Unclaimed

Unclaimed #21: How to Update Your Google Business Profile — The Complete AI-Era Guide for Accounting Firms

On June 26, 2026, Google officially announced that Gemini now connects directly to Google Business Profiles.

You can now type "@Google Business Profile read my reviews from the past 90 days and summarize the top themes" directly into Gemini — and it will. You can ask it to analyze customer sentiment, update your hours, or generate marketing suggestions. All powered by whatever data exists on your profile.

The day before, Google accidentally revealed an AI messaging agent inside GBP — a feature that will answer prospect questions directly, in your firm's name, 24/7.

Your Google Business Profile is no longer just what prospects see when they search for you. It is now the data source that powers how AI represents your firm — in search results, in Gemini conversations, in AI-generated answers to prospects, and soon in direct messages handled by Google's AI agent.

If your profile is incomplete, outdated, or wrong, AI will confidently misrepresent your firm at scale.

This is the definitive guide to updating your Google Business Profile for the AI era. Every field. Every setting. Why it matters. How to fix it. How long it takes. Built specifically for accounting and bookkeeping firms from 300+ real audits.

📺 Video version now available: How to Update Your Google Business Profile for AI — The Complete Guide — step-by-step walkthrough.

Why this matters now

Two things happened this week that changed what your Google Business Profile does.

First: Google officially announced Gemini connectivity. You can now connect your Business Profile directly to Gemini and ask it to analyze reviews, summarize customer feedback, update business information, and generate marketing content — all based on your profile data. This is live now for single-location businesses globally.

Second: Google accidentally pushed a GBP messaging feature live that included an AI agent section labeled "Handled by your AI agent." It was pulled within hours, but the direction is unmistakable. Google is building AI agents that will answer prospect questions directly from your Business Profile — in your firm's name, 24/7, without human review.

Your Google Business Profile has always been important. It's the panel that appears when someone searches your firm name. It shows on Google Maps. It's seen 5x more than your website.

But until now, it was mostly passive. A prospect looked at it, made a decision, and either called you or didn't.

Now your profile is active. AI reads it. AI analyzes it. AI summarizes it. AI will soon answer questions from it. Every empty field is information the AI doesn't have. Every outdated detail is misinformation the AI will confidently repeat.

This guide covers everything you need to update — in priority order, with exact steps, based on what 300+ accounting firm audits reveal about what's actually missing.

What 300+ accounting firm audits reveal

Before we get to the fixes, here's the reality. I've personally audited over 300 accounting and bookkeeping firms' Google Business Profiles. Here's what I find:

Profile Element % Missing or Incomplete
Claimed and verified ~40% unclaimed
Business description ~75% empty
Services listed ~85% empty
Review responses ~80% never replied to a single review
Photos uploaded ~70% have fewer than 5 photos
Google Posts published ~95% have never posted
Q&A seeded ~98% empty
Brand name consistent (multi-office) ~35% have 3-4 different naming conventions

These are not small firms. Many have decades of history, hundreds of staff, multiple offices, global network memberships, and specialist credentials. Their websites are professional. Their reputations are excellent. Their Google profiles show none of it.

And now AI will read those empty profiles and draw conclusions.

The priority-ordered update checklist

Google's help page lists everything alphabetically. That's useful as a reference. It's useless as an action plan.

Here is the order that actually matters — ranked by what will have the biggest impact on how AI represents your firm, based on what 300+ audits reveal is most commonly missing.

1. Claim and verify your profile (Step Zero)

What it is: Ownership of your Business Profile. Without it, you cannot edit anything below.

Why AI needs it: If your profile is unclaimed, you cannot update any information. The AI will pull from whatever exists — accurate or not — and you cannot correct it. An unclaimed profile also cannot respond to reviews, which means negative feedback sits unanswered indefinitely. AI sentiment analysis will see only neglect.

How to check: Search your firm name on Google. If the profile panel says "Claim this business" or "Own this business?", you don't control it.

How to fix it: Google offers five verification methods: phone, SMS, email, video recording, and postcard. Video verification requires recording your business location, signage, and proof of authority. Postcard verification mails a code to your business address. Most accounting firms use postcard — it takes 5-14 days.

