How to Build Your Brand While Helping Other Businesses

If you are a business owner, there is a way to help other businesses while at the same time helping your own business.

Here's how I do it.

Whenever I visit a business and have a genuinely good experience, I make an effort to leave a positive Google review. It doesn't matter what industry the business is in. It could be a restaurant, contractor, medical practice, retail store, automotive shop, hotel, or just about any other type of business.

If I receive good service, I try to take a few minutes to let the business know that I appreciated it. I do this because I understand how important Google reviews are to a local business and how much they can influence someone who is trying to decide which business to use.

A person searching for a business they've never used before will often look at the reviews before making a decision. A collection of positive, detailed reviews can give that potential customer confidence that they're making a good choice.

As someone who works with businesses on reputation management and local marketing, I understand the value of reviews from the business side. But I've also made leaving reviews part of my own routine because I believe in supporting businesses that provide a good experience.

There's another part of this that business owners may not have considered. The reviews you leave can also become part of your own online presence and personal brand.

And Google has recently made that even more interesting.

Start With Your Google Maps Reviewer Profile

Google now allows you to create a custom display name and picture for your public posts on Google Maps and Google Search. This is different from simply changing the profile picture associated with your entire Google Account. You can choose a custom name and picture specifically for your public contributions, including reviews.

I take advantage of this feature by using my business logo as my reviewer profile picture and LocalBizNet as my custom display name.

If you're a business owner, this is something you may want to consider.

Every time you leave a public Google review, your custom name and picture are associated with that contribution. Google says the custom name and picture can appear with your public contributions across Maps and Search, including reviews, photos, videos, and other contributions.

That means your reviews can become another small part of your overall brand presence.

Choosing Your Custom Name

When setting up your custom reviewer profile, you can choose a name that represents you or your business.

If you're a business owner, using your business name can make sense because it gives your reviews a recognizable connection to your brand.

There is one limitation to be aware of: Google restricts certain types of names and does not allow you to simply use your full domain name as your custom display name.

For example, I use LocalBizNet as my custom name, but Google does not allow me to use LocalBizNet.com.

So if your business is represented by a domain name, you may need to use the brand name itself rather than the complete domain.

For example:

Allowed: LocalBizNet

Not allowed: LocalBizNet.com

This is worth keeping in mind when you're deciding how you want your name to appear alongside your reviews.

Choosing Your Profile Picture or Logo

If you're going to use your business logo, I'd recommend preparing the image as a 1:1 square image and designing it so the important parts of the logo fit comfortably inside a circle.

Google displays profile pictures in a circular format, so a square image with a logo extending too close to the edges can get awkwardly cropped.

For the best appearance, use a high-quality square image and keep the logo or important elements centered with some breathing room around them.

How to Add Your Custom Name and Picture on a PC or Laptop

1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Click the Menu icon in the upper-left corner.
3. Click Your contributions.
4. Click Edit profile.
5. Check the box labeled Use a custom display name & picture for posting.
6. Enter the custom display name you want to use.
7. Click your profile picture and select Edit.
8. Choose your picture from Google Photos, illustrations, or your computer.
9. Click Next and then Confirm.

You can use a professional photograph of yourself or, as I do, your business logo.

How to Add Your Custom Name and Picture on a Smartphone

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap Contribute at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap View your profile.
4. Tap Edit profile.
5. Check Use a custom display name & picture for posting.
6. Enter the custom display name you want to use.
7. Tap your profile picture.
8. Select the picture you want to use.
9. Tap Confirm.

The exact appearance of the menus can change as Google updates the Maps app, but the important setting to look for is Use a custom display name & picture for posting.

Take a Look at the Reviews You've Already Left

Once your profile is set up, I recommend going back and looking at the reviews you've written in the past.

You may be surprised by how many businesses you've reviewed over the years. You may also find reviews that you wrote several years ago that don't really represent how you want to present yourself today.

Google allows you to edit or delete reviews you've previously posted, so this is a good opportunity to review your history and decide whether those reviews still belong on your profile.

