Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: This Can't Be That Hard
Host: Annemie Tonken
Guest: Lydia Fine
Episode: 338 – Get Found First on Google with Lydia Fine
Date: October 14, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode tackles a crucial but often overlooked element of online marketing for photographers: optimizing your Google Business Profile—especially as Google search now elevates “AI Overviews” above traditional SEO results. Annemie welcomes back marketing strategist and photographer Lydia Fine, who breaks down how Google Business Profiles, reviews, and new AI features can help you leapfrog established competitors and rank at the very top of search results, even as a relatively new or part-time photographer. The episode provides step-by-step, actionable advice and addresses common questions and misconceptions.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The New Google Search Landscape & AI Overviews

(Starts ~06:14)

• Shift from Traditional SEO to AI Overviews

  • Google has made “AI Overviews” the default search experience, displaying AI-generated summary boxes before traditional search engine result pages (SERP).
  • “We’ve all been working so hard to get to the top of the SERP and now there’s this new thing that’s above the SERP and… the rules to get there are slightly different.” (Lydia, 06:39)

• What Are AI Overviews?

  • When users search for local services (e.g., “family photographer near me”), Google's AI pulls and displays info about local businesses in a summarized infobox, often before any website listings.
  • These summaries include business details and paraphrased snippets from reviews.
  • Example: Lydia describes searching for her area, seeing herself listed, and how the summary includes specific attributes from client feedback.
    “Google went on to say, however, some photographers that are commonly mentioned as great family photographers in North Liberty include… [me].” (Lydia, 08:37)

• Signals Google Uses for Listings

  • Distance: How close your business is to the searcher.
  • Relevance: How well your listings match the searched terms.
  • Prominence: “How trustworthy and well-known your business is on the web according to a couple of different factors including, you know, your website SEO… number and quality of reviews... backlinks... consistency.” (Lydia, 09:56)

2. The Strategic Power of Google Business Profiles

(Starts ~11:27)

• Google Business Profile as Your Business’s "Front Door"

  • Unlike websites, a Google Business Profile lets you communicate directly with Google in its own language, reducing guesswork for the algorithm.
  • “If you could speak Google to Google, why wouldn’t you? And that is what your Google Business Profile does.” (Lydia, 17:31)

• How to Set Up and Verify

  • Claim an existing or create a new Google Business Profile ([instructions at 17:46–19:48]).
  • Verification may involve postal mail (code) or video proof (e.g., utility bill, insurance doc).

• NAP Consistency

  • Name, Address, Phone (NAP):
    • Keep business name, address, and phone number consistent on all web directories (Google, Yelp, Nextdoor, your website, etc.).
    • “Make sure your website matches it too.” (Lydia, 19:48)
  • Use a Google Voice number for privacy and accessibility.

3. Best Practices for Optimizing Your Profile

(19:49 onward; detailed at 22:41)

• Descriptions and Brand Voice

  • Use the description space wisely: Who you are, what you do, where you work, and your unique selling proposition.
  • “If you have a kind of spiel that you commonly use, put it in that description.” (Lydia, 23:23)

• Uploading and Managing Photos

  • Keep images fresh and consistent with your website portfolio.
  • No practical limit—add, update, and curate regularly to reflect your current style.
  • “Google loves that… to see that you’re an engaged, active business.” (Lydia, 23:36)

• Reviews as Social Proof

  • Reviews are heavily weighted: both in the AI Overviews and for general trust.

  • Feedback “paraphrased in the AI summary” frequently comes straight from Google reviews.

  • Diversify reviews across platforms (primary: Google, secondary: Yelp, The Knot, etc.)

  • Evergreen Quote:

    "The breakdown paragraph that talked about my business, pulled quotes, not quotes, paraphrased my reviews to tell people, hey, this is what Apollo and Ivy photography is really good at."
    — Lydia Fine, 26:06

• Ongoing Review Strategy

  • Google wants continuous review activity (not one big push).
  • Automated reminders/requests can help; don’t spam all clients at once as that can get your page suspended or reviews hidden.
    “If it sees a barrage of reviews all at once, it could suspend your profile, it could hide those reviews... and your clients think, well, I left a review... but you can’t [see it].” (Lydia, 31:55)

• Review Replication (Advanced Tip)

  • After a Google review, later invite the client to repost it on Yelp (or another platform), making it easy by pre-populating their previous review text.

