PR Office Gains Control of College’s Google Business Profile

The fifth time is the charm. After four failed attempts to prove that the Public Relations office manages SUNY Niagara’s online presence, Web Marketing Specialist Matt Gagliardi and Chief of Campus Public Safety Terry Gill have finally persuaded Google that SUNY Niagara is indeed the college that they claim it is. Public Relations now administers the SUNY Niagara Google Business Profile and has begun updating it.

So, what convinced Google?

It was a video of the chief locking and then unlocking an exterior Learning Commons door. I’d love to share that here, but Google required Matt to livestream it directly to one of its servers. Perhaps that’s a security measure to prevent some ne’er-do-well from falsifying a connection to a business by recording a proprietor opening up shop one morning and then submitting that as proof of ownership.

But why is our Google Business Profile important enough to write about here?

First, our Google Business Profile is a free digital listing that allows the college to control its appearance across Google Search and Google Maps. It’s an interactive, 24/7 digital front door, showcasing fundamental details like our business hours, website, and customer reviews.

Next, people searching for anything online usually rely on Google. A verified Google Business Profile helps the college get discovered and build trust with users.

Finally, PR can use the college’s Google Business Profile to advertise at no cost. Right now, as the screenshot above shows, we are promoting the college’s delivery of artificial intelligence training through humanskills.ai.

I hope this vignette gave you a good idea of the gymnastics that is often needed for PR to navigate the spaces that the college does not control. Third parties like Google, Meta and TikTok make their own rules and changes those rules at their caprice, sometimes without notice.

Nevertheless, the time it takes to jump through tech companies’ hoops is well spent. Digital platforms allow PR to serve millions of ads to consumers each year, and there’s no substitute for the awareness that volume of exposure builds.