“How To Edit Your Google Business Profile” is a guest post by Sherry Bonelli.
Getting your local business to rank high on Google Search and Maps organically continues to be one of the best ways for local businesses to get more website visits, calls, customers to their physical location– and more sales. And ranking in the Local Pack, Local Finder, and on Google Maps are the prized spots that local businesses strive for. The only way to get in those coveted spots is for qualified local business owners to claim and optimize their Google Business Profiles (GBP).
Google My Business Becomes Google Business Profile
Last fall Google changed the name of their business listing product from Google My Business to Google Business Profile.
Along with the name change, other changes came with it. One of the major changes was how businesses can manage their business listing.
There are now three ways to manage your Google Business Profile.
What Are The Three Ways To Manage Your Google Business Profile?
When Google announced the name change, they also announced a new way for people to manage their Google Business Profile – through the Google Maps App. It was also revealed that the Google My Business app was going away this year (in 2022), so being able to use the Maps App to manage your business locations’ listings seems to be the “replacement” for the GMB app.
Now, the three ways to best manage your Google Business Profile are:
Business Profile Manager
Before the name switch, most users managed their business listing from the Business Profile Manager (formerly known as the Google My Business “dashboard.”) This interface is streamlined and fairly easy to use and understand. It’s best to use this if you manage multiple profiles/locations.
Directly From Google Search
People have been able to manage their Business Profiles from Google Search since 2017, but most business owners and managers weren’t aware of the feature (or weren’t making use of this management feature.) Google has added more functionality in Google Search GBP management making it more robust and easier to use. You can now even claim your Business Profile directly from search! Using Google Search to manage your Business Profile is best for businesses that have only one profile/location.
Google Maps App
Google announced that you could now manage your business on mobile devices. This was a new development!
Using Google Search and the Google Maps App to manage your business does come with a few challenges, though. One of those challenges? Certain features to manage your Business Profile may vary between Google Search and the Maps App – and they can even depend on what operating system you’re using (like Apple iOS or Android.)
How To Manage Your Google Business Profile From The Business Profile Manager
If you’re a digital marketing agency or a business with several physical locations and manage multiple Business Profiles, the best way to manage them is to use the Business Profile Manager. To get started, make sure you’re logged in using the email address you used to claim/manage your Google Business Profiles. Then visit https://business.google.com/
Next, you’ll see all the businesses you manage on a nice, neat screen:
To start managing one of your Business Profiles, just click on the business’s name you want to manage, and you’ll see its dashboard:
From here you can manage everything you need to make a robust Google Business Profile full of information for your customers – or potential customers. You can edit your business information, choose your primary category, create posts, add business attributes, fix any information Google (or users) may have changed, message with customers – you name it!
Here’s a very brief rundown of just some of the things you can do. (To include all the additional features is more than we can cover in this article.)
Posts
Create business Posts to keep people informed on what’s going on at your business. Determine the type of post that best matches your needs as there are a few different post types.
Info
This is where you fill out the important information about your business, like your company’s name, business description, physical address, business categories, business hours of operation, and more.
Insights
Check and see how many people have viewed your Google Business Profile, called your business, got directions to your location, visited your website, and more.
Reviews
Here you’ll find all your online reviews. You can reply to those customer reviews directly from this spot.
Calls
If you have the calls feature turned on, when a customer uses the “Call” button on your Business Profile, the call shows here. You can see recent calls, missed calls, and more.
Messages
Messages are a great way to chat with your customers in real-time and improve the customer experience. Turn this feature on and manage your chats in this section.
Photos
Adding business-specific photos and videos helps build engagement. Showcase your business’ personality with photos of your storefront and inside.
Products and Services
Let your customers know about the products and business services you have to offer at your business. This is a great way to promote what your company has for sale!
Website
If you want to create a Google website, this is the place to go!
Users
If you need help managing your Google Business Profile, you can add users here so each person has their own login info. Make sure you understand the various user roles and what each user can and cannot do. If someone leaves your company, you can also delete users.
NOTE: You can access most of these features through Google Search and the Maps mobile app.
