Google’s been cockblocking businesses from showing their social media links for years. You’d have a thriving Facebook page, thousands of Instagram followers, and Google would be like, “nah, we don’t think you need those displayed.” Meanwhile, your competitor, who last posted during the Ice Bucket Challenge, had all their dead links showing prominently.
The whole thing was peak Google arrogance. They’d crawl the internet, find your social profiles, then use some algorithm to decide if you were worthy of displaying them. No control, no input, just Google playing god with your online presence. Like having a bouncer at your own party deciding which of your friends gets to come in.
But sometime in late 2023, Google finally pulled their head out of their ass. Now you can add your own social links directly to your Business Profile. No algorithms judging your worthiness. No mysterious approval process. Just paste, save, done.
Most businesses are completely butchering this opportunity. They’re treating it like another checkbox instead of the local visibility goldmine it is. Because when done right, those little social icons aren’t just decoration. They’re trust signals that make people pick you over the guy with the fancier website.
Which Social Platforms Can You Link?
Google lets you connect the usual suspects:
- TikTok
- Twitter/X
- YouTube
No weird platforms nobody uses. No “coming soon” BS. Just the places where actual customers hang out.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Sign in to your Google Business Profile. Not your personal account, not your cousin’s account, who “helps with computer stuff.” The actual email that manages your listing.
Step 2: Hit “Edit profile” on the left sidebar.
Step 3: Scroll down past all the other fields you’ve been ignoring until you see “Social profiles.”
Step 4: Click “Add social profile” and pick your platform from the dropdown.
Step 5: Here’s where people mess up. Copy the FULL URL from your browser bar. Not “facebook.com/mybusiness” but the whole “https://www.facebook.com/mybusiness” thing. I know it seems stupid. Do it anyway.
Step 6: Save and wait. Could be an hour, could be a week. Google operates on Google time.
If your links don’t show up after a week, delete them and try again. Sometimes the system needs a kick in the ass.
How We Got to This Point
Remember when getting your social links to show was like performing a rain dance? You’d optimize everything, sacrifice a goat, and still nothing. Meanwhile, your competitor, who posted once in 2019, had all their profiles displayed prominently.
The old system was Google’s algorithm playing favorites based on criteria nobody understood. They’d crawl the web, find mentions of your business, match them to social profiles, then decide if you were important enough. Totally crazy.
Now? You tell Google exactly where to find you. No guessing, no hoping, no algorithmic lottery. You’re in control.
Making Your Social Setup Work
Adding links is step one. Here’s what separates businesses that get results from ones just going through the motions:
Get Your Website Sorted First
Your website URL better work properly. No “coming soon” pages, no broken redirects, no sketchy pop-up farms. When someone clicks through from Google, they should land exactly where they expect.
Create the Circle of Trust
Put social icons on your website that link back to your profiles. Not buried in some footer nobody reads. Visible. Clickable. Working.
This creates what I call the trust loop. Google sees the connections going both ways and thinks, “Okay, this business has their shit together.”
The Code Stuff
Got a web person? Have them add this schema markup to your site:
{
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Your Business Name",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/yourbusiness",
"https://www.instagram.com/yourbusiness",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourbusiness"
]
}It’s like leaving breadcrumbs for Google to follow. Makes their job easier, makes your profiles more likely to stick.
Keep Your Social Profiles Alive
Dead social profiles are worse than no profiles. That Facebook page you abandoned in 2020? Either resurrect it or kill it. Nothing screams “we went out of business” like a last post from the Obama administration.
Post something. Anything. A photo of your latest job. A customer review. Hell, a picture of your shop cat. Just prove you’re still breathing.
Connect Everything Like Your Business Depends On It
Every directory listing, every email signature, every invoice footer. Anywhere your business name appears online should have your social links.
Why? Because Google’s watching. They see Joe’s Plumbing mentioned on Yelp with the same Facebook link that’s on the website and in the Google listing. Pattern recognition kicks in. Suddenly, you’re not just Joe’s Plumbing, you’re THE Joe’s Plumbing.
Multi-Location Businesses
Got multiple locations? Each one needs its own social profiles. I don’t care if it’s more work. Linking your downtown location to the same Facebook page as your suburban spot confuses customers and pisses off Google.
Create separate pages. Name them clearly. “Bob’s Pizza – Downtown” and “Bob’s Pizza – Westside.” Not creative, but crystal clear.
When Things Goes Wrong
Links not showing? Here’s the troubleshooting checklist:
First, check your URLs. One wrong character and the whole thing breaks. Copy-paste from the address bar, not from memory.
Second, make sure your profiles are public. That private Instagram where you only accept followers you’ve personally vetted? Google can’t see it either.
Third, patience. Google moves like a government office on Friday afternoon. Give it a week before you panic.
Still nothing? Delete the link, clear your browser cache, try again. Sometimes the system just needs a reset.
Why This Whole Thing Matters
Here’s what happens when someone searches for your business:
They see your Google listing. They check your reviews. They click through to your website. Then… they want to see more. Real photos, real updates, proof you’re not some fly-by-night operation.
Those social links sitting right there in your Google profile? They’re the bridge between “maybe this business” and “yes, calling them now.”
Every connection strengthens your digital presence. Google sees an active Facebook page linked to a verified Business Profile connected to a proper website with matching information everywhere. That’s not just SEO; that’s digital proof you’re legit.
Should You Drop Everything and Do This Now?
Look, adding social links takes five minutes. Less time than you spent reading this article. It’s free, it’s easy, and it works.
But adding links without maintaining your social presence is like buying a sports car and never taking it out of first gear. The real power comes from using those profiles to show what you do, how you do it, and why you’re different from every other business in town.
Start with the links. Get them connected, get them showing, get that foundation built. Then use those channels to tell your story, show your work, and give people reasons to choose you.
Because at the end of the day, those little social icons aren’t just links. They’re proof you exist beyond a Google listing. And in local business, that proof is everything.