Time required: 10 minutes to initiate. 5-14 days for postcard verification to arrive. 2 minutes to enter the code.

Common mistake: The profile was claimed years ago by someone who left the firm. Their personal Gmail controls your business listing. You cannot access it. If this is your situation, Google's ownership reclamation process takes 3-7 days and requires proving your association with the firm.

→ Full guide: How to claim and verify your Google Business Profile

2. Write your business description (The AI's Primary Data Source)

What it is: A 750-character description of your firm that appears in the "From the business" section of your profile.

Why AI needs it: This is likely the single most important field for AI accuracy. When Gemini analyzes your profile, the description tells it who you are, what you do, who you serve, and what makes you different. When the AI messaging agent answers prospect questions, the description provides the core context for its responses. Leave it blank, and the AI has no authoritative description of your firm. It will guess. Guesses in your brand's voice are dangerous.

What to include:

What to avoid:

Example for a multi-office firm:

"We're a Top 100 UK accounting and advisory firm with 7 offices across the South of England. Since 1995, we've provided audit, tax, payroll, bookkeeping, and business advisory to SMEs, contractors, and growing businesses. Xero Platinum Partner. ACCA Approved Employer. Specialist expertise in R&D tax relief, forensic accounting, and cross-border transactions. Partner-led. Fixed fees. Unlimited advice included."

Example for a single-office firm:

"Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors based in Belfast since 1920. We provide audit and assurance, taxation, corporate finance, and business advisory to private, public, and voluntary sector clients across Northern Ireland. Independent member of Baker Tilly International — a global network across 147 territories. ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certified."

Time required: 20-30 minutes. Most of what you need is already on your website's About page. Adapt it. Don't write from scratch.

Common mistake: Leaving it blank. ~75% of accounting firms I audit have an empty description field. 750 characters available. Zero used. This is the most visible text on your profile and now the primary data source for AI. Fill it.

3. List every service you offer (AI Won't Know Otherwise)

What it is: A list of services you provide, selected from Google's predefined categories. Each service can have a description. You can also add custom services.

Why AI needs it: If services aren't listed, AI won't know you offer them. A prospect asks Gemini "find me an accountant who handles R&D tax relief." Gemini checks profiles. If your services section is empty, you don't appear — even if R&D tax relief is your specialty. A prospect messages your AI agent "do you handle cross-border transactions?" The AI checks your listed services. Nothing there. It says no — even though you've handled hundreds.

How to fix it:

  1. Go to your Business Profile
  2. Select "Edit profile" → "Services"
  3. Google will suggest services based on your category — select everything relevant
  4. Add custom services for anything Google doesn't suggest
  5. Write a brief description for each service (optional but recommended — gives AI more context)

Services to list for accounting firms:

Time required: 10-15 minutes. Tick boxes and add descriptions. The list of what you offer already exists in your head and on your website.

Common mistake: ~85% of firms I audit have an empty services section. Google lets you list everything you do. It's free. It takes minutes. AI needs this data.

4. Respond to every review — positive and negative (AI Analyzes Sentiment)

What it is: Owner responses to customer reviews on your profile.

Why AI needs it: Gemini can now analyze review sentiment and summarize themes. "Read my reviews from the past 90 days and summarize the top themes of what went well and where we can improve." If you've never replied to a review, the AI sees a profile with client feedback and zero engagement from the business. That's a signal — and not a good one. If negative reviews sit unanswered for years, AI sentiment analysis will flag unresolved complaints. The AI messaging agent may even reference those complaints when answering prospect questions.

How to fix it:

  1. Open your profile
  2. Go to "Reviews"
  3. Start with the most recent reviews and work backwards
  4. For positive reviews: thank the client by name, reference something specific they said, reinforce your positioning
  5. For negative reviews: acknowledge the feedback, apologize where appropriate, explain what happened (without being defensive), offer to resolve it offline

Example positive review response:

"Thank you, Sarah. We're delighted to hear that our tax team was able to identify those R&D relief opportunities — it's an area where specialist knowledge makes a real difference to the claim. We'll make sure Michael sees your kind words."

Example negative review response:

"Thank you for your feedback, James. We're sorry to hear your experience didn't match the standard we aim for. We've reviewed your file and would like to discuss this with you directly. Please contact our client services team at [email] and we'll make this right."

