Shawn Joshi Review: How to Rank on Google Search and Map Using Google Business Profile and Ads + An Alternative Strategy |IPPEI

Updated On 2023-03-14

Shawn Joshi is a digital marketing expert and consultant from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 2014, he founded his digital marketing company, Quantive, which is a certified Google partner. Under Quantive, he founded 2 training programs: Google Business Execution Plan, which teaches Google Business Profile optimization, and Google Ads Profits Multiplier, which teaches how to run Google Ads. Shawn also offers auditing services for your business.

Google Business Profile helps local businesses with their SEO and increases their chances of ranking in local search. Google prefers to show verified businesses that match or are in proximity to the area searched. Paid Google Ads are a great way for new businesses to show up on searches, but the ad costs create additional risks.

According to Shawn, “Reviews from trusted third parties, like Google, are at the core of buying behavior. There’s no way to escape it. People don’t want to hear you toot your own horn. They want others talking about how great you are on websites they trust.” As someone who’s also doing local lead generation, my opinion on Shawn Joshi’s model is that it’s like The Matrix Reloaded. It’s a great universe, but the execution relied too much on flashy sequences instead of core storytelling. Shawn Joshi picked the right business, but his focus on done-for-you GBP and Google Ads feels like he’s chasing speed over sustainability. He doesn’t teach the core skill needed to start this type of business, which is SEO.

In this Shawn Joshi review, I go over who he is, his training programs, his auditing services, and whether his students are successful. At the end, I also give you my own strategy for running a local lead generation business that’s meant to last.

Who Is Shawn Joshi?

shawn joshi reviews

Shawn Joshi is a successful digital marketer, consultant, and coach. He started his career in marketing in 2009, when he was president of Nimbus Marketing Solutions Inc., where he created and managed online affiliate marketing campaigns. From 2012 to 2014, he worked as an SEO and CRO specialist for the ad agency Vovia. After he resigned, he created his own consultant business under the name Quantive.

In 2017, Shawn was briefly the director of the ad agency, Evans Hunt, for about a year and a half. He has worked with start-up companies to 10-figure companies. Shawn has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Shawn Joshi’s Auditing Services?

Pros	Cons
Full-service advertising management.	Shawn's auditing is usually fully booked for months ahead.
Shawn is a veteran ads manager and a Google partner.	The service is only for businesses with good potential for growth.
Good refund policy.	Shawn only works with Google Business Profiles, Google Ads, and Facebook Ads.

Price	Pricing depends on the size of the account and the type of campaign, with a minimum of $2,500.
Refund Policy	If you do not double your investment in 1-2 months, you can apply for a refund.

Who Is Shawn Joshi’s Auditing Services For?

Service provider companies advertising in competitive markets.
Retail stores with proven lifetime value (LTV) metrics.
Companies that want to improve their ad campaigns but don’t have the budget to hire full-time in-house ad agencies.

What Do You Get With Shawn Joshi’s Auditing Services?

shawn joshi reviews

An in-depth report explaining 11 practical, evidence-based changes you can make to your Google Business Profile and the assets it is related to (landing page, citations, conversion experience).
A detailed list of recommendations to improve performance, arranged by priorities, along with a baseline of your current performance using Google Analytics, local rankings, and maps radius reports
Lifetime access to Shawn’s Google Business Execution Plan. You will also have direct access to Shawn for questions regarding the audit.
Full-service advertising service. Shawn will manage the account setup to create optimized landing pages.

Shawn Joshi’s auditing services optimize your ad campaigns by increasing conversion rates and lowering overall ad costs using personalized strategy. You should see the effects within 15-45 days. Shawn’s personal recommendations are aimed at long-term improvements in visibility.

The customized strategy includes weekly and monthly timelines packed with optimization activities, insights and analysis, and creative development. The auditing service entails:

Shawn’s services appear to focus on improving visibility on Google for local search intent. If you need an agency that offers advertising services through multiple channels, including social media, multi-platform ad agencies may better suit you.

What Are Shawn Joshi’s Google Business Execution Plan Pros and Cons?

