Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

[Myles Anderson]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

I just got off a 45min hangout with Jade & 2 of the Google My Business Product team. They did a very useful walk through of the changes and answered a number of questions.

The key take-aways from that session are -

1. The 1 unified dashboard & entry point should make life simpler & reduce confusion for SMBs
2. This update should hit all countries & users today - so much less confusion around '"do i have it? should i have it? when will i get it?"
3. All branding for dashboard & support materials is now Google My Business but the front-end consumer pages remain less clear: +Local, Places, Local - whatever your preference is really.
4. The underlying platform & data pipe has not changed - so no changes to how data flows between dashboard & maps and no changes to map maker
5. Also no changes to other niggles such as verification, dealing with dupes etc...
6. Bulk upload is also the same but rebranded to Google My Business Locations (currently down - 404 error)

I'm sure Darren & Phil will add some of their takeaways shortly.

One thing i was very pleased to hear is that the survey we ran on 'Most Wanted New Features in Google + Local' which many Forum users contributed to; the product team for Google My Business paid real attention to and every product manager was given a link to it. They said it was great to have some consolidated feedback.

To be fair they haven't delivered the really juicy stuff that was asked for, but it's nice to know that they looked at this and noted down what everyone asked for. It's encouraging to know that we have a channel into them and their not a black box - not all the time anyway

For those who want to see what was voted for in the survey here's a link (hope you don't mind Linda - but i think it's relevant) - http://www.brightlocal.com/2014/02/11/changes-want-see-google-places-local/

 

[Linda Buquet]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

Thanks for sharing Myles.

I knew you guys were getting a Hangout demo like the one we had last week, but was still interested to hear what all was covered, so thanks for sharing.

And it's great they listened to your survey. I think they've really been listening to a lot of the feedback and have been trying hard to make changes. It's just that everything is so interconnected, it had to have been a HUGE task to make this all happen!

 

[Linda Buquet]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

FYI guys, just added a bunch of coverage to the bottom of 1st post.

The big boys like TechCrunch and WebPro News are starting to get stories out.

And Linda's trigger finger is getting sore! WHEW what a busy launch!

 

[freerunr]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

Yep, can see how terminology may become more confusing as a result of this. Pretty exciting stuff, though!

The new "Local business information quality guidelines" uses the term "local page" under the "Ownership" section. Not sure if that's intended to be an ambiguous term while they decide on what's official, or if terms will just be interchangeable moving forward.

 

[Dustybones]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

All of our accounts have switched over.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[cdawg2610]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

Loving having everything in one place now!

2 observations - running some publisher/recent posts testing this afternoon, and despite having the publisher code on all the sites I'm not getting the photo with the "recent posts" (despite doing the same steps on all 5 posts) and on the 3 where the photo did show up, the photo is much smaller than it ever use to be.

 

[Linda Buquet]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

The new "Local business information quality guidelines" uses the term "local page" under the "Ownership" section. Not sure if that's intended to be an ambiguous term while they decide on what's official, or if terms will just be interchangeable moving forward.

OMG Kerry. I've been running around like a crazy woman ever since launch. The help docs didn't go live til launch and then I was busy err... launching so can't believe I didn't stop to look at guidelines.

Just did a quick scan, but seems like the core stuff is the same?
Anyone notice any changes besides the title?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

OMG Kerry. I've been running around like a crazy woman ever since launch. The help docs didn't go live til launch and then I was busy err... launching so can't believe I didn't stop to look at guidelines.

Just did a quick scan, but seems like the core stuff is the same?
Anyone notice any changes besides the title?

Looks the same. Even the category section refers to the old custom category guidelines.

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

 

[Chris_Gregory]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

I haven't seen an old dash yet but haven't checked all the accounts.

 

[Greg Schueler]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

Thanks for posting all the continuous updates!

Not sure I like the Insights section, but can't really say I liked it before - lol.

One cool thing, on the main dashboard header section, is the button that says "Add Virtual Tour" if you don't already have Google Business View. (If you do, the dashboard shows the "see inside" image.)

If businesses click that, it goes to the Business View main page and tells them how to get their tour and links to all the Trusted Photographers. If you are on that list, expect some calls to start coming your way!