Time required: 30 seconds per review. If you have 50 reviews, budget an hour. Do the most recent 10-15 first.

Common mistake: ~80% of firms I audit have never replied to a single review. Silence reads as indifference to both prospects and AI.

→ Full guide: The Accounting Firm's Guide to Google Reviews

5. Upload real, current photos (AI Uses Visual Context)

What it is: Photos of your office, team, and work that appear on your profile.

Why AI needs it: Google's own data says businesses with photos get 42% more direction requests and 35% more website clicks. For AI specifically: photos provide visual context. An AI agent answering "what does your office look like?" or "is there parking?" can reference your photos. A profile with zero photos gives AI nothing to work with. Stock photography signals inauthenticity to both humans and AI.

What to upload:

Specifications: Minimum 400x300 pixels. Maximum 10MB for photos, 100MB for videos. PNG or JPG format.

Time required: 15 minutes. You already have these photos. They're on someone's phone, on your website, or in your marketing folder. Upload them.

Common mistake: ~70% of firms I audit have fewer than 5 photos. Some have zero — just the Google Street View image. Upload at least 10: exterior, interior (3-4), team (3-4), logo, cover.

6. Verify hours, address, phone, and website (Basic Accuracy)

What it is: Your core business information — when you're open, where you are, how to reach you, and where prospects can learn more.

Why AI needs it: If your hours are wrong, the AI agent will tell prospects the wrong hours. If your address is outdated, the AI will give wrong directions. If your phone number is incorrect, the AI will share the wrong number. If your website URL is broken or missing, the AI can't direct prospects to learn more. These are basic fields with basic consequences — but wrong information at this level destroys trust instantly.

How to fix it:

  1. Go to "Edit profile"
  2. Check: Hours (main hours + special hours for holidays), Address, Phone number, Website URL
  3. For multi-office firms: verify every location independently. Hours may differ. Phone numbers differ. Websites may differ per office.
  4. Add your website URL with "https://" — this is required

Time required: 5 minutes for a single office. 20-30 minutes for multi-office.

Common mistake: Hours that were accurate pre-COVID and never updated. Address that shows the old office before the move. Phone number that goes to a former partner's desk.

7. Seed and answer Q&A (AI Answers Prospects)

What it is: A Questions & Answers section on your profile where prospects can ask questions and the business can answer them.

Why AI needs it: The AI messaging agent will effectively replace or supplement Q&A — answering prospect questions directly. If your Q&A section is empty, the AI has no examples of how you answer real client questions. If competitors or random users have asked questions that sit unanswered, that's visible to prospects and analyzable by AI. Seed the Q&A with real questions you get asked regularly, and answer them yourself before anyone else does.

How to fix it:

  1. Go to your profile
  2. Find the "Questions & Answers" section
  3. Add 5-10 common questions and answer them yourself:
    • "What industries do you specialise in?"
    • "Do you offer fixed-fee packages?"
    • "What's the process for switching accountants?"
    • "Do you handle international tax?"
    • "What cloud accounting software do you support?"
  4. Check if anyone else has asked questions — answer them immediately

Time required: 15-20 minutes. Write the questions you actually get asked. Answer them as you would to a real prospect.

Common mistake: ~98% of firms I audit have an empty Q&A section. This is the most overlooked feature on GBP — and the one most directly connected to the AI messaging agent that's coming.

8. Publish Google Posts weekly (Freshness Signals)

What it is: Short updates that appear on your profile — like social media posts, but on Google. They expire after 6 months.

Why AI needs it: Profiles that post regularly get 5x more views (Google's own data). For AI specifically: Posts provide current, fresh content that tells AI your business is active. A profile with zero posts looks dormant. A profile with weekly posts looks engaged. The AI agent will have more material to draw from when answering questions about recent firm news, regulatory updates, or current services.

How to fix it: Publish one post this week. Then one per week. Four types work best for accounting firms: deadline reminders, regulatory updates, practical tips, and firm news.

Time required: 5 minutes per post. One per week.

Common mistake: ~95% of firms I audit have never published a single post. Start this week. A profile that posts weekly is in the top 2% of accounting firms on Google.

