Google My Business, previous known as Google Places, is an online tool for businesses to manage their online presence on Google (Google Support, 2018). In this, you can create store listings, manage Search and Maps visibility and collect reviews. Recently, Google has rolled out a handful of updates to GMB to help businesses. So, what’s new?

1. Release of the Google My Business Agency Dashboard

This month, Google have launched the GMB Agency Dashboard which allows marketing agencies to manage an unlimited number of listings under one dashboard. This means that agencies can edit listings in one central dash and group locations into Location Groups in which other agencies can be invited to manage.

2. Google Posts now with products and offers

Another new features allows users to create GMB posts that contain offers or products. There is now a total of 4 post types, including Events and What’s New. Within the Offer type-posts, users can include start dates, end dates and optional promotional codes. This feature will cover everything from T&C’s and an image to accompany. This is a great way to show users promotions for your business in local listing ads.

Within the Product type post, users can now promote individual products with an image, price and description. Again, this is a great way to highlight your key products when users are searching for your business.

3. Use Videos in Google My Business Posts

Alongside these new post formats, users can upload a video in posts rather than just a single video. These videos will play on desktop and mobile devices. Digital Information World (2018) state that 55% of people watch videos online every day. So, what’s a better way to spread the word of your business?

4. Appointment Booking Through Google My Business

Although it’s not a brand new feature, it’s definitely one you should be using if your business takes bookings and appointments. With Google’s built-in booking system, Reserve With Google, it gives users the chance to book an appointment fast and easily. This feature is great for healthcare listings, consultancies or restaurants.

5. Reviews and Seeing when the business responds

Reviews are a great way to build a customer base and share user insights of the business. It is always a good idea to respond to these reviews, good or bad. Until May, business owners or those with access to the GMB listing got notified when a user left a review. However, a recent update means that the user that leaves a review will also be notified when the business responds to this. A Google spokesman said that this move was to compete with the likes of Yelp and Facebook, to help Google become the “local platform of choice”.

So, there we have 5 features, new and not so new, that you should be using to get the most out of your listing.