Category: Google Maps

Google is testing adding a “view as customer” link to your Google Business Profile web search dashboard. This, I assume, allows you to view your business listing in web search as a customer would see it and not as you, the owner, would see it.

Google has launched a new help document that gives business owners an overview of the Google Business Profile policies. I received an email about this update yesterday that read, “we’re simplifying our policies and guidelines.”

Google has updated the Google Business Profile food ordering section with more options and settings. This feature was in the old Google My Business section but was updated recently in the new Google Business Profile interface.

Google seems to be testing categorizing the review by the type of review in the Google Maps and Local reviews section. So if you have a couple on vacation leaving a review versus a solo traveler or family, it will say so.

Google has moved the way to add an appointment link in your Google Business Profile. It use to be within the edit profile section and is now available in the main “Booking” section.

Google Business Profiles messaging feature may be rolling out the ability to set your status to respond to messages and the ability to configure your away mode.

Google seems to be testing a new hotel search feature that lets you compare sites using a carousel and a new search filter. The carousel shows you comparable hotels that you can click to see more, bringing up a “compare sites” filter to browse more ho…

Google Business Profiles seems to be rolling out a new FAQ feature where Google will automatically create FAQs based on your Google Business Profile details and your website.

Google has removed the call tracking feature from Google Business Profiles. Supposedly this was a very buggy feature that would not work well and sometimes send calls to the wrong number.

Now when you update your business hours, and maybe other information, on your Google Local Service Ads, those updates will be synced up with your Google Business Profiles within 24 hours.

Did you know that the new Google Search Generative Experience that launched to us a month ago shows nearby stores that have products in stock directly in the generative AI answer. This might not be new, but based on my early tests, I don’t believe I’v…

Google has added a “by owner” button to the local panel, the local business profile listing, within Google Search. When you click on it, it shows you the business description and Google Posts/Updates provided by the business owner.

Google has added red dots to the unread reviews, messages and other items on your Google Business Profile web search dashboard. If Google thinks you have not seen a new review, it will mark the reviews icon with a red dot until you click on it and rea…

Google mobile search results can show the Google Business Profile listing in one section and the reviews later down in another section. I am pretty sure I’ve seen this on and off over the past year or so, but I can’t find my coverage of it.

Google Business Profiles seems to have added more options to when you should be notified from the platform. The list includes 13 different notification categories you can turn on or off under the notifications menu for your Google Business Profile.

A recent small study by Joy Hawkins showed that if you remove the address from your Google Business Profile listings your rankings in the local pack and in Google Maps will significantly suffer.

Google had filed a lawsuit against a company that allegedly created fake Google Business Profiles and tons of fake reviews. Google said it filed the suit “to help put an end to these types of malicious schemes.”

In February, Google added a “Business” tab to the Android Google Maps app for those who have verified Google Business Profiles. Now that feature is live in the iOS version of the Google Maps app.

There has been some chatter within the local SEO community over the weekend that reviews are going missing from within Google Local Service Ads listings. Some say Google is cleaning up fake reviews or reviews that are against its guidelines, some are s…

Google Business Profile listings in the Google mobile search results never showed videos in the image portion of the listing that were longer than 30 seconds. Now, it seems Google is showing 30 second or longer videos for some of those listings in mobi…