By Abigail Leow
You know what they say—good things come in threes. And July 2023 has certainly lived up to that for Google Business Profile (GBP) managers. From saying goodbye to a problematic feature to the introduction of some long-overdue upgrades, Google has been quietly rolling out updates that make managing your GBP just a little bit easier. Let’s break down the latest changes.
Goodbye, GBP Call Tracking
Let’s start with the big one—Google has finally pulled the plug on the GBP call tracking feature. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of dealing with this, you’ll know why this is worth celebrating. The feature was notorious for misrouting calls, leading to customer confusion and, ultimately, missed business opportunities.
Ben Fisher, a prominent voice in the local SEO community, was one of the first to spot this change on Twitter. The response? Relief across the board.
No more frustrating misrouted calls. No more explaining to customers why they ended up talking to the wrong business. Google listened, and we’re all better off for it.
The GBP Messaging Features We Didn’t Know We Needed
Google didn’t just stop at cleaning up old messes; they’ve also been busy adding some new tools to the GBP arsenal. Let’s talk about the messaging features that have quietly slipped into your dashboard.
Availability Status
This one’s been a bit of a mystery—some say it’s new, some say it’s been around longer than we think. But as of July 25th, it’s officially on the radar. The availability status feature allows you to toggle your messaging availability and manage your away mode, making it easier to communicate with customers when you’re actually available.
Google’s note that this feature is “currently available to some users” with a broader rollout coming soon suggests it’s a fresh addition, and it’s a welcome one. Now you can avoid the awkwardness of leaving customers hanging when you’re not around to respond.
Automated FAQs
In another small but mighty update, Google has introduced an “Automatic FAQs” option within GBP messaging. This feature takes the legwork out of setting up FAQs by allowing Google to generate questions and answers based on the information in your Business Profile and website.
Here’s how it works: when a customer starts a conversation via the messaging feature, they’ll be presented with a list of FAQs, such as your business hours, location, and payment options. While you previously had to populate these questions manually, Google’s new automated option does the heavy lifting for you.
The feature also allows you to include specific business information in these automated FAQs, although there’s some redundancy here since it seems to pull from your business info anyway. We’re hopeful that this option will expand to include even more types of information down the road.
Through the Eyes of the Customer
One of the most under-the-radar updates—yet possibly the most impactful—is the ability to view your GBP as a customer. This feature lets you see exactly what your customers see, making it easier to spot gaps, inconsistencies, or opportunities for improvement.
It’s a small change, but one that could make a big difference in how businesses optimize their profiles. And honestly, we’re wondering why this wasn’t a feature from the start.
Our Thoughts
While these updates might seem minor, they’re all steps in the right direction. Google is clearly working to make GBP more user-friendly and efficient for businesses of all sizes. We’re all for it—let’s hope the trend continues.
Have you noticed any new GBP features we didn’t cover? Jump into our Facebook community, The Local Pack, and let us know!
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