 

[Keenan Glass]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

I think there might be some confusion for some who are creating a new G+ page and arrive on the new start page. (see below)

Lawyers are service-area businesses? Hmmm... didn't know that, must be new.

Anyway the flow is the same for Storefront and Service Area, so not sure why there are separate buttons.

​

Also, Brand should probably also say "Other" in case you're creating a page or your kid's Boy Scout troop. It's not clear that the other category options until you click through to the next page.

​

 

[Linda Buquet]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

Great points - thanks for weighing in Keenan!

I didn't even talk about new page creating because the messaging just does not make sense right now - but I think they'll change it based on feedback.

No Dr, Dentist or Attorney?

Food Trucks? Now that's a popular category. Don't think we've ever even had a single one ask for help in the forum and I'm not so sure they are even allowed.

 

[Dustybones]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

I was wondering the same thing Linda.

No Dr, Dentist or Attorney?

 

[Linda Buquet]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

I told Google I could see a Dr that does not understand any of this, looking at those 3 choices and thinking...

"Well I'm definitely not a store front... hmmm I'm not a delivery service, BUT I do serve my local area and I do offer a service so I guess I'll pick service area."

HEY WAIT! I didn't even check Keenan's image. I was going from memory and yesterday service area said delivery service and food trucks! I told them food trucks was a bad example and they should use plumber which everyone could relate too. So I see they did change it late in the day.

But I agree, I'm puzzled by lawyer being listed under service area, since they have walk in offices.
Makes you wonder which door doctors go in?

 

[Travis Van Slooten]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

As usual, I'm late to the party Looks like you all had a field day yesterday! You've known about this for 2 months, Linda? How did you constrain yourself from spilling the beans?

For me, I like the upgrade. I even like the name/brand. I think they should roll out "Google My Business" as the brand name on the consumer side as well to keep things consistent. It would make total sense.

I can hear the commercials already..."Google, "my business," to get found on Google today!" Then you'd go to Google and search "my business" to find the sign up page. That makes so much more sense than promoting the old Google Places or telling business owners to sign up for Google+ Local. But as Phil said, I'm sure they'll have another name within a year

Travis

 

[Dustybones]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

But I agree, I'm puzzled by lawyer being listed under service area, since they have walk in offices.
Makes you wonder which door doctors go in?

I could see Lawyers being in that category as they work in court houses. Kind of a grey area. So, I'm assuming that Dentists/Doctors are store fronts.

 

[Linda Buquet]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

As usual, I'm late to the party Looks like you all had a field day yesterday! You've known about this for 2 months, Linda? How did you constrain yourself from spilling the beans?

Well have known about it in concept before then, but had 1st demo back in March.

Yes it was SUPER hard to sit on this news!

But between my ethics & my Google NDA, sharing was not an option until the embargo was lifted yesterday.

 

[Linda Buquet]

re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

I could see Lawyers being in that category as they work in court houses. Kind of a grey area. So, I'm assuming that Dentists/Doctors are store fronts.

Yes for sure, my assumption to. Just saying to a Dr that doesn't get Google local, they'll think "I'm not a Store Front."

But then again, I've been known to split hairs...

 

[Thaddaeus]

Re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

I saw this in the Google Partners thread yesterday and checked my page out. Looks like Google got this one right - you can tell because they gave it to everyone at once.

This should really make it easier for small businesses to claim their place on Google (or let us do it for them lol).

 

[Dustybones]

Re: Google "My Business" Launches! Goodbye Places for Business! HUGE Google Update!

Someone mentioned Insights earlier in the thread, so I thought I would post. Only time will tell us the accuracy of Insights.

First Look: Insights For Google+ Finally Tells Page Managers How Their Page Is Performing

In the beginning there were Ripples, Google’s surprisingly rudimentary display of the spread of Google+ posts. And that’s about it. Google+ didn’t provide page managers with much useful information about how their page was performing, and that was one the major impediments to using the platform as an effective marketing tool. That changed yesterday with the release of Google+ Insights for pages, a development that was overshadowed by the major Google My Business news.