Have
you signed into your Google Business Profile (GBP) recently to make
updates? You may have noticed that your GBP dashboard is in a different
area and formatted differently.
Gone are the days of the Google My Business interface. Late last year, Google officially moved the admin area from a separate dashboard directly into SERPs (search engine results pages). While it's a significant update, it can be easy to navigate once you’ve explored it.
How to Use the Google Business Profile Interface
The new
dashboard is shown in the figure below. You will find your reviews,
messages, performance information, bookings, profile, and more displayed
in the new format. From this latest view, you can also see how your business appears in the Knowledge Panel.
To help
guide you through navigating this update, we wanted to share how to
locate some of the features you often use to keep your Google listing
up-to-date and in top form.
Where to Update Your Address and More
For basic
listing updates, go to “Edit Profile” on the upper left of the
dashboard. From here, you can update your business name, hours, address,
website, etc. Remember to fill out as many details as possible! Google
prefers a complete listing.
Read and Respond to Google Reviews
In the “Read
Reviews” section, you can see your reviews and post responses to
positive and negative reviews. Reviews can be organized by relevance,
time, or rating. Reputation management is a vital part of running a
small business, which is a crucial area in the GBP dashboard.
Where to Post Business Updates and Offers
Go to the
“Add Update” icon to post offers, business updates, and events. Posting
regularly can help keep your customers engaged and up-to-date on what’s
happening in your business.
Where to Find Page Metrics
GBP
page Insights can now be found under the Performance tab. See how
customers interact with your page by looking at calls, website clicks,
direction requests, and more. Find out which keywords or keyword phrases
your Business Profile is showing up for in search results. The
Performance Breakdown reveals the platform and devices being used to
find your Google profile.
Additional GBP Dashboard Features
Messages – Respond to messages from prospective/current clients
Add Photo – Add staff or office photos, logo, and more
Insurance – Highlight the different insurance plans your company accepts
Edit Products – Very similar to GBP posts where you can display the different products your business offers
Edit Services – Add individual services your business provides under each category
Bookings – Add a link to your online booking tool or contact page on your website
Q & A – Monitor the questions coming directly from users and provide insightful and timely answers
Adding Page New Owners and Managers
A few items
from the old dashboard take a little digging to discover in this new
layout. Many businesses require multiple page managers to maintain their
profiles, and this feature does not have an icon on the main dashboard.
To access this area, follow these steps:
From the main view, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and choose “Business Profile Settings.”
Go to the Managers section.
Click the Add icon, enter the email of the individual you wish to invite, assign the level of access, and then hit Invite.
While this
change can be jarring for those who have used Google Business Profile
for some time, the new dashboard is here to stay and will get easier to
navigate with regular use.
Please contact your marketing coach
if you have questions about accessing your Google Business Profile
dashboard or if you need more information on optimizing your Google
listing.