How To Manage Your Google Business Profile Directly From Google Search
Most users only have one location to manage. Because of that, Google encourages the majority of GBP users to manage their profiles directly from Google Search. And it makes sense because nearly everyone has Google search open on their computer during the day anyway. (Keep in mind that if you manage more than 100 businesses through a single account, you won’t be able to manage your Business Profiles through Google search.)
Once you have verified your Business Profile, you can start editing and managing your Business Profile right from Google Search.
NOTE: If you were recently verified or added as an owner or manager, it could take 14 days before you get the option to manage the profile directly on Google search, but you can use the Business Profile Manager to manage your profile in the meantime.
To get started managing your Business Profile on Google Search, make sure you sign into the Google email account you use to manage your Business Profile. Then, to get to your Business Profile, do a Google Search for your exact business name (and maybe add your city.)
You can also just search for “my business.” If you need to manage a specific Business Profile, click “View Profile.”
You will be doing most of your work using the Menu and Chips (it sounds like you’re at a Surf ‘n Turf restaurant, doesn’t it?)
In the Menu, you can do some of the main functionality of managing your Business Profile. (Warning: Don’t be surprised if you click on some of these features and you are automatically bounced to the Business Profile Manager. It can seem a bit jolting at first – so don’t be too shocked when it happens.)
Edit Profile
From the Edit Profile menu, you can edit your business information, hours, add and delete products and services and upload photos and videos.
Promote
In the promote section you can check your GBP insights, add photos, ask customers for reviews, create posts, and more.
Customers
In the customers’ menu you can see and reply to business reviews, see the incoming calls, read and reply to messages/chat if you have that feature turned on, and (finally!) answer questions that are asked in the Q&A section.
You will also see a variety of chips that allow you to do an assortment of other things. For instance, if you click on the “Get more reviews” chip, you will get a shortened URL that you can give to customers so they can leave a review for you directly on your Google Business Profile as well as ways to share that link. Go ahead and look at the various chips you have available.
How To Manage Your Google Business Profile From The Google Maps App
If you’re on the go and want to manage your Google Business Profile from your mobile device using the Google Maps App, simply open the Maps App and enter your business name in the search field:
NOTE: You may need to do the following steps when you first use the Google Maps App:
- To open your Business Profile, in the top right, tap Account Circle Your Business Profile.
- Choose from the available options, like Editor Add photo.
Your Business Profile should appear and if you scroll down a bit, you’ll see the familiar Menu and Chips:
Just like on Google Search, you can manage your Business Profile in similar ways.
One nice feature is you can see updates on the Maps App. This is a nice way to quickly see things that you need to take care of/address:
And if you have the messages/chat feature turned on, the Google Maps App will even send notifications and update alerts to your mobile device!
Be sure to play around with the Google Maps App and check out the features that are available to you.
More Ways To Manage Means There’s No Reason Not To Keep Your Business Profile Updated
Now that Google gives you several ways to manage and keep your business details up to date, you have NO excuse not to have a pristine Business Profile. Utilize these ways throughout the day – use the Business Profile Manager or Google Search while you’re working at your computer to check and make sure no malicious changes were made to your Business Profile or respond to reviews. And when you’re out running errands for lunch, use the Maps App for direct messaging with customers if you get a notification about a quote request or a chat.
Google gives you all the tools you need to keep in touch with your current customers – and potential customers!
Author Bio:
Sherry Bonelli, owner of early bird digital marketing, is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and digital marketing professional with 23+ years of experience. Her digital marketing agency, early bird digital marketing, serves clients all over the country.
Sherry is a Google Business Profile Gold Product Expert and is a columnist for leading marketing websites like Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land, MOZ, Adweek, and others. She received Search Engine Land’s 2018 SEO Contributor of the Year Award.
She is a recognized presenter and speaker at leading digital marketing conferences, podcasts, and webinars like Traffic & Conversion Summit (2018, 2019, 2021), State of Search, Digital Marketer, SCORE, MOZ, Edge of the Web, Local Marketing Institute, Midwest Digital Marketing Conference, Duct Tape Marketing and others. Sherry holds a Master’s Degree in Internet Marketing. She is also a LinkedIn Learning Instructor, Adjunct Instructor for several colleges and universities, and is the host of The Marketing Plan Podcast.
You can find out more information by visiting https://earlybirddigitalmarketing.com or by calling 319-409-3287