Pagoda Blog

If you’re a local business, creating and regularly managing a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) can help drive new customers to your website, generate valuable social proof, and improve your ability to stay connected with potential customers. 

 

It’s a free way to boost your local SEO and to top it off, most people will view your Google My Business profile first, before visiting your website. This is why it’s so important to complete your profile and make sure it clearly conveys at least the basics: What service or product you provide, where to find you, and how to contact you. 

 

There are several new updates to Google Business Profile that can help you do all of the above. If you haven’t yet set up or claimed your profile, check out this post to get started.  

 

Update #1) Websites made with Google Business Profiles expire 

If you made a website with Google Business Profile, that website was retired as of March 5, 2024 and will now show a ‘page not found’ error. This means that a) you really need to create a website on an existing platform and b) it’s that much more important for you to optimize your Google Business Profile. Read on for more details on making your profile work as an effective marketing tool.   

 

Update #2) Get social through Google Business Profile 

Google Business Profile now lets you connect your social media profiles. Why is this important? Often, the first result potential customers see when searching for your business is your Google Business Profile and if you conduct most of your customer interactions through social media profiles, this gives you a quick and direct way to send folks to these platforms. To add links to Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and more, simply click ‘Edit Profile’ → ‘Contact.’ 

 

Update #3) Quickly edit your profile through Google Search 

Simply search for your business on Google or in Google Maps and then click ‘Edit’ in the Google Business Profile result. Before, it was necessary to either use the app or search for “Google My Business” in order to find the URL to your listing. This new update will come as a huge relief to anyone who has ever struggled to simply find their own listing to make an edit. When searching for your business in Google, make sure you are logged into the associated Google account for this to work. 

 

Update #4) Google messaging now on desktop 

Messaging was previously only available through the app but now desktop users can also access this valuable Google Business Profile feature. The Google Messaging tool can help you to streamline communication with customers and provide more of a high-touch customer service experience. Through your profile, you can activate or deactivate chats depending on when you have team members available to interact with customers. You can track message views, set up SMS alerts to notify you of new messages, add frequently asked questions, and even create an automatic welcome message that greets users when they begin a chat. 

 

Google Business Profile: Your free SEO tool 

Google Business Profile is your free local SEO tool and if you qualify for one, creating and regularly updating your profile is a marketing no-brainer. Make sure that in addition to taking advantage of the new updates listed above, you also complete your profile with the basics (business description, hours, type of business, and contact info). You can also utilize it as another marketing tool for your content: Publish photos and updates (links to your blog posts are perfect for this) and ask customers for reviews. 

 

We think this quote from Phil Frost of Main Street ROI sums it up best: 

 

“Successful SEO is not about tricking Google. It’s about partnering with Google to provide the best search results for Google’s users.” 

 

Feature Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

 

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About Pagoda Technologies IT services

Based in Santa Cruz, California, Pagoda Technologies provides trusted IT support to businesses and IT departments throughout Silicon Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area and across the globe. To learn how Pagoda Technologies can help your business, email us at support@pagoda-tech.com to schedule a complimentary IT consultation.