Google rarely tells you exactly what works. They keep their algorithms secret, change them constantly, and leave businesses guessing.
Not this time. Their latest small business newsletter basically drew a roadmap to better local rankings.
The message was clear: keep your Google Business Profile active and updated. Do that consistently, and Google will show you to more potential clients.
This isn’t a theory. It’s straight from Google’s guidance to small businesses.
What Google Actually Said
The newsletter didn’t hide behind vague language. It spelled out three specific actions that improve your ranking.
Post regularly. Keep your information current. Add photos and videos consistently.
The Three Core Signals
Google watches how businesses maintain their profiles. Active profiles rank higher than stale ones.
Think about it from their perspective. They’re trying to connect searchers with businesses that are open, engaged, and actually care about new customers.
A profile that hasn’t been touched in six months sends a clear signal. Either the business is barely surviving, or they don’t care about online presence.
Google isn’t going to promote that to people searching right now. They want to show businesses that are clearly operational and responsive.
Why This Matters Now
Google is shifting how they evaluate local businesses. Old signals like keyword stuffing and exact business name matches matter less.
Fresh, active profiles matter more. Google wants to see that you’re engaged with your digital presence.
This is actually good news for busy salon owners. You don’t need to become an SEO expert or hire an expensive agency.
You just need to show up consistently. Update your profile, post content, and keep your information accurate.
Post Consistently (Or Watch Your Ranking Drop)
Google specifically mentioned regular posting. Not once in a while. Not when you remember. Regularly.
Posts show Google your business is active. Each post is a signal that you’re open, operating, and worth showing to searchers.
What Counts as “Consistent”
Weekly posts are ideal. Twice a week is even better if you can manage it.
The content doesn’t need to be Shakespeare. A simple update works fine.
“New hours starting next week.” “20% off color services this Thursday.” “Meet our newest stylist, Sarah.”
These are all valid posts. They show activity and give potential clients a reason to visit.
Even a quick “Happy Monday, we’re here 9-6 today” counts. It proves your business is open and engaged.
What to Post About
Share your specials and promotions. Announce new services or stylists joining your team.
Highlight seasonal offerings. Post about your hours during the holidays.
Show before-and-after photos of great color work. Talk about trends you’re seeing clients request.
The content matters less than the consistency. Google wants to see regular activity, not perfect marketing copy.
Most salons post nothing for months, then remember their profile exists. That pattern doesn’t work.
Google rewards the salon that posts every week, even if the content is simple. Activity beats perfection.
Keep Your Profile Information Current
Outdated information kills your ranking. Google checks your profile against other sources to verify accuracy.
When your hours, services, or policies conflict across platforms, Google loses confidence. Lower confidence means lower rankings.
The Details That Matter Most
Your hours need to be accurate. Not close, not “usually right,” but exact.
List your actual services with accurate names. If you offer balayage, don’t just list “hair coloring.”
Update your phone number if it changes. Make sure your address matches what you use everywhere else.
Add your website URL. Spell out your policies on cancellations, deposits, or consultations.
These details build Google’s confidence in your data. High confidence equals better visibility.
How Often to Audit Your Profile
Check your profile monthly at a minimum. Weekly is better if you’re actively working on your ranking.
Set a recurring calendar reminder. Make it part of someone’s routine responsibility.
Look for any information that changed since the last time. Update it immediately, not “when you get around to it.”
Changed your Tuesday hours? Update it now. Added a new service? Add it today.
The longer you wait, the more ranking opportunities you lose. Every day with outdated information costs you visibility.
Photos and Videos Drive Visibility
Google specifically called out visual content. They want to see recent photos and videos on your profile.
This makes sense from their perspective. Current photos prove you’re active and give searchers confidence in what they’ll find.
What Visual Content Works
Take photos of your salon space. Show your styling stations, color bar, and waiting area.
Capture your work. Before-and-after photos of great color transformations work beautifully.
Introduce your team. A simple photo of each stylist makes your business feel real and approachable.
Videos don’t need production value. A 15-second clip of someone getting a blowout works perfectly.
Show your products, your process, or your space. The goal is authenticity, not perfection.
The Freshness Factor
Old photos hurt more than they help. Google wants recent content, not your grand opening from 2018.
Add new photos weekly if possible, monthly at a minimum.
This isn’t about quantity alone. It’s about showing continuous activity and keeping your profile current.
A salon with photos from last week looks active. One with photos from last year looks abandoned.
Even if your space hasn’t changed, find new angles or details to photograph. Activity matters.
How Salons Can Actually Do This
Google’s guidance sounds simple. Post regularly, keep information current, and add photos consistently.
But if you’re busy running a salon, when exactly are you supposed to do all this? That’s the real question.
The Reality Check
Most salon owners are great at hair. They’re not social media managers or content creators.
You’re booking clients, managing inventory, training staff, and actually doing hair. When does profile management fit in?
The honest answer: it doesn’t fit naturally. You have to make it a system, not a memory.
If profile updates rely on remembering to do them, they won’t happen consistently. You need a different approach.
Making It Manageable
Assign it to someone specific. Make it part of their role with clear expectations.
Maybe your front desk person updates the profile every Monday morning. Ten minutes, every week, without fail.
Or you do it yourself every Sunday evening. Set a recurring alarm and treat it like any other business task.
Batch your content. Take twenty photos in one session, then post them one per week.
Write five post ideas in ten minutes, then schedule them throughout the month. You don’t need to create content daily.
The key is removing the “when I remember” variable. Build it into your weekly routine as a non-negotiable task.
The Competitive Advantage Nobody’s Taking
Here’s what makes this so powerful: most salons won’t do it. They’ll read this, nod in agreement, and change nothing.
Your competitors will keep their profiles stale. They’ll post once every three months and wonder why their ranking dropped.
That creates an enormous opportunity. Consistent profile management isn’t complicated; it’s just consistent.
If you commit to weekly posts, monthly profile audits, and regular photos, you’ll outrank salons with better locations and bigger budgets. Google said exactly what they want to see.
Most businesses will ignore it. Don’t be like most businesses.
Curious how Salon Afton went from 154 reviews to 988 while completely dominating their local search area? Their profile management system became one piece of a comprehensive digital presence strategy that generated 1,000%+ ROI. If you want to see what’s possible when you actually implement these strategies consistently, we’d be happy to walk you through their complete approach.
