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

[Linda Buquet]

Re: Google My Business & 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.

Sorry Jim I mentioned in the top post and again in my latest reply. Assumed it was more obvious in the interface too, so thought you knew. Quoting my last post:

"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."

So to spell it out more clearly, before you'd have to have more than 10 and go to the separate GMBL interface.

Now it's integrated and you can use EITHER to manage data even if you just have a single location. You just can't be whitelisted for GMBL verification if you have less than 10 locations. But like I said if you had a chain of 8 it may come in handy in some ways.

SOOOOO you ended up going in the GMBL door without realizing it. That's where the confusion lies.

I can't replicate since I only have one account, it does not even offer me the option.

I told Google about this thread and they read it and are passing onto the team to let them know this needs to be clarified, spelled out better in the UI.

 

[Jim Froling]

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

Thanks for clarifying Linda. Though I'm still as Hell. How I wandered through the GMBL door is a complete mystery.

I don't want these accounts categorized as bulk listings. Still not clear how they got that way, the implications or how to revert. Clear as mud.

 

[Linda Buquet]

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

I'm pretty certain you didn't PUT your listings in GMBL at all.

You just used that interface. If you switch to the regular GMB interface you are used to, the listings will all still be there.

Again I don't have GMBL so can't guide you very much and tell you exactly where to go. So kinda like the blind leading the blind.

But looking at my top screenshot I can totally see how you would get confused and click Locations. That's where Google needs to clarify more.

But I think if you click Google My Business top left that will take you out to the very main dashboard where I assume you can see all clients and just click one to manage in GMB?

 

[Priya Chandra]

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

Hi Jim,

Do you have less than 10 listings in your dashboard? If you do, then you can select the card interface option and then Manage Location - this will show the new tabbed interface but with the 'proper' editing tools - like the screenshot Linda shared earlier with the description and rich text options etc.

If you have more than 10 listings then you have to use the list view unfortunately. But if you click on an individual location and then look to the far right of the screen you'll see a number of small icons including the My Business icon.



Click on that icon and you'll see the proper GMB navigation and editing tools.

Hope that helps!

 

[Linda Buquet]

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

Thanks so much Priya!!! That helped!

I just got more detailed instructions from another TC too, but just asked for more clarification, then I'll share.

 

[Linda Buquet]

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

Sorry for delay Jim. Have had tons of emails going back and forth with Google and other TCs trying to sort this out. Still hard because I can't see what you are seeing and we can't figure out why I don't have all the options.

But... in a nutshell...

Card view is GMB and list view is GMBL (to put it simply). So this is why you think you are in GMBL when in list view - it looks very similar to the spreadsheet set up. You simply need to click the card view. I think there is more than one way to get there, but Priya showed you one above.

By default users with <10 locations are using the card view, but users can choose which they want to use and we'll remember it. They are never stuck in one or the other - users can easily move between either.

Google is also aware this update would be confusing for some. Combining two products increases the complexity, but also gives more opportunities.

I raised the issue loud and clear that if people like Jim and I can't figure it out, then it's not intuitive enough for SMBs to understand!

And once again for like the 20th time since I've been a TC, I said they REALLY need to have focus groups and do usability testing with low tech SMBs on every update before it's released. Their UI and updates always make sense to the engineers and Googlers on the inside, but don't translate well to the casual user. Heck sometimes they don't even translate to advanced users.

 

[saburnsjax]

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

I had the same issue Jim had - whether logged in as myself or as one of my customers, for some reason Google automatically starting presenting me with "list" view even though I was logging in and going to GMB the way I always have... And I also was seeing the errors... almost every page was flagged with an error and some were even marked as 'unpublished' because the descriptions had >200 characters... now I know how to get back to 'card' view but it was a rough couple of days. One page is still 'stuck' for some reason I can't get in to edit it but everything else is back to manageable with the 'card' view.

 

[Linda Buquet]

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

Thanks Shirley,

I escalated to Google again and shared your post with them.

I said in part: If it's this confusing for consultants that do this all day - pity the poor SMB!

 

[feedingofthe5k]

It's been a crappy experience for me today.. client just received his GMB postcard with the verification code, and right after I enter it in, the page says "Your page has been blocked since it has been identified as possible spam. To unblock your page, please verify it." Okay, so I clicked Verify, and was taken to the dashboard on the listing, and the page said "Your page is disabled and won't appear on Google.Why?". I filled out a form after clicking the Why tab, and said for them to contact me by phone. I really hope they can get back to me ASAP, as I *just* verified this client's GMB listing. But do you think it has anything to do with this new UI rollout, and we created that listing last week?

(edit) To contribute to the discussion, this new layout will definitely require some getting used to. Apparently I need store codes for all my clients now.

 

[Linda Buquet]

It's been a crappy experience for me today.. client just received his GMB postcard with the verification code, and right after I enter it in, the page says "Your page has been blocked since it has been identified as possible spam. To unblock your page, please verify it." Okay, so I clicked Verify, and was taken to the dashboard on the listing, and the page said "Your page is disabled and won't appear on Google.Why?". I filled out a form after clicking the Why tab, and said for them to contact me by phone. I really hope they can get back to me ASAP, as I *just* verified this client's GMB listing. But do you think it has anything to do with this new UI rollout, and we created that listing last week?

No that's a common problem that's been around way before this update.
Almost always means the client already has a claimed listing somewhere for that location. Maybe one they did in another account or a webmaster or previous SEO did it.

(edit) To contribute to the discussion, this new layout will definitely require some getting used to. Apparently I need store codes for all my clients now.

No if you are seeing store codes, you are in list view. (The bulk interface.)

You need to switch to card view to manage individual listings the way you did before.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I started a big new long thread just about the confusion part of this new update, including some clarification. Quoted Jim, Priya and Shirley.

<a href="http://www.localsearchforum.com/google-local-important/37647-google-local-gmb-update-causing-major-confusion-especially-consultants.html#post72076">Google Local GMB Update Causing Major Confusion Especially for Consultants</a>