There are No Second Chances at First Impressions: Making the Most Out of Your Google Profile

When your potential customers search your name online, what do they find? Are you putting your best foot forward on Google and maximizing your brand’s first impression? In this talk, we will be looking at all the ways you can shape and influence how your brand appears on Google. From initially claiming your profile to continual maintenance and updates, you’ll learn exactly what to do to keep your profile updated and ranking for local and “near me” searches.

Whether you have a single location or are a multi, location business, you will receive practical tips on how to evaluate your Google profile, website, and online mentions, as well as actionable insights on how to stand out from your competition.

Transcript

1. OCTOBER 22-24, 2025 LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Sponsored by: There are No Second Chances at First Impressions: Making the Most Out of Your Google Profile Presenter Name: Brandon Schmidt
2. Sponsored by: OCTOBER 22-24, 2025 LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER LAS VEGAS, NEVADA There are No Second Chances at First Impressions: Making the Most Out of Your Google Profile Presenter Name: Brandon Schmidt 2
3. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 3
4. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 4
5. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 5
6. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 6
7. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! How does Google choose which profile to show? 7
8. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 8 3 Pillars of Local SEO 1. Proximity a. How close are you to the searcher? 2. Relevance a. Do you match the search? 3. Prominence a. What is your reputation?
9. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 5 Tips for Improving Your Google Profile 9
10. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 10 Claim Your Google Listing Tip #1
11. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 11 Claim Listing > Gain Access to Business
12. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 12 Claim Listing > Verification
13. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 13 Claim Listing > Verification
14. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 14 Claim Listing > Video Verification
15. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 15 Get Tips for Successful Video Verifications Claim Listing > Video Verification
16. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 16 Claim Listing > Suspension
17. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 17 Claim Listing > Merge Duplicates
18. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 18 Got Multiple Locations or Markets?
19. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 19 Claim Listing > Multiple Listings
20. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 20 Optimize Your Listing Tip #2
21. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 21 What updates actually matter
22. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 22 Before After
23. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 23 Update Listing > Primary Category
24. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 24 Update Listing > Primary Category
25. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 25 Primary Category - Pool Store
26. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 26 Primary Category - Deck Builder
27. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 27 Primary Category - Pool Installer
28. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 28 Update Listing > Choose Your Name
29. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 29 Update Listing > Add Photos
30. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 30 Update Listing > Add Photos
31. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 31 Update Listing > Update Landing Page
32. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 32 Your hours can impact how you rank throughout the day Update Listing > Check Hours
33. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 33 Learn About Google’s Openness Update Update Listing > Check Hours
34. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 34 Get Consistent Reviews Tip #3
35. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! How many reviews do I need? 35
36. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! How many reviews do I need? It Depends 36
37. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 37 Reviews > Minimum of 10 Reviews
38. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 38 Reviews > More than Competitors
39. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 39 Reviews > Fresh Reviews
40. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 40 Reviews > Ask for Reviews
41. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 41 Reviews with photos stay in the top 10 longer than those without Reviews > Ask for Reviews with Photos
42. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 42 Reviews > Ask for Reviews with Photos
43. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! Can you pay for reviews? 43
44. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 44 Reviews > Paying for Reviews
45. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 45 Reviews > Paying for Reviews
46. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 46 Reviews > Paying for Reviews
47. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 47 Reviews > Review Problem
48. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 48 Employees can’t leave reviews, but they can ask for them. And you can incentivize them. Reviews > Employees Ask for Reviews
49. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 49 Reviews > Respond to Reviews
50. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 50 Reviews > Deal with Negativity
51. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 51 Reviews > Deal with Negativity
52. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 52 Reviews > Deal with Negativity
53. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 53 Reviews > Act on Reviews
54. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 54 Reviews > Deal with Junk Reviews
55. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 55 1. Employees (past or current) 2. Competitors 3. Mistaken Identity 4. Abusive, Hateful 5. Political 6. Off-Topic Reasons to Remove Review
56. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 56 Track Competitors Tip #4
57. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 57 Track Competitors > Keep Up Reviews
58. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 58 Track Competitors > Keep Up Reviews
59. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 59 Track Competitors > Learn from Bad Reviews
60. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 60 Track Competitors > Set Up Reports
61. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 61 Track Competitors > Report Spam
62. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 62 Measure Results Tip #5
63. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 63 URL / ?utm_source=google &utm_medium=organic &utm_campaign=gmb Measure Results > Use UTM for Tracking
64. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 64 Measure Results > Use Unique Phone Number
65. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 65 Measure Results > Conversions over Traffic
66. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 66 90% of traffic 10% of leads Measure Results > Conversions over Traffic
67. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 67 Measure Results > Track Conversions & Leads
68. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! 68 1. Claim Your Google Listing 2. Optimize Your Listing 3. Get Consistent Reviews 4. Track Competitors 5. Measure Results Recap
69. Deck Expo 2025 | Las Vegas Rate this session at the end! Thank You! 69 Brandon Schmidt Local SEO Analyst Sterling Sky brandon@sterlingsky.ca Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn