Those who manage a Google My Business profile from the desktop version may have noticed: recently, the notification inviting users to download the App to take advantage of the messaging service and directly receive messages from users has become particularly noticeable and persistent. The new feature, initially tested on a series of selected accounts, has been active for some time in the United States and will surely be one of the major novelties in the coming months.
“Markets are conversations,” one of the famous 95 theses of the Cluetrain Manifesto stated, developed in 1999 with the goal of analyzing the influence of the internet’s arrival on markets. More than twenty years later, this prophecy proves more true than ever: thanks to the internet, people can now easily and quickly get in direct contact with businesses, transforming from mere consumers (who received standard and impersonal communications and commercial offers) into prosumers, active participants with clearly defined desires and needs, and, above all, a strong desire to satisfy them quickly and easily. This is why businesses over the years have adapted their marketing strategies by investing time and resources in building quality relationships with their customers, progressively utilizing all available channels, from websites to company blogs to various social media platforms.
As was only natural, this logic is progressively extending to local businesses, such as stores, venues, and restaurants. It is in this context that the update to Google My Business should be understood, which in recent releases has increasingly highlighted the messaging feature. This means that the Google profile button, which appears next to the SERP when a search is made, is now visible at first glance, right next to the classic button for making phone calls. Users are therefore strongly encouraged to contact a business via message, starting a chat to get the information they need when choosing where to buy shoes, where to purchase new tiles for the kitchen, or where to order pizza for the evening.
Google My Business: A New Direct Communication Channel
The effectiveness of the new service is multiplied by the great visibility that the Google My Business profile has gained in recent years. The Google profile is in fact the first visible content when performing a local search, related to a business with a physical store that can be visited and to which users can be guided by the phone’s map. The button inviting users to send a message will progressively replace the phone icon that allows calling, favoring a more immediate communication channel in line with current trends.
When the new feature was launched in the United States in the summer of 2017, messages were exchanged through SMS. Today, a business wishing to receive messages from customers through the Google profile must download and install the Google My Business app on a mobile device. This way, it can view inquiries regarding information, price, availability, or service options and respond in real-time, contributing to building a productive relationship with users and “helping them” make their choice.
Naturally, it becomes essential to monitor this new communication channel. Once activated, it would be counterproductive not to respond to messages or do so with excessive delay. Typically, a user searching for useful information for their purchase is not willing to wait long before turning to a competitor. In this sense, the consistency (and speed) with which requests are satisfied is extremely important, as it can make the difference between a potential customer who decides to visit your store and one who chooses another shop that may have been faster in resolving their doubts.
The advice, therefore, is to avoid activating the messaging service if you fear you won’t be able to manage the incoming communication flow: the rule that it’s better to have one less channel than one more, but poorly managed, always applies.
The goal of providing tools to engage customers in conversations is also confirmed by the attention Facebook is giving to the role of Messenger. The messaging platform is being presented by the Palo Alto giant as increasingly central to marketing strategies. As we explained in an article a few days ago, “on March 4th, the Messenger platform changed its policy to make the experience of exchanging messages between users and businesses more stimulating, encouraging longer and more engaging conversations, prioritizing those initiated by users.”
Google My Business Updates for 2020
All the latest updates to GMB aim to represent an increasingly comprehensive portfolio of services offered by a business, creating a summary that is quick and easy to consult: the goal is always the same, to help businesses increase the famous ROI, the return on investment. Here’s a quick overview of these updates, which, once again, are novelties initially launched in the United States, with their arrival expected soon in our area.
Request a quote
With this feature, customers can directly send a request for a quote related to any of the services offered. The business receiving the request can respond via message from the App and start a conversation with the potential customer to try to close the sale.
Short names and short URLs
To capture user searches, who are often inclined to type short and easily memorable names when looking for a business on Google, GMB profiles allow you to associate a short name with your profile, making the URL much simpler. It will be structured as follows: g.page/business-name.
Questions and answers
The questions from potential customers are an important tool for aligning the offer of your products or services with user expectations. This is the spirit in which GMB profiles sometimes display a section dedicated to pre-written questions that are presented to users, who can select and send them to the profile manager. Again, to respond, it is necessary to use the App.
Set an appointment
This is perhaps the update that will have the most impact on local businesses. In addition to showing the homepage address of the website, the Google My Business profile now highlights the specific URL of the dedicated page (or a specific landing page) designed to collect appointments. For a user, this greatly simplifies the process compared to the traditional phone channel.
Google My Business in brief. What is it? What is it used for?
Google My Business (initially known as Google Local and Google Places) is the platform that powers Google business profiles and offers businesses the opportunity to appear in the so-called “local pack” – the display reserved for local searches related to businesses with a physical presence – and to manage how their information is displayed. The importance of this information is amplified by the fact that the data is prominently featured in the Knowledge Pack, Local Pack, and on maps. Let’s look at these tools one by one:
Google My Business Knowledge Pack
This is the box that appears in the top right corner of the search results page (on desktop; in the mobile version, it is even more prominent as it appears as the first element on the page) when a user searches for a term associated with a specific business. The name comes from the fact that the profile contains all the key information such as address, phone number, website, and directions.
Google My Business Local Pack
The Local Pack refers to the list of results that appear below the Google map when performing a local search.
Google Maps
Google Maps no longer needs an introduction; it is the main tool implemented to help users looking for directions or searching for a store, a specific business, or a particular location.
What are the benefits of opening a Google My Business profile?
Google My Business offers a range of features that no local business should go without, all united by three fundamental goals: reaching new customers, increasing business visibility, and ensuring that customers have quick access to the essential information they need.
These are searches that often go beyond simply discovering a new store location to focus on requests for directions, contact information, real-time foot traffic, and reviews from other users.
Without a Google My Business profile, a business loses the opportunity to appear on maps and in the Local Pack, running the risk of seeing incorrect information appear in the Knowledge Pack. This is because the Knowledge Pack is filled with information already available on the web, possibly added by other users.
Another great opportunity offered by Google My Business is the ability to collect and highlight user-generated reviews about your business. This allows you to showcase the quality of a product or service to potential customers, providing them with an essential tool to guide their decision-making process. According to the latest (and most credible) research, the opinion of other users who have already interacted with a business is one of the most influential factors in the user’s decision-making process. Additionally, positive reviews are one of the key ranking factors for Google profiles.
Last but not least, opening a Google My Business profile offers the opportunity to obtain valuable data and insights about users’ search activity, which are useful for refining commercial and marketing strategies: the number of times your profile, photos, or posts are viewed, the search terms users use to find your profile, and the demographics of the people searching for your business (age, gender, location, interests).
Want to know more about how to best manage your Google My Business profile? Send an email to info@mentarossa.it, and we’ll be happy to chat!
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