Guide to the Google Business Profile Migration for Balloon Decor businesses
In 2021 Google started transitioning the Google My Business profile and My Business app (commonly abbreviated as GMB) over to the Google Maps platform. In the Google Maps world the profile is known as the Google Business Profile.
As of mid-2022 this transition is in progress and Google is pushing profile owners over to the new Business Profile version to manage business data. But is this a good change? How should business owners manage their profiles? And is the “old Google My Business” profile going to stick around? Let’s get these questions answered.
History of Google My Business
Google My Business came on to the scene as Google realized it needed to greatly improve the data it had available about businesses and the best way to do that was to ask business owners to provide their own data.
As the new profile launched it became really easy to give Google good information about a business including photos, business hours, contact information, customer chat and messages, and a website link.
Over time they rolled out an Android and iPhone app called My Business (among other names) and added reviews, posts, products, services, appointment links and more to the profile. Managing the profile online using
https://business.google.com became the go-to management solution.
Starting around 2017 this was the Go-To business listing to get right and spend time on because 80% of the world’s searches were using Google and businesses were given exclusive placement using this information.
Bing and Apple Maps had their own directories tied to their maps but they were just scrambling to keep up with adoption of the Google My Business data.
During the COVID-19 pandemic this profile was likely the most critical tool businesses used to keep customers informed on whether they were open and how to reach them because for the first time internet users couldn’t trust that what they saw online was accurate.
Starting in 2020 Google began making a push to move the management of Google My Business profiles into Google Maps itself. Shortly thereafter the name of Google Business Profile was observed and started taking over the old “My Business” stomping grounds.
The Transition to Google Business Profile
As of early 2022, Google started showing profile management tools directly in Google Search Results pages and on Google Maps. And, when loading Business.Google.com business owners are directed over to Google Maps to update their profile.
Clearly Google is working through a transition away from the traditional apps and website and wants profile owners to manage this data in Maps.
As of mid-2022 messages are now coming through the Google Maps app for logged in business profile owners, for example.
As of late 2022 we’re seeing most management capability in Google Maps though the My Business profile management tools are still working for areas not yet transitioned (some analytics, user management, and some post or update types).
What You Should Do
Other than needing to keep up with where to manage business data, the old Google My Business site or Google Search Results or Google Maps, there’s really no change to the profile being shown to searchers. This is the most important business listing to have for Balloon Decor and Balloon Twisters by far.
But, if you don’t have Bing, or Apple Maps, Duck Duck Go, or the 20 or so other standard business listings please reach out to subscribe to Local SEO service so we can help your business show more highly in search results on all search engines.
We recommend that you begin making content updates by simply searching for your business by name in Google and following the options provided there, or on Google Maps.
As of September 2022 we’re recommending businesses keep using
https://business.google.com for:
- Adding and removing users
- Viewing analytics (not everything is available in maps yet)
- Anything else you cannot find in the new search results helper or Google Maps app
Recommended areas to keep up to date on the Google Business Profile:
- Name
- Phone
- Hours
- Website
- Phone
- Appointment link
- Ordering link
- Business description
- Business category
- Logo
- Primary photo
- Additional photos
Disclaimer: This publication and the information included in it are not intended to serve as a substitute for consultation with business consultants and professionals. Specific business, financial, legal issues, concerns and conditions always require the advice of appropriate professionals. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the participant and do not represent the views or opinions of Balloon Suite.