Pros	Cons
Lifetime access to all future updates.	The execution plan is not customized to your business situation therefore, it may not be as effective for you.
The Execution Plan was created based on years of experiences of what works and what does not.	Can take 3-18 months before you can see any effect on your business.
The weekly micro-insights can give up-to-date information and suggestions that may be useful for your business.	Claims that there are 5,700+ companies that use the execution plan, yet there aren't much case studies to prove the program's success.

Price	$79
Refund Policy	7-day money-back guarantee

Who Is Google Business Execution Plan For?

Business owners who want to learn how to leverage their Google Business Profile to get leads and increase profits. Owners who do not have the time to do this themselves can delegate this program to one of their team members.
Digital marketers who want to increase fulfillment for their clients. The Execution Plan will teach how to optimize and scale their clients’ Google Business Profiles.

Shawn Joshi’s Google Business Execution Plan is a step-by-step guide for optimizing Google Business Profiles. The Execution Plan teaches how to rank on Google search results by using Google Business Profile within 4 weeks.

What’s Inside Google Business Execution Plan?

shawn joshi review

You get the 4-phase framework, access to future updates, a force-multiplier tactic for your profile, and Shawn’s weekly “micro insight” with the Google Business Execution Plan. Here are the phases:

Phase 1: Profile Optimization. In the first phase, you are provided with a checklist to help optimize your profile and determine when you use the features. You also get a step-by-step on how to optimize and geo-tag your photos and how to get your Google Business Profile verified in challenging markets.
Phase 2: Citations. In phase 2, you will learn how to build online citations using a complete list of citation sources organized by industry and geography. Shawn also gives tips on how to gain a competitive edge in any market.
Phase 3: Review Velocity. Phase 3 will show you how to use tools to automate your review process to increase the number of reviews your profile gets. You will also learn how to get reviews from customers in “sensitive” industries.
Phase 4: The E3 Formula. Phase 4 teaches 3 important things: How to make excellent Google Business Posts and when to make them, a list of examples, and effective templates. How to increase your visibility on Google Search and Google Map. How to increasing your Google Business Profile’s customer engagement rates.
Tracking Results. This additional lesson teaches you how to review and read data to determine the effectiveness of your profile. Shawn also gives a list of recommended free and paid tools you can use to track and review your profile.

Are Students of Google Business Execution Plan Successful?

Yes, students of Google Business Execution Plan are successful, with about 5,700+ companies using it. Here is what they have to say:

shawn joshi review

What Are Shawn Joshi’s Google Ads Profit Multiplier Pros and Cons?

Pros	Cons
Lifetime access to all future updates.	The course only deals with Google Ads.
No upsells.	No live coaching or mentorship.
Easily understandable instructions are great for beginners.	No support groups.

Price	$439
Refund Policy	7-day money-back guarantee

Who Is Google Ads Profit Multiplier For?

Business owners who manage their own advertisement campaigns will get an easy-to-apply format with Ads Profit Multiplier. The course simplifies the steps that you can optimize your campaigns without relying on ad agencies.
Advertising freelancers and ad agency owners who want to run highly effective campaigns for their clients and their own businesses Lower ad spend and improved performance of ad campaigns will incentivize clients to increase their ad budgets, which benefits the agency.

Shawn Joshi’s Google Ads Profit Multiplier is a course that teaches advertisers to increase profits and reduce overhead costs by optimizing their Google Ads campaigns. Advertisers can expect to see results within 4 weeks.

What’s Inside Google Ads Profit Multiplier?

shawn joshi review

You get lifetime access to the 6-chapter training with Google Ads Profit Multiplier. There are no upsells in this program, and all additional content and updates are included for free. Here are the 6 chapters:

