Staying informed about the latest updates is crucial for business owners. This compendium highlights essential changes and enhancements that can impact your online presence and strategy. From shifts in platform policies to emerging trends, these updates are designed to equip you with the knowledge needed to navigate the digital marketplace effectively. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a small business owner, understanding these developments will help you adapt and thrive in today’s competitive environment.
Discover what Google Business Profiles is and how it can help you promote your business online. Learn how to create a profile, manage it, and get the most out of its features.
Google Business Profile Update on Service-Area Businesses
Recent updates to Google Business Profile have introduced new restrictions for service-area businesses that offer products or services requiring customers to meet a minimum age requirement, such as alcohol, cannabis, or weapons. Under these guidelines, businesses in these categories can no longer operate as service-area businesses unless they maintain a physical storefront.
This change aims to enhance compliance with legal regulations and ensure that age-restricted products are marketed responsibly. As a result, companies offering these services must now establish a brick-and-mortar location to serve their customers through Google’s platform effectively. This move helps protect consumers and promotes transparency and accountability within the marketplace.
Businesses affected by this update should consider reviewing their profiles and adjusting their operational strategies accordingly. Establishing a physical presence may open new opportunities for customer engagement while adhering to Google’s policies and local laws regarding age-restricted sales.
Source: https://support.google.com/business/answer/9157481?hl=en
Follow Google Business Profile guidelines with ease
This post provides Google’s guidelines to avoid suspension of the profile. The guidelines cover various aspects, such as business name, accurate business hours, and account-level restrictions. It also mentions the preferred method of managing the profile and the consequences of violating the guidelines.
Source: https://searchengineland.com/how-to-follow-google-business-profile-guidelines-432177
Google Business “profile strength” label is now live
The widget shows how complete your Google Business Profile is. However, SEO experts seem unhappy about the label after noticing that the profile is incomplete if the business does not use all of its features, such as Ads.
Source: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-business-profile-profile-strength-status-34928.html
Google Posts Insights gone
- Google has removed the ability to see insights on Google Posts, which was a feature that allowed users to see how their posts were performing in terms of views, clicks, and engagement.
- The feature was part of the Google My Business platform and was used by businesses to track the performance of their posts on Google Maps and Search.
- Google has not provided a reason for removing the feature or announced plans to bring it back.
- The removal of the feature means that businesses will no longer be able to track the performance of their posts and make data-driven decisions about their Google My Business presence.
- Users noticed the feature was gone from the end of December 2021 onwards.
- Removing the feature is a loss for businesses as it will be harder for them to track the performance of their posts and make data-driven decisions about their Google My Business presence.
- Many users are disappointed with the removal of this feature and are looking for alternatives to track the performance of their posts on Google.
Source: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-posts-insights-gone-34752.html
Users can now crop photos uploaded to Google Posts or Updates section on Google Business Profiles
2022 December 2
You will see the cropping icon on the corner of the uploaded photo.
Source: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-updates-adds-cropping-photo-tool-34417.html