Your Google Business Profile Is Your Most Underused PR Tool

A friend of mine was spending a few thousand dollars a month on Google ads and couldn’t figure out why the phone wasn’t ringing. So I pulled out my phone and Googled him the way a customer would. His hours were wrong. His photos were three years old. And a one-star review he’d never even seen was sitting right at the top — with no response. Meanwhile, his competitor’s profile was wide awake, and that’s the one AI served up first. He was paying to send people to a storefront with the lights off. In this episode I walk through the single most underused (and completely free) PR tool you already own — your Google Business Profile — and the five simple moves that turn a dead profile into a working one. Plus two bonus habits I’m experimenting with myself that almost nobody talks about. This episode is part of the Publicist in Your Pocket podcast by PR Shield — the show that gives business owners, founders, and creators the PR moves they couldn’t afford to hire. 🔗 Get the free GBP Optimization Checklist, expanded show notes, and tools inside the PR Shield community. 📋 Topics covered: The friend who was paying for ads while his profile sat dark Why reputations now have to be managed, not just earned The silo between PR and SEO is dead The 5 free moves that wake up your Google Business Profile Why reviews are the most visible part of your PR strategy Two bonus habits: your own daily map directions, and becoming a prolific reviewer The 15-minute tonight plan ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 — The friend paying for ads with the lights off 1:30 — Your most underused PR tool 2:15 — Move 1 & 2: claim it, complete it, feed it photos 3:30 — Move 3: treat reviews like the storefront they are 4:15 — Move 4 & 5: Posts, Q&A, and who else is reading 5:15 — The free checklist 5:45 — Two bonus moves most people won’t tell you 7:15 — Your one action step 7:45 — The manifesto Free resource mentioned in this episode: The GBP Optimization Checklist — free inside the PR Shield community. About Cyndee Harrison Cyndee Harrison is an award-winning publicist and the founder of PR Shield® and Synaptic, a Michigan-based reputation studio. Her work is built around a clear belief: credibility is currency — and no founder, creator, or small business owner should have to defend a reputation they earned alone. Through PR Shield, Cyndee helps business leaders get more visibility with less vulnerability, offering a collaborative community, affordable technology tools, and access to dedicated professional publicists. Get started at prshield.com or tune into the Publicist in Your Pocket podcast wherever you listen. 🌐 prshield.com | publicistinmypocket.com 📱 Connect with us: Instagram: @getprshield TikTok: @prshield LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cyndeeharrison