Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

Linda Buquet · Sep 29, 2015

<img src="http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/GMBnav.jpg" alt="GMBnav" width="85%" />

Google My Business Navigation Update

Google is rolling out a nice update that improves the navigation and UI for both the single listing and the GMBL platforms.

One really cool thing too is that it unifies everything into one dashboard now. So for big agencies you can see your single location clients AND your big chains AND listings you manage all in one central dashboard.

Overall it's just much easier to find what you need and get where you want to go!

WHEN? It's starting to roll out right now to a small % of users. Will gradually roll out to all in about a week.

In the screenshot above you see the new layout of the main dashboard with tabbed menu and breadcrumbs to make it easier to know where you are at.

Then if you click the 3 lines on the top left you'll see a drop down menu.

The new GMB Menu provides easy access to:

.:. GMB features
.:. Google+ Page
.:. Adding locations
.:. Adding brand pages
.:. Managers
.:. Settings
.:. Contacting support

Google My Business Locations

<img src="http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/GMBbulkNav.jpg" alt="GMBbulkNav" width="85%" />

The GMBL (bulk locations) interface got several new updates. Above you see Card view which shows locations and you can also in the top on top get to just brand pages if you have them. More new features are listed in the summary at the bottom.

The new GMBL Menu provides easy access to:

.:. List filtering
.:. To-do list
.:. Brand Pages
.:. Contacting support

One other new thing, some of you may be interested in. In the past you could only use GMBL if you had a brand with more than 10 location. Now if you have less than 10 you can still use it for managing listings if that's easier for you. You don't automatically get white listed for verifying all the locations, but management could be easier. Your choice.

Here is a summary of features from the Google Hangout we just had to preview the update.

Enjoy the update - Should make for smoother sailing!

Questions??? I either have answers or can get them for you.

Ready, set GO! Check those dashboards.

ARE YOU SEEING THE UPDATE YET?
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Scott Rawlins · Sep 29, 2015

Thanks for sharing Linda. This should make things a little easier for us.

Linda Buquet · Sep 29, 2015

Yes, and the big thing for me is seeing that GMB and L continues to improve.

It's important to see that Google is committed to local and continuing to put resources there. I know many, with the deletion of the G+ L links wonders how important local is now. But it's just the page itself that's diminished and the ability to get to it harder.

However the data you put in the dashboard is still really important - but instead of the focus being on a single stand alone G+ page - the data just shows up various ways right in Google Search, Google Maps and the Knowledge Graph.

Linda Buquet · Sep 29, 2015

Some of you may wonder when the update will hit your country.

Priya Chandra who is in Australia just said to me on G+:

"It does look good Linda - fingers crossed the update makes it Down Under sooner rather than later!"

My reply:

"Thanks for letting us know Priya. Google said on the call it's not an update that rolls out country by country. It's worldwide but in small batches. So a % of AU could have it already, it just has not made it's way to you yet."

Gerry.Foster · Sep 29, 2015

I spent all day in the dashboard (insights etc) for reporting. I definitely didn't see it. However, I CAN'T EVEN CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT TO EXPERIENCE IT!

Linda Buquet · Sep 29, 2015

Haha! Hope you are among the 1st Gerry!

Cori Shirk · Sep 29, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

Does the new "insights" tab report in aggregate for multi location accounts?? If so this is the day I've been dreaming of since I first got into this gig.

---------- Post Merged at 06:57 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:52 PM ----------

Answer: sadly, no

Priya Chandra · Sep 29, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

This is a very exciting development - I especially like the easier way to add locations and managers; two things that are sticking points for most common users.

And...I've just got the new interface. Refresh and refresh often! (My new motto).

Linda Buquet · Sep 29, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

YAY Priya. Glad you got it. I still don't. I could have requested it, but have not had time to yet.

Cori. I was going to see if Priya could answer since she has it, but sounds like you found out!

ccbackus · Sep 30, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

I've not gotten the update that Linda mentions, but I do see that the "Share an Update" is still featured on the primary business page. Even though Google has disconnected G+ from other tools, it appears that they're not eliminating it, and it still has value to post information and content. I still see Google+ posts in my search results, and I see that such posts are getting views in the Insights report they provide. It will be interesting to see how the latest update impacts access to G+ and what the Insights reporting tells us about how its consumed.

Jim Froling · Sep 30, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

Very cool. Great to see Google doing something positive in the local space, for a change.

When I first started navigating around I saw a requirement somewhere that stated that the business description had to be 200 characters or less. How important or time sensitive is this? With dozens of clients, this could take some time.

Linda Buquet · Sep 30, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

Jim Froling said:
Very cool. Great to see Google doing something positive in the local space, for a change.

When I first started navigating around I saw a requirement somewhere that stated that the business description had to be 200 characters or less. How important or time sensitive is this? With dozens of clients, this could take some time.

