As has been shown in our previous articles, that is not the first rebranding of Google’s tool for location-based businesses. Google My Business has been with us for 7 years (actually the longest term) but the current change reflects the adjustment to the market evolution. During that period Google My Business became a crucial factor for local search ranking not only for small businesses but also for big brands.
As small businesses will be able to manage their listings directly from Google Search and Maps, the Google Business Profile application will be catered towards multi-location businesses. That is also reflected in the name change, from quite personal “My Business” to a more abstract “Business Profile”. Interestingly, larger-sized businesses can also manage their profiles using Google Search and Maps, but of course, via the Google Business Profile application, it will be way more convenient.
Small businesses definitely need to get ready that the GMB application will be retired in 2022. As was highlighted in one of the Near Memo episodes Google Business Profile is still a highly underutilized tool, which gives small businesses without any budget a free option to optimize their online presence and attract new clients from online to offline. For the multi-location brands, it’s already not that easy, so you might still need some help from agencies that have API integration.
In our following articles we will definitely cover more on Google Business Profile and Local SEO. So, let's keep in touch :)
