On November 4, 2021, Google announced that it will be renaming Google My Business. GMB is now known as Google Business Profile or GBP.

The name change is part of a move to unify all the different Google products under one brand: Google. Google My Business is just one of many products that are being changed to this new branding, including Hangouts Chat and Meet.

Google understands that people want to communicate with businesses to help them make more informed decisions. Therefore, they are introducing new features that will help business owners make the most of their interactions with customers on Google Search and Google Maps.

Along with the name change, Google is rolling out new features to help businesses foster meaningful relationships with customers on Google.

New Adventure Web Design & Digital Marketing is here to help you understand these changes to Google My Business and to learn more about the new features that Google Business Profile offers.

What’s new with Google Business Profiles (GBP)?

In addition to the name change, Google has announced that single listings will now be managed directly within Google Maps and Google Search. The Google My Business Mobile App will be phased out.

To manage a listing, the owner can simply type their business name into Google Search. They’ll then be presented with this control panel:

Small businesses can claim and verify their profile through Google Search or Google Maps

Another major change occurring is the dashboard. The Google My Business Dashboard will now be called the Google Profile Manager and single location businesses will lose access to this feature.

Once the changes are in full effect in 2022, the GBP dashboard will only be made available to those managing multiple locations. Single location businesses will instead use the New Merchant Experience (NME) directly in the Google search results.

Any new Google Business Profiles created in 2022 and beyond will claim their business profile and complete the setup directly in the search results. Google says the major upside to this is businesses will, “be able to clearly see whether [their] profile is publicly visible and what to do to get it seen by your customers.”

Eligible businesses can search for their business by name. Then they can claim and verify the associated business profile. Once you have verified your business, you can edit the information, including the address, store hours, photos, and respond to reviews. (see screenshot below)

Google Business Profile Edit Screen

The GMB App Will Be Phased Out

One of the biggest changes with this rebrand is the GMB app will be phased out entirely. This means the only dashboard/listing access available will be in the desktop dashboard directly in the SERPs.

It is unclear exactly when we can expect these changes to take place, but we will keep you updated as we learn more.

Small businesses can now message customers in Google Search

More and more people are turning to chat conversations with merchants of all sizes, ranging from small businesses to global merchants. Google designed the new chat feature in Google Business Profile to help merchants improve their interactions with customers.

In 2020, Google added functionality so you can chat with customers directly on Google Maps. Now, you can also see and respond to messages right from your Business Profile on Google Search.

Read receipts for chat messages are now available. Read receipts let you see if the other party has received and read your message. This feature is launching for all Business Profile merchants.

Small businesses can learn more about the calls they receive from Google

People often value the immediacy and personal connection of a phone call. Google knows that this directly impacts merchants’ businesses. Therefore, to help build connections between customers and merchants, Google is launching call history for all U.S. and Canadian merchants with verified Business Profiles. With call history, you can easily see which inbound customer calls came from your Business Profile and review helpful analytics on inbound call performance.

What about businesses with multiple locations?

For those with multiple locations to manage, the existing GMB interface—now known as Google Business Profile Manager—will continue to be the place to manage these listings.

Google has explained that the existing Google My Business web experience will eventually transition to primarily support large multi-location businesses.

Improve Your Google Business Profile With New Adventure Web Design & Digital Marketing

What does this change mean for New Adventure Web Design & Digital Marketing? Our core goal is to produce quick local map rankings for our clients.

Because New Adventure Web Design & Digital Marketing is constantly improving our services to keep up with Google’s ever-changing algorithm, we made major changes to our own services in sync with this coming update. Our monthly Google Maps Digital Marketing campaigns have been completely revamped with powered-up tactics, quicker results, and updated pricing plans.

We can help you navigate the new features of Google Business Profile. This will help your business attract new customers. Having an accurate business profile listing is the best way to get your business to appear in search results. Contact us to get started on your Google Business Profile or take advantage of our Digital Marketing Services today!