Category: Google Maps

Over the past week I’ve been hearing that some Google Business Profiles are vanishing or disappearing. I am told that Google is aware of the complaints and are investigating, but that was last week.

For the past several months, we’ve been seeing signs that the Google Maps and local questions and answers feature is being phased out. Well, it seems like it is not going away but rather changed when it does and does not show.

Google added a new type of data point to the Google Business Profiles performance reports named Chat Clicks. Chat clicks show you how many people are clicking over from your chat conversations in the local and maps results within Google Search and Maps.

I am seeing some complaints within the local SEO community about a surge or spike in name changes happening to Google Business Profiles. It is unclear how widespread the issue is, or if there is a pattern to the issue or not – at least at this point i…

For the past few weeks or so, Google has a bug where the right side knowledge panel goes missing for business owners when you try to bring up your business listing in Google Search. This is not impacting everyone and it can be random but Google is supp…

Last month we shared the spam efforts the Google Maps team announced – but did you know that in 2024 Google had almost one billion reviews published within Google Maps? That is 999 million reviews, 752 million photos and videos and 94 million place ed…

Google is rolling out a new feature for Google Business Profiles named What’s Happening. This feature is for bars or restaurants to better promote events, deals, and specials prominently at the top of their Google Business Profile.

Google is testing new buttons and tags on its local listings and local ads. These include a new “read reviews” button, various appointment tags and other business descriptive tags.

Google is testing new buttons and tags on its local listings and local ads. These include a new “read reviews” button, various appointment tags and other business descriptive tags.

Google Business Profiles has another bug, this time with the toggle to hide or show the business address. The toggle for “Show business address to customers” just does not work – I even tried it myself and it is not working for my business.

Google is now sending emails to business owners when a Google Business Profile information edit was rejected. The email subject line says “A recent information edit was rejected,” and then it tells you more details on why and allows you to read the pol…

Google may be testing replacing local pack at the top of the Google Search results for “near me” related queries with an AI Overview. So instead of showing a map and the three or so local listings, Google is showing an AI Overview with some local info…

Google is testing showing AI Overviews on the right hand side of the search results page. I am not sure if this is specific to local queries and a replacement of sorts for the local panel, I hope not.

Google seems to be testing linking the “Reviews” button you see in the local panel, on a Google Business Profile, to AI Overviews. So when you search for a business, see the local panel on the right side, and then click on “reviews,” you are taken to …

Google seems to be testing linking the “Reviews” button you see in the local panel, on a Google Business Profile, to AI Overviews. So when you search for a business, see the local panel on the right side, and then click on “reviews,” you are taken to …

Google’s Lisa Landsman interviewed Google’s Google Business Profiles Verification Product Manager, Sheerna. They discussed a lot of the concerns many local SEOs and small businesses are dealing with around GBPs and also the challenges they have with m…

Google Posts/Updates are starting to disappear from the local panels within Google Search. I saw complaints about this yesterday and tested it by adding a post myself on my business, it was there, until it wasn’t. Now I see a huge number of complaints…

Google has added video previews to the video verification within Google Business Profiles. Google’s Lisa Landsman said this will help with “submitting, ensuring clarity and accuracy ‘” saving you valuable time and reducing the need for resubmissions.”

Google is testing promoting the Google Maps app in the desktop interface of Google Maps. Google is placing a little icon at the bottom left corner of the desktop interface that says “Mobile app.” When you click on it, it takes you to an overlay that h…

Last November, Google began using AI to generate review summaries in Google Maps. Well, now they seem to be showing up in the local knowledge panels on the right side of the Google Search results page.