→ Full guide: The Accounting Firm's Guide to Google Posts

9. Set your primary and secondary categories (Discovery)

What it is: Categories that tell Google what your business is. Primary category is the main one. You can add up to 9 secondary categories.

Why AI needs it: Categories determine whether you appear in search results for what you actually do. If your primary category is "Accountant" but you also do bookkeeping, tax, and payroll, those secondary categories tell Google — and AI — that you offer those services. Wrong category = invisible for the searches that matter. The AI agent also uses categories to understand your business scope.

How to fix it:

  1. Go to "Edit profile" → "Category"
  2. Set your primary category (usually "Accountant" or "Accounting firm")
  3. Add secondary categories: "Tax preparation service," "Bookkeeping service," "Payroll service," "Business management consultant," "Financial consultant"
  4. Be specific. "Accountant" is better than "Accounting." "Tax preparation service" is better than "Tax."

Time required: 5 minutes.

Common mistake: Wrong primary category. A firm that primarily does audit with "Bookkeeping service" as primary will be invisible for audit searches. Check yours.

What it is: Links to your social media profiles, factual attributes about your business, and your founding date.

Why AI needs it: These are lower priority than everything above, but they contribute to profile completeness — which signals to Google and AI that your profile is actively managed. Social links show where prospects can find you elsewhere. Attributes (like "women-owned," "LGBTQ-friendly," "wheelchair accessible") help prospects self-select. Opening date tells prospects and AI how long you've been in business.

How to fix it:

  1. Social links: Add one link per platform (LinkedIn, X/Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram)
  2. Attributes: Select all that apply. Be factual. Don't select attributes that don't apply.
  3. Opening date: Enter the month and year your firm was established

Time required: 5 minutes.

For multi-office firms: the brand consistency audit

If you have multiple offices, everything above applies to every location. But there's an additional layer: brand consistency across profiles. The AI agent will read whatever name is on each profile. If three offices show three different versions of your brand, the AI will be confused. It may use all three interchangeably.

Check every office for:

Common multi-office problems:

→ Full guide: How to clean up your GBP after a merger

The self-audit checklist

Score yourself out of 10. One point for each yes.

# Question Yes/No
1 Is your profile claimed and verified?
2 Is your 750-character description complete and accurate?
3 Are all your services listed?
4 Have you responded to every review from the past 12 months?
5 Do you have at least 10 real, current photos?
6 Are your hours, address, phone, and website correct?
7 Have you seeded and answered at least 5 Q&A questions?
8 Have you published a Google Post in the past 30 days?
9 Is your primary category correct and are secondary categories added?
10 Are social links, attributes, and opening date added?

Score interpretation:

How long does all of this take?

Task Time
Claim and verify 10 min to initiate (5-14 days for postcard)
Write description 20-30 min
List services 10-15 min
Respond to reviews 30 sec per review
Upload photos 15 min
Verify hours/address/phone/website 5 min (single office)
Seed Q&A 15-20 min
Publish first post 5 min
Set categories 5 min
Add social links/attributes/opening date 5 min

Total for a single office: Under 3 hours, spread across a few days while you wait for verification.

Everything you need already exists. The description is on your website. The services are what you do every day. The photos are on someone's phone. The reviews are already on your profile. You just need to put it all on Google — before AI starts drawing conclusions from an empty profile.

This is Unclaimed #21 — the definitive guide to updating your Google Business Profile for the AI era. Built from Google's official Gemini announcement on June 26, 2026, the leaked AI messaging agent, and patterns found across 300+ real accounting and bookkeeping firm audits.

Unclaimed is written by the founder of VindMyBusiness. I audit Google Business Profiles for accounting and bookkeeping firms. I find the gap between excellent reputations and invisible Google profiles — and write about what I discover. No firm names. Just patterns.

Want me to personally audit your profile against every item on this checklist? Get a free GBP Scorecard — I'll review your Google Business Profile and send you a personalized report showing exactly what's missing, what matters most, and what to fix first. No cost. No pitch. No obligation.

Prefer to fix everything yourself? I built a free 21-lesson GBP Masterclass from 300+ real audits — step-by-step, no generic advice, everything I know made public. → Free GBP Masterclass

📺 Watch the video version on YouTube — new case study every Monday. → Subscribe to VindMyBusiness on YouTube

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