Editing a Review on a PC or Laptop

1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Click the three horizontal lines in the upper-left corner.
3. Click Your contributions.
4. Click the Reviews tab.
5. Scroll through your reviews until you find the one you want to change.
6. Click the three dots associated with the review.
7. Click Edit review.
8. Make your changes and save the review.

Editing a Review on a Smartphone

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Tap Contribute.
3. Tap View your profile.
4. Scroll through your reviews.
5. Find the review you want to change.
6. Tap the three dots next to the review.
7. Tap Edit review.
8. Make your changes and save the review.

What About Old Negative Reviews?

This is something worth considering if you're going to use your Google review activity as part of your professional presence.

You may have old reviews that were written when you were unhappy with a business. Perhaps the business has changed ownership, your experience with the business has changed, or you simply don't want an old review associated with your profile anymore.

You can go through your old reviews and decide whether you still want them there.

However, I would not recommend changing a legitimate negative experience into a positive review simply because you want your profile to look better. Your reviews should be honest and reflect your actual experience.

If you no longer want an old review associated with your profile, you can consider removing it rather than changing the facts.

Going forward, if you have a genuinely good experience with a business, make a habit of recognizing it with a positive review. You don't need to find something positive to say about every business you visit. The value comes from being genuine.

That's how I approach it.

Find a Business You Want to Review

Once you've looked at your existing reviews and your profile is ready, you're ready to leave a new review.

The easiest way to get started is through Google Maps.

On a PC or Laptop

1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Search for the business you visited.
3. Select the correct business from the search results.
4. Find the Reviews section.
5. Click Write a review.
6. Select your star rating.
7. Write your review.
8. Add photos if appropriate.
9. Click Post.

On a Smartphone

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Search for the business.
3. Select the correct business.
4. Tap the Reviews section or the option to rate and review the business.
5. Select your star rating.
6. Write your review.
7. Add photos if appropriate.
8. Tap Post.

Don't Just Write "Great Business!"

One of the most common things you'll see in Google reviews is something like:

Great business! Five stars!

There's nothing wrong with being positive, but that type of review doesn't tell a potential customer very much about the business or the experience you had.

Instead, think about what actually happened during your visit.

What did you need? What problem did the business solve? How did the employees treat you? Was the service fast? Did someone go above and beyond? What would you tell a friend who was considering using the business?

Those details make a review much more useful.

For example, instead of writing:

Great plumber. Highly recommend!

You could write something like:

I called because I had a problem with my water heater and wasn't sure what was wrong. They arrived when they said they would, explained the problem and walked me through my options. The technician was professional, answered all my questions and had everything working again quickly. I would definitely call them again.

Now you've given a potential customer something they can actually use.

But you've done something else, too.

This is exactly the type of detailed information that Google—and increasingly, AI-powered search—can understand and use when evaluating what a business does and the experiences customers have with that business.

Details matter when it comes to leaving a review.

The more specific and useful your review is, the more information you're providing about the business, the service you received and the experience you had. Rather than simply saying a business is "great," you're explaining why it was great.

That's valuable to other customers, valuable to the business, and valuable to the systems trying to understand what that business offers and what its customers are saying about it.

Your Reviews Are Also Part of Your Brand

This is where the branding side of this strategy comes into play.

If you're a business owner, think about the collection of reviews you've left over time. Those reviews aren't just words sitting on someone else's Google Business Profile. They are public contributions associated with your Google Maps profile.

Google says your public profile can showcase contributions such as reviews, photos and other activity on Maps.

When you consistently leave thoughtful, useful reviews and have a recognizable profile picture or business logo and custom name associated with those reviews, you're creating another small piece of your online presence.

You're demonstrating that you pay attention to customer service. You're showing that you recognize businesses that do a good job. You're contributing useful information to other consumers.

Those things say something about you and your business, too.

That's what I mean by building your brand while helping other businesses.

Think About the Business Owner Reading Your Review

There can also be another benefit, although I don't consider this the reason to leave the review.

The business owner may notice who left the review.

They may respond to you. They may click on your name. They may look at your profile and discover that you're another local business owner.

