Google has been working to differentiate businesses that are based in one location from those that have more than one location. Renaming Google My Business is one way to achieve this goal. Business Profile Manager will be focused on larger businesses that work with multiple locations.
Small businesses will benefit from the change with managing their Google profile becoming simpler than ever before. When you type the business name in the Google Maps box or the bar for Google Search, you’ll get the same result as before. You can also now edit or verify your business from this location as well as reply to messages from customers or even launch your latest promotion.
Since all these functions are located in one place, it makes managing your business information much easier. Small business owners will be less intimidated since you can change store hours, add new photos, and do much more. Google My Business app will be retired sometime in 2022.
More Interactions with Your Audience
You’ll have more information at your fingertips, making it easier to engage with your audience. If any calls to your business result from Google Search, there will be a call history, which will allow you to see how much interaction you’re getting from your Business Profile.
You can read messages from your Business Profile, which adds convenience to a busy owner or manager. Google is also adding a read receipt for you and your customers to know when messages have been seen.
If your business handles goods, there’s another benefit with Business Profile. Your customers can see an “in stock” filter to check your inventory. All you need to do is to sign up for Pointy, which is from Google and free to use. This application can connect directly to your POS, so you don’t have to do any extra work to load your inventory.
Issues with GBP
While the change to Google Business Profile offers many promising benefits, it’s not without some challenges. Several issues have been introduced with many of them still unresolved even though the GBP team is diligently working on it. Some issues you might want to be aware of include:
- When a business comes back after being suspended for an old address, the old address continues to show with no way to change it.
- Service businesses show an extra category in their category list that says “Service establishment” and there is no way to remove it.
- Actual reviews don’t always show up even though the reviewer can see them. The review won’t show for the public.
- Profiles show as only 85 percent complete even when all fields are filled. The message may say to add your logo even when you already have one included.
The Google Business Profile team is working to resolve all these and other issues to make this program successful for all the small businesses that use it to further their reach. These companies will find it easier to build an online presence and engage customers with Google Business Profile as part of their strategy.