If you’ve been following Google-related news lately, you’re probably aware of the search giant’s recent efforts to rebrand and relaunch Google My Business as “Google Business Profiles.” This isn’t the first time that Google has updated the name and concept for its business listing management tools (and it likely won’t be the last), but if you’ve hopped on the Google business listing train any time in the last 8 years, you may not know it any other way.
As a smart, internet-savvy business operator, you know how important it is for your SEO and your brand awareness to maintain an accurate and official Google business listing, so you may be concerned at what this relaunch means for you. So let’s go through exactly what’s going on and what you should expect going forward.
Why is Google My Business going away?
Your first question is probably just… “why?” Why is Google My Business going away? The short answer is that it’s not “going away” so much as it’s being relaunched as Google Business Profiles, but it’s more than just a simple rebranding. Conceptually, Google is trying to integrate some of its tools to make it more intuitive and easier for businesses to find and manage their listings, which is why the Google My Business tools as a separate platform are being discontinued. While Google business listings will still very much be around, they’ll be found by going through Google Search and Google Maps, rather than from the distinct google.com/business URL you’re probably used to.
What will happen to the Google My Business app?
Google My Business users have already started receiving emails saying that the Google My Business app is “being replaced.” While no date has been given for its discontinuation or delisting, these emails have been guiding users to the Google Maps app and helping them navigate to the tools needed to update their profiles from within that app. Google has not yet announced if Google Business Profiles will eventually get its own app, but it certainly seems as though Google is pushing to restructure business listings in a way that managing them will no longer require a separate app at all.
What does this mean for managing my Google business listing?
For power users–businesses who have to manage multiple locations or SEO professionals with multiple clients, the Google Business Profile manager will remain largely the same as what you’re used to. If you’re familiar with logging into the Google My Business profile manager to pick which business/location you need to attend to, and edit it from there, it’s unlikely that your day-to-day Google business listing operations will change in any significant way.
However, for most regular Google My Business users (people only managing one business/one location), the biggest change is likely that you’ll have one fewer app clogging up your devices. If you only have one listing to manage, Google is pushing you to edit your local listing entirely through Google search or the Google Maps app, and we’ve seen first-hand how those tools now have the integrations necessary to claim, verify, and edit local business listings from within rather than requiring outside platforms. While this is a change that will take getting used to, all signs point to you still being able to manage your business listing with all the power you had before–just without needing an external app to do so!
Like seemingly every big tech company, Google is constantly changing and updating. If it feels like you’re just getting your footing on a tool when Google relaunches it, rebrands it, or removes it entirely, you’re not alone. While these changes can often make for a better and more powerful end-user experience, navigating the constant changes can be frustrating and befuddling if all you’re trying to do is keep your business afloat, and that’s where Skol Marketing’s team is here to help. For help with all things Google and search-related, including adapting to platform changes and maintaining an accurate and attractive Google Business Profile listing, don’t hesitate to contact the search engine experts at Skol Marketing.
