Yes, it’s true, the Google My Business App is no longer available. We all knew it was coming but we hoped it couldn’t be true! However, when a user clicks to open the Google My Business app on their phone, they now get a message directing them to manage their Google Business Profile (GBP) from search results or Google Maps.
For agencies that manage multiple Google Business Profiles like we do here at Klages Web Design, the Google Business Profile Manager is still available. The difficulty arises for those businesses or local marketers that are managers of only one GBP.
You can do all the same things from search on mobile that you can do from the Business Profile Manager – it just takes a few more clicks. Shown below is an example of how it looks when editing a Google Business Profile in search results on a mobile device.
With the mobile app going away, another of the biggest changes concerns notifications. Businesses (or those who manage a business’ GBP) need to make sure they have it set so they receive notifications about the business via email.
Plus, if messaging is turned on, make sure you have Google Maps set to give you notifications, so you can know right away if someone messaged a GBP that you manage.
While we are on the subject of managing a Google Business Profile, have you noticed an increase in others trying to assume ownership of your clients’ GBPs? Several of our partners have contacted us regarding this issue.
This seems to happen more often to the businesses that are not regularly updating and monitoring their GBP. We work to ensure that the email address we use to manage our clients’ GBPs is being monitored.
In the past, agencies like Klages Web Design would create a placeholder Gmail account to admin their clients’ GBPs, but they would not regularly read the emails received at the account. We always do!
However, did you know that if someone requests ownership of a Google Business Profile and the request isn’t rejected within three days by someone that manages the listing, ownership can be granted to the user requesting ownership? When that transpires, they can actually remove the real owner and managers! This tactic is used against Google Business Profiles all the time.
Picture this… it’s Friday 9 a.m., and a spammer requests ownership of your GBP. Monday 9 a.m. is three days away. Scary thought, right? Over that weekend you could lose ownership of your Google Business Profile.
This example also shows exactly why a business should have multiple managers of a GBP. What if the owner was to be out of town with no access to email for the three days? Eeek!
A GBP that goes unmanaged can have havoc wreaked upon it. In just one example, a Google Business profile got renamed because it wasn’t being monitored. From competitors getting a GBP removed completely to spammers taking it over, no business can afford letting their Google Business Profile go unmanaged.
CONTACT Klages Web Design and we can do a check-up on your Google Business Listing, ensure proper ownership and update the details to be current to your business, the services you provide or the items you sell. New pictures, current information, all of these things being updated can really help secure your business’s listing with Google. CALL Klages Web Design today!