Where did you see that Jim???

That's the REALLY old Google Places limitation.

Since G+ there has not been that limit, unless something just changed and no one told us. But with thousands of long descriptions out there AND since no one sees the G+ page now anyway, does not seem like they'd change it.

Can you do a screenshot?

Linda Buquet · Sep 30, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

ccbackus said:
I've not gotten the update that Linda mentions, but I do see that the "Share an Update" is still featured on the primary business page. Even though Google has disconnected G+ from other tools, it appears that they're not eliminating it, and it still has value to post information and content. I still see Google+ posts in my search results, and I see that such posts are getting views in the Insights report they provide. It will be interesting to see how the latest update impacts access to G+ and what the Insights reporting tells us about how its consumed.

Hi Craig,

Google+ isn't going (right now at least) as far as a social platform local businesses can use to do marketing or stay in touch with customers.

It's just that Google isn't giving searchers a link from search or maps any more to see that page. From a recent conversation with a Googler it sounds like Google thinks of Plus still as a social platform for businesses that want to be socially active to use. But it's just they aren't driving people to that page from search and maps - instead they are just giving searchers more of the info they want right in the SERPs or sending them to the site.

Jim Froling · Sep 30, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

I saw it as I was checking out 949 Local's "location details". The text in the description was colored red and had the ! in upper right hand corner. So of course, I edited my description down to <200 chars.

Then I went to a client's listing which I knew the description was >200. No red text, no ! No nothin'. Until I edited the description. Click Apply and Voila! Hover over the ! reveals:

Also, on another client's listing they had over 25 photos. Once I edited their description to over 200 chars. the photo field lit up red also with the ! saying that too many photos were uploaded.

Bottom line is you won't know about an issue until you make an edit.

Linda Buquet · Sep 30, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

Thanks Jim, but where are you???

I have the new update now and it does not look anything like that. In fact what you show does not even look like the previous GMB.

1) Does not have Location details on top.

2) Photos are not on same page like yours are.

3) Not called description. Has not been for awhile. It's called introduction now.

4) When you click edit it's pops open a rich editor with bold and link options and everything.

5) No warning about 200 char...

Are you in GMBL? I would not think so for your own single listing.

Linda Buquet · Sep 30, 2015

Here's a screenshot of what you should be seeing and I think this was the same as before the update. Nothing like what you show.

Yours almost looks like the OLD OLD OLD Google Places interface, but those are long gone.

You said: "I saw it as I was checking out 949 Local's "location details"."

I don't even see an option anywhere for location details so really curious about how you got to the screen you are on???

Dillon Brickhouse · Oct 1, 2015

We have seen the new dashboard for one of our client accounts and had a chance to play with it. Generally, it's great, but we do have one concern.... As a fairly large agency, the "create a business" folder-like function could be extremely useful to us, but we know that previously, it was considered a bad idea to have multiple accounts in one dashboard because if one GMB location was penalized, it could hurt the others as well. While this functionality doesn't necessarily mean that the locations have to be owned by the same account, this issue could carry over in the new functionality. Thoughts?

Jim Froling · Oct 1, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

I went to G+ and selected any of the clients I manage.
Page displays Google My Business>(949) Local Internet Marketing
Click on Google My Business (not the account name)
All of the accounts you manage will display in a list format with tabs for Locations and Brands

Double click one of the accounts takes you to Location Details:

Scroll down to the Description and edit it then click Apply. I added random characters to my description in order to prompt the warning:

There you have it.

As mentioned yesterday, there also appears to be a limit of 25 photos. Again, you have to edit something i.e. the description for the prompt to appear.

Linda Buquet · Oct 1, 2015

Re: Google My Business & GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

Ok so I think this is what's happening Jim.

I can't get anything like you do because I only have my own listing in my account.

The path you took must have taken you to GMBL. So those limits are in the BULK UPLOAD tool.

Now with this update, you can manage listings in either place. GMB or GMBL.

GMBL would be handy for managing some types of data - like if you had an 8 location Dental office. But it should tell you somewhere that if you want a longer description or more images you can go to GMB.

But I don't see any advantage to going in that door to manage a single listing like your own Jim.

I'm going to raise this issue with the Google team and let them know it should be clearer that there are 2 separate interfaces you could use AND that the limits are not consistent and should be explained with a tool tip or something.

Thanks for raising.

Jim Froling · Oct 1, 2015

Re: Google My Business &amp; GMBL Update Rolling Out Now - Better Nav/UI

No. We don't have any GMBL listings.

Perhaps other members can duplicate the results by following the same path outlined above. Obviously I would be interested in what others discover, or not.

---------- Post Merged at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:08 PM ----------

On the other hand, you may be right. The persistent "Locations" label has me wondering now.

But how did all of the accounts that we are managers for end up as GMBL listings? Each has unique owners. All were added individually and over time.

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