Google is constantly changing things and late last year, they announced that it the popular Google My Business would be renamed to Google Business Profile.
Google’s reasoning for the new name is to “keep things simple” and sometime in 2022 the Google My Business app will be retired completely.
Here at Beech Web Services we wondered how the change might affect the way in which we and our clients use this powerful tool.
Why did it change?
The primary reason for the change is so that small businesses can take advantage of the upgraded merchant experience on Google Maps and Search.
In the near future, additional tools to enhance your online presence will be available exclusively on Search and Maps. It will be easier to manage your profile and understand how your business is performing.
For single location businesses already using Google My Business, this means you can edit the most important updates and the information that people see when they search for your business can be done without having to go to access the Control Panel in the GMB website listing or mobile app.
If you are new to Google and want to set up an account, you can do this by entering your business in the Google search bar and adding an account from there.
Google have made it very straightforward to do this, as they want to encourage small businesses to use Google as the mechanism for new customers to find them.
Hint for setting up your account: make sure you have all your marketing content ready to add as it will ask you for additional supporting material (hours of operation, photos, opening date etc). If you can add them in straight away, it makes the verification process easier and will ensure your profile has information to help your customer make an informed decision about what you offer (and where they can buy it via Google Maps!).
How will multiple listings be affected?
But what if you aren’t a business that has only one location? What if you have multiple shop or office locations and need to have more options available to add your business profile?
If you manage multiple locations for your business, you will still continue to use an interface like Google My Business but it will be renamed to Business Profile Manager. Continuing to use the GMB style interface will allow the flexibility to add more appropriate information for being a larger/multi-site business.
If you want new paying customers to find you, having a Google My Business Profile listing is no longer optional — it’s an essential part of any business’s online presence.
Here are the 5 essential elements that and can single-handedly improve a business’s local ranking.
- Primary business category
- Additional business services (3–5 maximum)
- Completely filled out Google Business Profile information
- Keywords in the description
- Positive customer reviews
