I just released a video breaking down a real search for "AC Repair in Bonita Springs FL" and what I found proves something most business owners get wrong: reviews alone don't drive rankings.
The companies that win are the ones that are aligned correctly and getting fresh engagements. It's that simple.
The Freshness Factor Most People Miss
Let's talk about reviews. When you get a review, what is it really? It's two things:
- A positive engagement signal
- A freshness signal (when did it happen?)
Here's where it gets interesting. A company with 7,000 reviews sounds unbeatable, right? Wrong. If their last review was 6 months ago, they're vulnerable. A competitor with only 100 reviews who just got 5 new ones last week can easily outrank them.
Google rewards recency. Fresh activity beats historical volume every time.
Why Your Website and GBP Must Be Aligned
In this video, I show exactly what happens when your website isn't aligned with your Google Business Profile. If your H2 and H3 tags don't match the services listed on your GBP, you're not going to rank well. Period.
This is the foundation everyone skips—and it's costing them.
Misalignment Is Costing You Money Right Now
Let's say you're running paid ads for "HVAC Repair" but that service isn't listed on your website or your GBP. What happens?
Your trust score tanks.
And when your trust score is low, what do Google, Facebook, and Instagram do? They charge you more for ads. Why? Because they don't trust that your business actually provides what you're advertising. You're paying a penalty for having a broken foundation.
Fix the Foundation First—Everything Else Gets Easier
Here's what most people don't understand: if you don't fix your foundation, all of the other SEO work you do will be harder and more expensive.
But once you fix it? Everything changes:
- Rankings go higher
- You're found for more keywords and services
- Your trust score increases
- Ad costs go down
And if you're using engagement tools like Advanced Automation, Sheets Automation, or even working the rank tool manually—it all performs significantly better when built on a solid foundation.
Foundation first. Then engagement. That's the order.
What Google Actually Cares About
Google measures engagement freshness across multiple signals:
- When was your last review?
- When was your last post?
- When was an image last viewed?
- When did someone request driving directions?
- When did someone click through to your website?
And it's not just about when—it's about the quality. Was that engagement positive or negative?
Here's the key insight that changes everything: Google cares more about your engagement than your content—unless your content isn't aligned.
Misaligned content breaks the whole system. Get your foundation right, and your engagement signals actually work for you instead of being wasted.
