hub. Most people think website is most important. Most people think Instagram. Some people think Facebook. I don't need any of that. I have Facebook. I don't need any of that. I have Instagram. Well, Google Business Profile again, it is your digital storefront. So when someone searches lawn fertilization near me, Lawn fertilization, Palms River, Lawn fertilization, Hunterdon County, Warren County. It's going to show the map, right? It's going to show you the reviews, the call button, the directions, the website, the photos. This is where decisions are being made on whether they're going to pull the trigger. And call you or visit your website and fill out that job or request form. It really is your 247 reception. It is providing people with more information and it builds trust before you ever even speak to those people. Because they see your reviews from others. They look at your photos, they see how many stars you have, they see how recently you posted, they see how you respond to customers. They see your service area. If you have no reviews, if you have no photos, if you have no updates, if you have no responses. Those are red flags. You probably won't even get a phone call from that. One of the very first things we did was get that back eight years ago for our Tom's river shop. And now with launching this new branch, we know that these reviews drive everything. When a customer gets a job completed by us, we click complete. They get a text saying, please, if you love what we're doing, please leave a five star rating and review. Today we have 170 reviews, which is good. I wanted over 200 by July 1st. Okay. So that you need to go out and get 10 reviews. If you have none, let's start building it. You need to start posting photos, updating photos, taking photos. Get 20 photos and get them up there. Let's take a quick break. We'll come right back.

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[Mike Garvey]

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[Mike Garvey]

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Side Hustle Squad sent you.

Hey, guys.

[Adam Fullerton]

Adam Fullerton here with Branded Bull as a proud sponsor of the Side Hustle Squad podcast. We're all about helping lawn care and landscaping businesses make their mark and stand out from the competition. Visit [e-mail] to learn more about our professional branding website and graphic design services and how we can help your business look awesome and grow all right.

[Mike Garvey]

And we're back talking about Google Business Profile for getting leads. This way, it's organic. Okay. It's reviews are building you a optimized Google Business Profile again. That's going to rank in the top places, that's going to show up in local keywords. It sends direct, you know, people directly to you. So before you spend thousands of dollars on Facebook ads and Instagram ads and Google Ads, let's like spend two hours cleaning up our Google business profile. So I think this is a good thing for spring. A little spring cleanup for our business pages and I'm going to do it myself for Tom's River. Let's do some things. Let's check the business name. Let's make sure the phone number is working. Let's check the website link. Let's update our service areas. Let's update the business description. Do we have the proper services listed? Fertilization, aeration, mosquito control. Have we updated? We need to update more photos. Logo and cover photo. Video is big now in Google Business profiles. Is your messaging turned on? Where is that messaging going? Give your hours listed. So if you have no photos or at least 20, let's go take some tomorrow of something of equipment, of trucks. So they can look to seeing your truck online to. Then they see the truck on the road and say, wow, that guy. I've seen that somewhere else. Some of your most beautifully cut lawns. So again, reviews impact ranking, Reviews impact trust. Get as many reviews as you can. If you have five customers, get a review from each of those five customers. You can text them right now, send them the link and say, please fill this out. It would really help me. Boom, you have five reviews. Five is better than none. Then you get another customer, you get six, another one, you get seven. Most of the companies we don't ask consistently, but I'm, I shared with you how I ask. It's automatically done through Jobber once I complete the visit. And you better believe I have 10 accounts in the new branch. I need all 10 of those people to leave reviews because, you know, and other things too. You can post on, on, on, on, on these on Google, right? You can post updates, post photos, post promotions, post your new services, seasonal reminders. Google sees this. They see activity as legitimacy that helps with your ranking. We worked out all the new service areas for the new branch. I'm going to be updating that, tying it to my main website with another landing page for just that branch and start building that out. There's some mistakes too. Some people set this up they never touch it again, never think about it again. Instead, I think treat it like a credibility engine, right? That it's something that needs to be updated monthly, weekly. However, whatever your cadence wants to be, it is a sales tool. It is the hub of where people make decisions to pull the trigger. I have to say I ask in Google or I ask on my job request from how you found me, I have to say 8 out of 10 times, it's Google. If someone Google's your business tonight, Ask yourself, if someone Google's your business tonight, what do they say? And if the answer is not much, then set up a Google business profile or update it. That's your homework. And I'm going to do it myself too, because I'm doing it with you. With the new branch and I'm set. I didn't just set it up and leave it. I'm gonna get photos up on it. I'm gonna get five reviews in the next 30 days. I'm gonna add 25 photos this month. I'm gonna get it going. I encourage you to do that as well. This is time sensitive. This is. This should be done before the spring rush. It's not hard. We got snow on the ground. Still, we can be doing these things and optimizing, setting up our Google business profiles and really making them look great. I encourage you to do the same. I will be doing the same for the new branch and I hope this was helpful to you guys. We'll catch you on the next one.

Thanks for tuning in to the side Hustle Squad podcast with Mike Garvey. We hope you enjoyed this episode and gained valuable insights to help you succeed in your Side Hustle journey. Connect with Mike using the links in the podcast description. If you love the show, please leave us a well worded five star review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback and support help us grow and continue to provide you with the best content. And don't forget to follow the show to be notified when the next edition of the Side Hustle Squad podcast is available. We have many exciting guests and topics lined up so you won't want to miss a single episode. Thanks again for listening and we'll catch you next time on the side Hustle Squad podcast.

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