Chapter 1: Winning with Ads. The first chapter teaches you how to apply systems thinking to improve your ad campaigns and decision-making. You’ll also learn how to match offers with the best audiences.
Chapter 2: Google Ads Primer. Chapter 2 begins with a crash course on the Google Ads platform. You’ll also learn how the auction works and how to create optimal Google Ads campaigns.
Chapter 3: Goals + Tracking. The 3rd chapter teaches how to identify and read the important metrics in order to optimize your ad campaigns. Shawn provides a calculator to forecast results with your Google Ads. He also gives tips on optimizing and conversion tracking.
Chapter 4: Research + Targeting. Chapter 4 teaches how to do efficient keyword research in order to select the right keywords and prevent wasting money on ad spending. You’ll learn how to create audience forecasts for display ads and YouTube campaigns. In addition, you’ll also learn the best targeting options based on your campaign types. Last, Shawn lists several valuable spy tools and teaches you when to use them
Chapter 5: Campaign Building. This chapter is all about building ad campaigns, from their creation to the organization and optimization of ad groups. You will learn how to write effective search ads that get high click-through rates, the best strategies for ad creatives, and how to use Ads Editor to speed up the process.
Chapter 6: Optimization. Shawn teaches his 9 strategies for optimizing your Google Ads campaigns. He includes his personal playbook for optimizing with filters, 3 scaling strategies that avoid diminishing returns, and how to automate your management of ads.
Bonus: The Conversion Rocket Report. Created for clients of his ads management services. The bonus outlines 8 of Shawn’s easy-to-follow strategies for increasing your conversion rate.

Are Students of Google Ads Profit Multiplier Successful?

Students of Google Ads Profit Multiplier are successful, based on testimonials on the sales page. Shawn also shows typical client results. However, there are no verified student reviews or testimonials for Shawn Joshi’s Google Ads Profit Multiplier.

shawn joshi review

What Is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a platform to list your products and services, manage your presence on Google Search or Google Map, and connect with customers through the platform. You can post updates, accept online orders, let customers ask questions and get answers, and more.

Google Business Profile was previously called Google My Business. The name change was made in late 2021, along with other improvements. Google Business Profile is for local businesses that offer their products and services at a particular location.

Creating a business profile on Google is completely free. You can use any email address for your Google Business Profile. If you use Gmail for your business, Hiver can convert it into a help desk.

Why Should You Use Google Business Profile?

You should use Google Business Profile to increase the visibility of your business on local Google searches. According to Hubspot, 46% of all Google searches have a local intent with 72% of those visiting a store within five miles.

STAT Analytics reports that 93% of local searches now feature Google Business Profiles in their results. Even if your business already shows up in Google search, Google Business Profile allows you to verify your listing and allow reviews. According to Forbes, 67.7% of purchasing decisions are affected by online reviews.

Should You Verify Your Google Business Profile?

Yes, you should verify your Google Business Profile because it creates legitimacy. After adding or claiming your Business Profile on Google, you can verify it through a combination of phone, text, email, or video verification. The methods available depend on your business category, region, public information, etc. and can take up to 7 days.

What Are Google Reviews?

Google reviews can work great for a local business by showing reviews from other local review sites. Google gathers information from all over the web, and this includes customer reviews for businesses. This can help businesses rank in the long term, but it can also be used against them.

Similar to other platforms where customer reviews carry heavy weight, such as Amazon, negative reviews will lower a business’ visibility. Your competitor can use black hat tactics against you by running negative review attacks, such as those experienced by Amazon seller Janson Smith. There are a couple of ways of dealing with negative reviews that can save your business from such scenarios.

How To Deal With Negative and Fake Google Reviews?

To deal with negative and fake Google reviews:

You can reply to the review, apologize where you should, and offer to make it right. This can affect your business greatly as others can see your sincerity, and the reviewer might even change their review once the issue has been resolved.
You can flag it as inappropriate and have Google remove it if the review violates Google’s review policy. When you report a Google review, it takes up to 14 days before Google reviews and removes it if it violates their review policy.

Users can fake your Google Business reviews. Competitors can leave negative reviews on your profile to lower your ratings, and scammers can leave fake reviews to scam your audiences. Google reported that 10.7% of Google reviews are fake. Google’s fraud monitoring program has blocked millions of fake reviews and fake business profiles.

How To Increase Your Google Review Ratings?

Asking for reviews is how to increase your Google review ratings. To get positive reviews, it helps to build trust with your customers. You can build trust by verifying your Business Profile, reminding customers to leave reviews, and replying to customer reviews and questions.

It takes 1-2 hours for a Google review to post. Reviews pending manual review, such as those posted on profiles that have received an unusual amount of reviews in a short time, take 3-5 days to publish to check if they fit Google’s guidelines.

Google does monitor accounts and profiles for fake positive reviews. Google reviews are rejected if they are made by brand new accounts that post multiple reviews in a short time. This helps prevent fake review spamming.

