Learn how to use free AI tools to audit your Google Business Profile, outrank your competitors, and get found by more customers on Google Maps and Google Search.
On this week’s free SBDC webinar, guest host and SBDC marketing consultant, Maureen Buscher-Dang is joined by CSU Bakersfield interns, Ranjeet Singh and Victor Gonzalez to show small business owners exactly how to put AI to work — no tech background required.
What you’ll learn:
— How to use Claude AI to audit your Google Business Profile and grade it like a report card
— How to spy on your competitors’ profiles and identify what they’re doing better
— How to write a keyword-rich 750-character business description using AI
— Why weekly Google posts matter and how AI can generate them for you
— How to respond to reviews the right way (and why ignoring them is hurting you)
— How to create a professional logo in minutes using ChatGPT image generation
— How to upload your social media analytics and let AI tell you what’s working
— How AI-powered staff scheduling helped a Kern County café stop guessing and start planning. See more ways AI can save you time with your business!
This marks the 380th episode of the “Webinar Wednesday” business series that provides news and information helpful to employers and business owners.
The CSU Bakersfield SBDC provides free one-on-one help to small business owners. New and existing businesses can go to https://csubsbdc.com/ for more information or to sign up to meet with a business advisor at no cost.
You can also find more free AI tools our advisors use to help clients and get hands-on support for your business.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
05:16 Community Calendar: Jim Damian AI Presentation Friday May 22nd, Kern County Superintendent of Schools
06:15 CSUB SBDC YouTube Channel 330+ webinars at https://www.youtube.com/@csubsbdc
07:35 AI Audit of Fictional Google Business Profile -Used Claude to create a fictional dental practice demo
-AI prompt = “instructions”: be specific about what to evaluate
-Audit your own profile & evaluate your competitors
09:36 Key Google Business Profile Audit – Red Flags to Fix
-Business description: too short; use AI to write up to 750 characters
-Reviews: respond to every review; don’t let them go 6+ months unanswered
-Weekly posts: Google rewards fresh, regular content
-Always include an image & a call to action with each post
11:38 Competitor Google Business Profile Analysis with AI
-Compare your profile vs. specific competitors on the same criteria
-Or ask AI to evaluate all competitors in your market (e.g. Bakersfield)
-Top 3 priorities identified through AI competitor comparison
-AI can generate weekly post ideas tailored to your audience
15:17 AI Integration & Marketing
-Logo creation with ChatGPT image generation
-Google Business Profile optimization with Claude
-Social media analysis using AI
16:15 Logo Creation with ChatGPT
-Fictitious landscaping business: “Bakersfield Lawn Co.”
– Customize style, colors & icons
-Generate multiple versions: horizontal, 9×16 for Instagram Stories, icon-only for business cards
-Mock-up business cards directly in ChatGPT
19:22 Google Business Profile Optimization with Claude
-Claude builds complete GBP strategy: descriptions, posts & review responses
-Helps local customers find your business on Google Maps & Search
25:10 Social Media Analytics with AI
-Upload your social media data; AI makes it digestible
-Ask AI to simplify reports & recommend next steps
-AI identifies best post times & suggests a content calendar
27:07 Key Takeaways
-ChatGPT logo generation: professional results, no budget or design skills needed
-Claude builds complete GBP strategy for local visibility
-Social media analytics become actionable when shared with AI
27:34 The Art of Prompting AI
-What is a prompt? Your question, instruction or request to AI
-Simple vs. complex prompts: specificity transforms results
30:36 The 5 Elements of a Great Prompt
-Role: “Act as a marketing expert for a small restaurant”
-Context: background about your business & market
-Task: be specific — “write a weekly special email for my list”
-Format: set guardrails — “3 short paragraphs, under 150 words”
33:43 Prompting in Action: Real Small Business Examples
-Before vs. after: job posting for a part-time server & responding to a negative review
35:06 Power Phrases That Make Any AI Prompt Better
-Act as a.. – sets expert-level tone immediately
-Give me three options – stops you accepting the first result
-In a friendly/professional tone – shapes voice to match your brand
-Think step by step – great for complex or organized answers
-Avoid this – eliminates unwanted content upfront
-Summarize in plain language – perfect for contracts & reports
-Make this sound more like me – paste your writing, match your style
-Give me a table comparing.. — ideal for research & decision making
36:23 Client Success Story: AI-Powered Staff Scheduling for a Kern County Café
-Problem: scheduling staff by memory & gut feeling, not data
-Solution: CSUB SBDC AI team built a customized scheduling intelligence tool
39:22 How to Use the Scheduling Tool
-Export sales summary CSV from Square, Toast or your POS system
-Upload CSV into the tool; data saves automatically
-Enter any date in the target week; tool finds matching weeks across all prior years loaded
-View hour-by-hour revenue history; assign shifts directly in the tool
46:25 Q&A with attendees