Unclaimed

Unclaimed #2: Google Connected GBP to Analytics. Here's What It Means for UK Accounting Firms

Imagine you're back in school.

You've been coasting. Not doing the reading. Not handing in homework. But it's fine because no one's checking. There's no grade. No report card. No parent-teacher conference.

Then one day, the teacher announces: starting next week, every student gets a public grade. Posted on the wall. Updated every month. Forever.

That's what Google just did to your Business Profile.

Let me explain it simply.

Right now, when someone searches for your firm on Google, they see your Business Profile. That's the panel on the right side of the screen with your name, address, phone number, reviews, photos — everything.

Some people call you from that panel. Some click "directions" and drive to your office. Some click through to your website. Some book appointments.

Until now, you had no idea how many. Those numbers existed inside Google, but you couldn't see them. It was like a shop where customers walk in, browse, and leave — and you never get a sales report.

Google just announced that's changing.

In a few weeks, you'll be able to connect your Business Profile to Google Analytics. It's the same Analytics you might already use to track your website traffic. Once connected, a new section appears. It shows you exactly:

All of it. Right there. Next to your website stats. One dashboard. Complete picture.

The good scenario

Imagine your profile has 40 reviews. Photos of your team. A description that actually says what you do. Services listed clearly. Posts every few weeks showing you're alive.

When that dashboard goes live, the numbers will look good. Calls coming in. Direction requests from new prospects. Website clicks from people checking you out. Hard proof that the work you put into your profile actually delivers clients.

You can show it to partners. "Look — our Google profile generated 30 calls this month. That's 30 people who might have called a competitor if our profile was empty."

The bad scenario

Now imagine your profile is empty.

One review from three years ago. No photos. No description. No services. No posts. The digital equivalent of an abandoned shop with dust on the windows.

When that dashboard goes live, the numbers will be embarrassingly low.

Two calls. Maybe three. A handful of website clicks. Zero bookings.

And here's the cruel part: those numbers won't just be low once. They'll be low every month. The dashboard updates continuously. January: pathetic. February: pathetic. March: still pathetic. A permanent, growing record of how many prospects you're losing.

You won't be able to unsee it. Neither will anyone else with access to your Analytics.

What I see

I've looked at over 200 accounting firms in the last two weeks.

Most of them have profiles that would fail this report card. One review. Zero photos. No description. Services missing. Credentials invisible. These are good firms — 27 years in business, 50 staff, global network memberships, forensic accounting specialisms. The kind of firms you'd trust with your life savings.

But their Google profiles tell a completely different story. And soon, there'll be a dashboard that proves exactly how much that gap is costing them.

What to do before the dashboard goes live

This isn't complicated. It just needs someone to actually do it.

Step 1: Look at your profile

Go to Google. Search your firm name. Look at the panel on the right. What do you actually see? Reviews? Photos? A description? Or mostly empty space?

Be honest with yourself. This is what prospects see.

Step 2: Claim it if it's not yours

If the panel says "Claim this business" or "Own this business?" — you don't control your own profile. Someone else could claim it. You can't update it. You can't respond to reviews.

This is step zero. Everything else waits until you own it.

Step 3: Fill in the blanks

Your website already has everything you need. A description of your firm? It's on your About page. Your services? They're listed on your Services page. Photos? You have team photos, office photos, event photos. Just upload them to Google.

This isn't creative work. It's copy-paste work.

Step 4: Talk to the people who already talked about you

Look at your reviews. If someone left a five-star review and you never said thank you — say thank you now. It takes thirty seconds per review.

"Thanks Sarah, we really appreciate your kind words. It's been a pleasure working with you."

That's it. That's the whole thing.

Step 5: Ask for new reviews

You have clients who've been with you for ten, fifteen, twenty years. They'd do anything for you. Ask five of them to leave a review. Most will say yes. Most are waiting to be asked.

That's the entire fix

Two to three hours. Maybe spread across a few days while you wait for Google to verify your ownership.

Everything you need already exists. The description, the photos, the happy clients — they're all real. They're all yours. You just haven't put them on Google yet.

But the dashboard is coming. The report card is being printed. And soon, you'll see exactly how many calls, bookings, and direction requests your profile generates.

Make sure the number reflects who you actually are.

Unclaimed is written by the founder of VindMyBusiness. I help accounting and bookkeeping firms fix their Google Business Profiles.

Trying to find your business on Google? Want to know what's unclaimed on your profile? Free scorecard at vindmybusiness.com/scorecard.