Google wants to bring business profile management out of the Google My Business app, and more directly to Google Search and Google Maps. This is especially pushed to businesses with a single listing, and Google has stated that sometime in 2022, the “Google My Business” app will be retired completely. Google has also stated that the purpose of renaming it to “Google Business Profile” is to “keep things simple”. But, for business owners with multiple listings, you will still continue to use the interface, now renamed Google Business Profile.
What are some new features with Google Business Profile?
The first new feature is the ability to claim and verify your Google Business profile directly in Google Search and Google Maps. By claiming your business, you can monitor and respond to reviews, and your business can now appear in geographical searches when people use the “near me” option. Now, the process of claiming a business simply involves opening Google Maps, entering and selecting your business, clicking “claim this business”, “manage now”, and selecting a verification option.
Another new feature is call history, which is launching in the U.S. and Canada. Call history allows you to keep track of phone calls from your customers on Google Search and Google Maps. This feature also keeps all of your calls in one place, and gives you a short message letting you know which customers found your business through Google.
Another modern feature is that messaging can now be done from Google Search. Once the business owner turns on chat, customers will find a chat button on your Google Business Profile and will be able to message you at any time. Through chat, you will receive notifications for incoming messages, customize an automated welcome message for your customers, and share photos. In addition, if multiple people own the business, each one can chat with customers. You can delete messages, though the recipient can still find the messages on their device, and can also export messages to keep for your products or business. In addition, message read receipts can also now be controlled in Google Search and in Google Maps.
Google has also added a Performance Planner, allowing you to plan your local campaign budgets. Performance Planner allows you to explore outcomes by adjusting aspects of your campaign, understanding opportunities, and managing budgets across campaigns. This feature in Google Ads has also been extremely useful for e-commerce businesses. For example, you can create a plan for searching focused on conversion value, select conversion values/spend, and input a ROAS number, and Google will give you a graph of how much money you will get for a specific ROAS target. A wide variety of campaigns can be used in Performance Planner, including Search, Shopping, Display, App, Local, Video, and Ineligible campaigns. Google also lays out whether the specific campaign is eligible, based on clicks, impressions received, and other metrics as well.