• Automation & Organization

  • Use Zapier to channel new reviews into Airtable, categorize them with AI, and easily pull targeted testimonials for your website, using automation to save time and improve marketing outreach.

4. Myth-busting: Can New Photographers Compete?

(Starts ~27:39)

• It’s Not All About Seniority

  • Lydia confirms that getting to the top of the “Local Pack” (the map+list view) and AI Overview doesn’t require years-old domains.

  • Fresh, active, comprehensive, and consistent Google Business Profile entries often outperform older, neglected listings.

  • Key Quote:

    "You do not have to have the longevity in order to show up at the top of the Local Pack... It’s all about the effort that you put into your Google Business Profile."
    — Lydia Fine, 29:35

  • Annemie notes that even established pros are often neglecting new optimization features, giving "hungry" upstarts an edge.

5. Advanced Profile Tactics: Services & Monitoring

(Starts ~34:55)

• Services Section

  • Go through Google’s list and check every relevant service (newborn photography, baby photography, senior portraits, etc.)
  • Add succinct descriptions—these act as direct signals for search matching, even capturing audience queries using varied vocabulary.
  • Monitor regularly: Google may auto-add or public users may suggest incorrect changes (e.g., changing/removing your business type or name).

• Quote on Vigilance:

  "You might suddenly log into your Google business profile and see that you’ve been added as a wedding photographer. But you don’t do weddings, so take it off. You also need to be checking your profile regularly because people can suggest changes."
  — Lydia Fine, 36:47

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On AI as a Game Changer:
  “Now there's this new thing that's above the SERP and now the rules to get there are, are slightly different… we kind of have to do a little bit of a pivot.”
  — Lydia, 06:39

• On Reviews in AI Overviews:
  "The breakdown paragraph... paraphrased my reviews to tell people, hey, this is what [my business] is really good at."
  — Lydia, 26:06

• On Leveling the Playing Field:
  "You do not have to have the longevity in order to show up at the top of the Local Pack... It's all about the effort that you put into your Google business profile."
  — Lydia, 29:35

• On NAP Consistency:
  “Google loves name, address and phone number consistency... These are all pieces that will contribute to your nap consistency. So you need to make sure that they are all the same.”
  — Lydia, 18:46

• Fun Anecdote:
  Teenagers hijacking high school Google profiles, prompting vigilance! (36:47)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:21] Guest (Lydia Fine) introduction & background
• [06:14] What has changed: AI Overviews vs. traditional SEO
• [09:56] The 3 pillars: Distance, Relevance, Prominence
• [17:31] Google Business Profile as ‘speaking Google to Google’
• [22:41] How to build trust & authority in your Google Profile
• [25:38] The role and strategic use of Google reviews
• [29:35] Why newer photographers can outrank established competitors
• [34:55] Advanced: Completing the Services section; profile hygiene and vigilance

Practical Takeaways (Recap)

• Always create, claim, and keep your Google Business Profile updated
• NAP consistency is critical across all web presences
• Photo galleries should be current, curated, and consistent with your style
• Regular, rolling Google reviews are a must—don’t batch-request and risk losing them
• Take advantage of all profile features: descriptions, services, updates, promotions
• Check your profile often for unsolicited changes—Google may alter or public users may incorrectly suggest edits

Resources & Follow-Up

• Lydia Fine offers a free guide to getting high-quality Google reviews (link in show notes)
• Connect with Lydia:
  • Website: apolloandivy.com
  • Instagram (for photographers’ tips): @lydiafine_forphotographers
  • Instagram (business): @lydiaapolloandivy

Final Thoughts

This conversation is packed with actionable, often-overlooked strategies for rising to the top of local Google results and leveraging new AI-driven features—even for those with less seniority or resources. Annemie and Lydia’s advice empowers photographers to take control of their discoverability in a shifting digital landscape—“another thing” on the business to-do list, but one with game-changing potential.