That can sometimes lead to a conversation or even a business relationship.

You didn't walk through the door and immediately tell the owner that you wanted to sell them something. You simply recognized the business for providing a good experience.

If the owner responds to your review, respond back. If you happen to meet them in person later, you already have something to talk about.

If something develops from that relationship, that's great. But the review itself should never be dependent on getting something in return.

Don't Turn the Review Into a Sales Pitch

This is important.

If you're reviewing a restaurant, for example, don't write:

Great food! By the way, I own an SEO company and can help you rank higher on Google.

That's no longer a genuine review. It's a sales pitch, and it can make the entire interaction feel transactional.

Instead, leave the business a genuine review and let the relationship develop naturally.

You provided something valuable to the business without asking for anything in return. If the owner responds, that's an opportunity to start a conversation. If nothing comes from it, you've still done something helpful for another business.

That's perfectly fine.

You Don't Have to Review Every Business

I also don't believe you need to leave a five-star review for every business you visit.

The point isn't to manufacture positive reviews. The point is to recognize businesses that genuinely provide a good experience.

If a business provides great service, take a few minutes to acknowledge it.

Over time, those reviews add up, and you're doing something that many customers don't take the time to do: you're publicly recognizing a business for doing a good job.

You're Helping the Business More Than You May Realize

For a local business, a positive review can be extremely valuable.

Imagine that someone searches Google for a service they need and finds several businesses. They're likely to look at ratings, the number of reviews, what customers are saying and how recently people have been leaving those reviews.

Your review becomes part of that business's online reputation.

It can help a prospective customer understand what it's like to actually do business with that company, and it can give the business owner another piece of customer feedback they can be proud to display.

That's why I believe leaving a review is a small thing that can have a surprisingly large impact.

Build Your Brand by Helping Others

This brings us back to the idea behind this article. As business owners, we're constantly looking for ways to promote our businesses. We think about advertising, social media, networking, SEO, websites and referrals, and all of those things have their place. But building a strong brand isn't always about talking about your own business or finding another opportunity to promote what you do.

Sometimes, your brand is reflected in the way you interact with other businesses and the way you contribute to the business community around you.

When you take the time to recognize another business for doing a good job, you're helping that business build its reputation while also demonstrating something about yourself. You're showing that you appreciate good service, understand the importance of reputation and are willing to support other business owners when they've earned it.

Over time, those actions become part of how people perceive you and your business. Your reviews, your interactions and the way you support other businesses can all contribute to your overall professional presence online.

That's what I mean when I say you can build your brand while helping other businesses. You're not promoting yourself every time you interact with another business. Instead, you're creating a positive presence that reflects the kind of business owner you are.

And I think that's a much better way to build a brand.

Make It Part of Your Routine

The next time you visit a business and receive great service, take a couple of minutes before you move on.

Open Google Maps, find the business and leave a thoughtful review. Tell people what you liked about the experience and give the business owner some recognition for doing a good job.

If you can, include details that help someone else understand what the business does well. Those details make the review more useful to potential customers and provide Google and AI-powered search systems with more meaningful information about the business and the customer experience.

And if you're a business owner, remember that the review is also associated with your own public Google Maps profile.

Use a professional photo or your business logo. Choose a custom name that represents you or your business. Make your reviews thoughtful and useful. Be genuine. Don't turn them into advertisements for yourself.

Help another business build its reputation while building your own.

That's the idea behind how I use Google reviews.

Need help managing your Google reviews or getting more reviews for your business?

We've been helping businesses with reviews, reputation management and other marketing services for more than 30 years, so we understand what it takes to build and maintain a strong online presence.

And you don't necessarily have to turn everything over to us. If you'd rather manage your marketing yourself or have someone on your staff handle it, we can provide the consulting, guidance and training you need to do it effectively.

We can even provide one-on-one training at your location or online, so you and your staff can learn how to manage your reviews and other aspects of your digital marketing with confidence.

Whether you want us to do it for you, help you do it yourself, or train your staff to do it, we're here to help