By kofi kittoe on Nov 19, 2021
At the beginning of November, Google rebranded Google My Business to Google Business Profile. Along with the rebrand, Google added some new features to help your business succeed.
Google My Business was a local business listing service where you could list your business, what you do, your address and phone number, and also limited posts similar to social media. Customers could leave starred reviews and comments about your business. Since 90% of customers say they read online reviews before making a purchasing decision, Google My Business was an important tool for growing your business. All that remains in the rebrand to Google Business Profile.
The new features that come with the rebrand to Google Business Profile will build on that base and make it easier than ever for customers to find and interact with your local business.
Google Business Profile provides new features to ensure that you are taking full advantage of the Google platform. It offers your customers a more seamless experience than Google My Business. Google Business Profile is essentially a place where you can manage many online aspects of your business including your business listing, integration across Google Maps, reviews and reputation, orders, messaging and more. And it’s all free.
With the new name comes new helpful features. By using Google Business Profile, you can better manage your online presence and provide your customers with a more seamless experience.
While we usually associate searching for a business with the Google direct search platform, there are many people who also search for businesses using Google Maps. Studies show that 46% of all searches on Google have to do with local intent. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that Google Maps is the new booming hub for online business searches.
This new Google Business Profile feature allows for you to directly claim your business on Google Maps rather than navigating through multiple apps. This will hopefully encourage businesses to further build their online presences and bring in more customers.
There is nothing more frustrating than a business that forgets to reply to your message and calls. As a business owner, making this mistake is likely to cause the loss of potential customers.
Now customers can message you from your Google Business Profile. You will be notified of incoming messages whether you are on desktop or mobile, and you can easily respond within Google Business Profile. This means one less step that you must go through when reaching back out to customers.
For some customers, talking on the phone may seem daunting. With this feature, customers can send a simple message and get a fast reply. Any business owner knows the power and value of efficiency and saving time.
You may also be able to see call history. According to Google, this is “an experimental feature and only available for a select group of businesses in the US and Canada only.”
A good agency can help you with these additional local business listing services.
In related news, you will now be able to plan your local campaigns using Performance Planner. With this tool, a business of any size can plan campaigns (including local ones), adjust budgets and view key metrics directly within the Google platform. By better managing campaigns, you can expect an easier ad experience, and higher quality marketing deliverables. This tool will prove to be a gamechanger for many small businesses!
Start at the beginning and set up your business profile. This includes making sure that your hours, address and phone numbers are correct. While this may seem basic, there are tons of businesses out there that miss out on customers because they listed incorrect information. Imagine the frustration when someone can’t even find your phone number. This is not a reason why you want to lose a customer.
Once this is squared away, manage your profile. This element of reputation and online presence management can get more technical. Responding to criticism and feedback in a meaningful way, engaging with your customers and navigating a new interface requires someone who understands how to relate to your customers. Google Business Profile provides tools and resources to help you navigate this platform.
The features within Google Business Profile are there to make searching and finding your business easier for potential consumers. You can also add images, product listings and social media style posts.
If you would like a Google advertising agency that provides local business listing services to set up your Google Business Profile and manage it either in the beginning or long term, don’t hesitate to contact Umbrella Local for a free consultation today.
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