Google Business is BS for movers - fight me on this

I'm in north jersey running a small moving crew with my 26' U-Haul box trucks, and I dropped $2k on optimizing my Google Business Profile last year thinking it'd bring in more local jobs like apartment relos and office moves. Turns out it's all smoke; the algorithm favors those big boys like Two Men and a Truck who bury us independents under fake reviews and paid boosts. Watched this YouTube vid on the hidden formula movers use to charge more and work less, and it basically says forget GBP, focus on word-of-mouth from packing gigs with Uboxes. Saw a similar rant in the Moving Professionals Facebook group where a guy from Philly said he got zero leads after months of grinding photos and posts. NGL, it's frustrating when you're busting your ass wrapping furniture in moving blankets but Google treats you like a chump. Anyone else ditching this crap?

damn, that sounds like my last three months pouring time into GBP updates for zero return calls.

warning: don't sink money into GBP ads without verifying your profile first, had a client get suspended for no reason and lost a whole season of bookings.

ugh, feel that pain brother, same struggle with my moving van routes.

screw google, they're the enemy here.

big tech screwing over the little guy again, especially us in the moving game hauling crap all day.

GBP is a scam, period.

hell yeah, they favor chains and leave solos in the dust.

try running targeted Facebook ads instead, got me three solid piano moves last week for under $100.

i switched to nextdoor postings and doubled my local pickups, no more google headaches.

man, i feel you on this.

lost a fat contract last month cuz my profile ranked below some hack with five stars from bots.

we're all getting hosed by this.

laughed my ass off when google suspended me for 'suspicious activity' after i added real job pics.

SharkBite for movers? nah, but GBP is the real leak in our biz.

who needs google when word of mouth from tight wraps on sofas keeps the phone ringing.

pissed off at how they throttle small ops like ours.

unions or big franchises own the search results, rest of us eat dirt.

rage against the machine, boys.

post in local FB groups, that's where the real leads hide for stuff like dorm moves.

don't ignore yelp entirely, but yeah google's overrated for our trade.

this sucks for everyone in moving.

haha, my GBP photo of a wrapped mattress got me dinged for 'inappropriate content' wtf.

how do you even compete without paying their ransom?