Should You Use Google Ads?

No, you shouldn’t use Google Ads as a beginner since ad prices are constantly increasing as many new companies enter digital market, which leads to increasing risks. However, Google PPC Ads are a way for new businesses to quickly get visibility on Google searches. It is important to know the ups and downs of running paid Google Ad campaigns beforehand.

SEO is a more long-term, sustainable, and cheaper way to rank on searches. Just as Offline Shark’s Pay Per Click Maverick course teaches, Google Ads are a great initial and temporary way to get visibility quickly, but SEO is for more long-term organic growth.

What Are the Advantages of Google Ads?

Fast setup time - The quickest approach to ranking on Google is through paid Google PPC ad campaigns. After you upload your product feed, headlines, and descriptions, Google will automatically target potential customers based on your product information and real-time data on shopper intent and preferences.
More noticeable - Google Ads is a fantastic tool for helping new companies create visibility quickly. You may rank higher in Google search results more rapidly by optimizing your keywords. Google also displays their ads clearly and in a presentable format.

What Are the Disadvantages of Google Ads?

Keyword bidding - Competition leads to higher ad prices. Local markets may have less competition than those at the national level, but you still need to bid against your competitors for keywords. The cost of the PPC campaign increases with the number of bidders competing for the same keywords.
Constant monitoring - You must continually monitor the performance of your ad campaigns to ensure their effectiveness. Constant changes are necessary for campaign optimization, which might consume a significant amount of your time. You can delegate this work to ad agencies or freelance marketers for a fee.
Limited customization - Your headline, description, and displayable URL are limited to a certain number of characters. The restrictions might not be sufficient to produce eye-catching descriptions.

Are Shawn Joshi’s Programs Worth It?

Shawn Joshi’s programs are not worth it for everyone. While his programs offer a path for visibility through Google Business Profile and paid ads, they lean heavily on short-term tactics. If you need to generate quick leads in a local market, the approach can make sense. It’s a clean, repeatable model.

If your goal is to dominate search through deeper SEO strategies, content ecosystems, and long-term authority signals, this model may fall short. Personally, I take a different route. I emphasize organic growth through SEO. It’s not as immediate, but the long-term payoff is far greater. So while Shawn’s programs aren’t “bad,” it’s not the strategy I’d recommend if you’re playing the long game.

Why SEO Is More Important Than Google Business Profile and Google Ads?

SEO is more important than Google Business Profile and Google Ads because it builds long-term ownership and authority, not temporary visibility. Google Ads and Business Profiles can put you in front of customers instantly, but they’re rented attention. The moment you stop paying or an algorithm changes, your exposure disappears. SEO, on the other hand, turns your website into a self-sustaining asset that earns organic traffic 24/7 without ongoing maintenance or spending. It’s digital property you own, not rented space that can vanish overnight.

Google Business Profiles face another limitation. You don’t control the platform. Suspensions, fake reviews, and changing rules can erase hard-earned visibility in an instant. In my opinion, SEO is like Disney owning Marvel and Star Wars. They control the universe, the characters, and the profits, whereas GBP and Ads are like licensing someone else’s brand for a short campaign.

In the end, SEO is the foundation that keeps local lead generation businesses profitable long after the ads stop and the algorithm shifts. It builds trust, brand equity, and digital permanence. This is the cornerstone of sustainable online growth.

Local Lead Generation Through SEO Is My #1 Strategy

Local lead generation websites

Local lead generation through SEO is my #1 strategy to make money online in 2025. It works by creating and ranking your site on Google using free SEO tactics. You create a website, rank it with SEO, and sell the leads to local businesses. This creates predictable and passive income for you. For example, my website, Anaheim Expert Painting, 2335 West Sequoia Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92801, 714-515-6803, anaheimexpertpainting.com, sells 5 leads per month. I earn a 10% commission from the leads I generate for that company. So if my painting client makes $25,000 that month, I make $2,500 automatically. And I only spent 15 to 25 hours working on that website, and it earns these kinds of amounts every month. Now, with over 50 websites, I make a total of $52,000/month.

If you want to learn this business model, with a strong focus on SEO, check out my local lead gen course. You can also work for my roofing client. Build and rank websites for him, and you’ll earn a commission, anywhere from 1% to 5%.