Google My Business Is Now Called Google Business Profile: An Update
Google is changing one of its platforms that small business owners are familiar with. Google My Business was once the place that you went to verify your business on Google, manage your web presence, and adjust things pertaining to reviews, Maps information, and more.
Engaging with My Business was important, if not essential. The platform has changed, though. For smaller businesses the platform of choice will be the new "Google Business Profile."
We're going to look at this change and explore what it might mean for businesses like your own.
Understanding Google Business Profile
If you're a small business wondering whether this will have a big impact on you, there's not too much to worry about. Although small business marketing utilized Google My Business, the features included in the new platform might be a little easier to manage.
Google My Business will remain on the internet, though. Its purpose is shifting toward aiding large companies and corporations that have numerous chain stores to manage.
For example, owners of several Dominos restaurants might utilize the existing Google My Business to organize their store data. Verification is more complex when there are multiple stores to manage, so Google is directing that service toward those with multiple establishments.
Google Business Profile, on the other hand, directs itself toward those with only one or two establishments. This isn't anything new, though, so don't expect earth-shattering changes to your web presence.
Before Google Business Profile, there was Google My Business, Google+ Local, Google Places, and Google Local. All of these platforms were roughly the same, and they all migrated to slightly different interfaces with different names.
It's something that Google does to adjust to the times, and it's always worked in the past.
How Do You Manage Your Web Presence Now?
Google recommends that you manage your listings directly on Google search or Google Maps. They've added new features to help you use your account right on the page to make changes.
There are also various native mobile apps dealing with Google Search and Google Maps that you can use to manage your business presence. When you reach the extent of those features, you turn to Google Business Profile Manager.
Business Profile allows you to tailor how you're seen online. Maps and Search results are essential for small businesses, and the Profile Manager gives you all of the tools you need to monitor and adjust things as you see fit.
You can use the Manager to verify your site, and verified sites are a lot more likely to get seen than those that are unverified.
Other Google Business Profile Features
There are some more goodies that migrated to this new platform. For one, you can manage the photos and videos associated with your Google results. If you're in the Snack Pack, for example, you would have the say of which photos appear in your results.
The Snack Pack is a section at the top of Google results that displays images, phone numbers, reviews, and other information about top-ranking sites. A place in that section of the results is very useful, but only if you have quality images and accurate information.
The Profile Manager is also a space where you can read and respond to reviews. You can manage your conversations with reviewing customers in a more efficient way and, hopefully, address their concerns.
Further, Google Business Profile gives you some insights into your search engine optimization. While the platform wasn't created for optimization, marketers should use the information therein to inform their marketing campaigns.
For example, Google prioritizes businesses with positive reviews. If you're unable to manage your reviews, you might slip down to the bottom of the search results. The best place to do that is Google Business Profile Manager.
Google PPC Ads
The platform also helps you manage your ad campaigns.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads are an excellent way to reach vast new audiences. The process of ad placement is tricky, though. There are keyword considerations to make, data sets to monitor, and a whole lot more.
Hitting the sweet spot with a Google advertisement comes when you put a lot of work into a particular ad. You can run A/B testing, watch how particular ads are doing, and make adjustments to your campaigns through Google Business Profile.
These are all things that will help your business, and the new platform might make it easier than the old one did. While things should look roughly the same, features are adjusted to small business needs. The old platform was broad-purpose and aimed at every business on the web.
There should be a little bit more specialization for small business marketing now.
Why Is All Of This Important?
You might be wondering why in the world any of this matters.
Google is an essential function of business marketing in this day and age. Why? Because a lot of customers start the buyer's journey on Google and use Google at almost every stage of the process.
If someone in your area was looking for a pizza place, what would they do? They'd pull out their phone, make a Google search, and look at the top few results. If they wanted to dig deeper, they might pull out Google Maps and see what's around them.
When they locate a potential choice, they pull up the information and see if it's what they want. You can transplant that process to almost any other purchase that a person would make, and it would apply the same way.
So, the way that you present yourself on Google matters to your business. Further, you can extend your effort out into digital marketing and create more presence on Google, making you more visible to all of your potential customers.
Want to Learn More About Digital Marketing?
Whether you're running HVAC marketing, jewelry marketing, plumbing marketing, or promoting your small law practice, the ideas above apply to you.
Working with your Google Business Profile is sure to draw more traffic to your site and increase the number of customers in your door. If you're having trouble with your online marketing, we're here to help.
Contact us for marketing services, more information on digital marketing, and a whole lot more.