Local SEO is having a moment, with more and more small businesses claiming their local listings, keeping their information up to date and fighting for a coveted Local Pack position on search engine results pages (SERPs). Search engines like Google have proven that the best way to attract physical visitors to a brick-and-mortar business is by targeting potential customers online. And all this has been possible through Google My Business (GMB), the company’s tool that enables businesses to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps.
GMB has been invaluable for countless businesses. It feels like we barely got to know her; we had so much more to learn – and yet, GMB is retiring. That’s right. Soon, GMB will be no more, replaced by a successor, Google Business Profile.
In an announcement posted on its Ads & Commerce Blog, Google said it would be migrating all GMB features to Maps and Search and rolling out new ways for businesses to manage their profile directly on Google Search and the Google Maps app. These new features come with a new name. In its blog, Google said:
“Moving forward, we recommend small businesses manage their profiles directly on Search or Maps. To keep things simple, ‘Google My Business’ is being renamed ‘Google Business Profile.’ And in 2022, we’ll retire the Google My Business app so more merchants can take advantage of the upgraded experience on Search and Maps.”
With the GMB app soon to be defunct, the update will mean a couple of things. Firstly, single-location businesses are being encouraged to manage their listings directly on Google Search or Maps rather than the GMB console. Meanwhile, the existing GMB web experience, which has proven invaluable for multi-location businesses, will be renamed Business Profile Manager and will exist primarily to support franchise businesses.
There’s no need for any major concern among business owners and SEOs. Business Profile Manager should retain all the features and functionality you’ve learned to love about GMB, although we can expect some additional capabilities to be introduced when the time comes. Many of these changes will only be live next year, but it’s definitely not too early to read up on how to claim your Google Business Profile and get familiar with what will soon be your new and improved local SEO lifeline.
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