By Lauren Talicska
Arona Home Essentials | APRO Member
In real estate there is a lot of chatter about curb appeal. It is the first impression of your property and can tell a lot about you. Good curb appeal- some fresh mulch, bright flowers, a new coat of paint- is inviting and shows that a place is well maintained. Our rent-to-own stores are not different. We spend a lot of time, energy, and money to make our store fronts pop. But what about your digital curb appeal? Marketing success starts before a customer ever walks up to your store; it begins with your digital front door- your Google Business Profile (GBP).
68% of Google searches now end without a click. You read that correct, that’s the latest data to be released and is 10% higher than the same stat just two months ago. This means customers are getting all the information they want from the search results without ever going to your website. As search landscapes shift even more toward AI-driven results, keeping your profile optimized is mission critical for survival. Your GBP is no longer just a static listing; it is the primary data source for Google’s AI.
I can hear it now, “Lauren, this AI Google stuff is too ______ for me right now.” Fill in the blank with your choice: expensive, time consuming, difficult, overwhelming.
I’m not going to solve this thing for us in one 800 word article. But what I can do is give you three EASY action items that you can implement TODAY that will make your GBP impossible for any customer or AI search agent to resist.
Action Item 1: Pull the weeds and clean it up!
Google doesn’t just look for “completeness” of a GBP anymore; it looks for activity. A profile that hasn’t been updated in 30 days is decaying in search rankings. When is the last time you logged into your Google Business account and really took a look at what was on your profile? Accurate data like your name, address, and store hours aren’t just for customers; it’s how Google’s AI verifies you are a real, trustworthy business. Are your business categories up to date? And when is the last time you freshened up your Description? Making these simple updates ensures customers get what they need even without ever visiting your website.
Action Item 2: Show, don’t just tell!
Photos drive traffic. Businesses with high-quality photos see significantly higher engagement. Makes sense, right? Would you be more likely to go to a hole in the wall restaurant with no pictures? Or would choose to go to the place with dozens of delicious looking meals? Customers like knowing what to expect when they choose to come to you. In 2025, Localo Research analyzed over 2 million Google Business Profiles and the stats about the effect of photos are crazy. Businesses with 100+ high-quality photos get:
- 520% more calls
- 2,717% more direction requests
- 1,065% more website clicks.
To keep your GBP fresh, you should aim to upload 3-5 new pictures a week. Keep a good mix of product, interior, exterior, employee, etc. And want to know the best part? ANYONE can upload pictures to your profile and help your engagement. Are you an APRO vendor partner that made it this far in the article? When you do your store visits, you can snap some pics, upload, and literally make our day.
Action Item 3: Master the Review Engine!
In 2026, a 4.0 star review is the “new 3.0”, this makes it is even more important to strive to always get a 5.0. Your best shot at getting a good review is timing it to hit the customer at the time of “maximum delight”.For most of us that is that sweet spot where the customer’s item has just been delivered and is in their home looking and functioning beautifully…and they haven’t had any service or payment issues. Your delivery team is an amazing source for getting the review in person! They can utilize QR codes or programmed NFC tags to make it even easier. Timing a text message and email to hit the customer after delivery is another great way to build your reviews. A goal of 1-2 reviews a week is attainable and will help maintain freshness on your profile.
Just as essential to getting a good review rating is the actual content of the review. Google’s AI scans review text for justifications that validate other data about you. If a reviewer says “best selection of washers,” your shop will rank for “washers near me”.
Responding to all reviews in a timely manner shows that the business is alive and engaged. It also gives you the opportunity to include additional relevant keywords in your responses to help AI index your business for the right searches. For example, if a customer mentions “mattresses”, include “mattresses” in your reply and feel free to throw in some brands you carry in store ready to deliver.
Your Google Business Profile is a living part of your business and the effort that you put into building your curb appeal will have a direct effect on how customers find and choose you over the place down the street. By staying consistent with your updates, you move from just “having a listing” to actively driving growth.
About the Author
Lauren Talicska is Vice President of Marketing & Communications for APRO member Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials.
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