Google Business Profile - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
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[00:00:00] Hi everyone. I'm Pip from Seymour Digital Media. You're listening to Know How Marketing Lab podcast. This podcast brings together different experts in marketing from our Facebook group, cyberpunk Geeks, marketing Mixer. Each week we get on here and we talk. About something. Search marketing like Google Ads or seo, social media marketing from Facebook to TikTok or website marketing.
[00:00:24] If you're a marketer or aspiring marketer, a business owner or entrepreneur, this podcast for you, we're gonna share the best seo, search, social and website strategies. We share tips and. Google ad strategies, what's going on in the current markets. Each week we discuss something exciting and awesome in marketing.
[00:00:45] Greg, today, what are we talking about? The good, the bad, and the ugly about, what's it called now? ? Google Business. Google Business Profile. I will tell you this [00:01:00] is why we're doing. Topic because things change so much in this thing. , I found a, I don't know if it'll look good, but I found a blur extension.
[00:01:09] So that we could sh show things on a search engine results pages, but we don't have to show our clients' stuff. So I thought that was really cool if we wanted, go try that. But yes, Google business profile, so AKA Google my Business. Google seems to like to change names not sure what that's about.
[00:01:28] I'm curious if Bing places changes as much as the Google places or Google My business changes , I don't know. There is a very easy syncing option between the two. Yeah, I just did it the other day for a client, if you do it, make sure to go in, I don't know if you're doing UTM parameters for tracking and the analytics, you have to re-go in and change the UTM parameter to be like big places versus Google Business Profile.
[00:01:58] I think we still use [00:02:00] Google My Business actually, and as for the tracking name look into it. It came up because the Bing listing for this client. ratings had their business rated at a 2.7 out of five. And so he contacted me about it and he is what is going on? Like, where are these reviews?
[00:02:22] Because there's no negative reviews about this client, like he's five star everywhere, but being is showing him at a 2.7 and there's these random. places on the internet that it tries to find reviews for businesses. And one of them says there's a 2.7 out of five. Oh. So it's showing a 2.7 overall out of five.
[00:02:46] And when you go to this place, it doesn't even have reviews on the site. We're trying to find out with being where these numbers are coming. If you updated it does. Cuz they bing does not [00:03:00] report on Google business profile numbers. So it's not fair. And it's funny cuz Yeah, I don't know. Bing's just, we just want the reviews that are not even existing to not reflect a star rating that doesn't.
[00:03:15] exist. Yeah. That makes sense, right? Cause anyone searching Bing or using that platform when searching for his business, he comes up, he's got his profile for his business, and it says that he has a 2.7 outta five ring and that's in, and it's incorrect. And that can really hurt a business.
[00:03:35] It's yeah, absolutely. So I how many of us have looked at reviews? We all look at reviews, right? I mean it, they do make you call people. Or make you not call people . But this isn't the about babe, let's get back on's. Correct. . So Google business profile, as we know, has changed a lot in the last couple months.
[00:03:56] If you've, if you use it, you might have seen that [00:04:00] they, you are now using it in the search engine results pages, what we call the CRPS common word lingo for search marketing. And it's really funny cuz Some of us professionals are a little bit knows at a joint about it. , like they, they spit you out.
[00:04:20] So you used to be able to log into the backend and what did they call that? The Google Business Profile Manager. Oh yeah. We have some two hot tips at the end of this. That we'll share with you. But so when you log into the Google Business Profile Manager, you used to be able to interchange between accounts easily.
[00:04:38] You, you were presented with all of the business places that you managed for Google. Yeah. And you could conveniently go from one to the other and make any changes that you needed to all of the businesses. I think that's the problem is it's not convenient. Yeah, I after ch people don't change who doesn't like [00:05:00] change maybe you don't like change as much, but this change, I'm, initially I was like, oh, this is gonna suck because I like going to my one spot, picking my client, making the change.
[00:05:11] But if you really think about it, I'm starting to warm up to how they're doing it because. You search for the business. If you are someone who can manage that business, you are immediately presented with everything that you can do that you did in Google Business Manager right there. And the convenience of that is pretty good.
[00:05:39] It just is not convenient for us as agencies, marketers, or people who manage. Account spaces to be able to go between them more easily. You then have if you wanna make a change to another one, you gotta search for it again. And then, and that one, the information for that one comes up. So [00:06:00] while convenient to a single user, Maybe less convenient to people like us now who don't have it all in one spot, which is related to one of the things we're gonna talk about called Yes, register for your agency, for Google for Business profiles, but that's a little later, so I f when they did this change, a lot of SEOs were figuring out the breaking where you could get back into the backend and do things cuz it just spits out like no matter what you try. So there were people focused on finding a solution so they could still work in the backend. I didn't go that far and it did work.
[00:06:40] Like that for the longest time, like even up until two days ago, I myself did not realize, because I could still go into the old place and see all of them, but as soon as you chose one, it spit you out and basically did a search for that business and presented you Yeah. With all of the options that you'd get.
[00:06:58] So even up to two days [00:07:00] ago when we talked about this, I was unaware that you they really locked you out of being able to make any changes there. . Yeah. There was a really weird thing though in, so with the Google business profile, when you go onto the search engine results pages, there is the q and there that you can, they give the business owner now the option to add like at least 12 q and as that they get at most frequently asked questions and that is not, was not available on the inside of the Google Business profile manager. So that's a cool. . Yeah. They're changing and adding as it grows and we're gonna continue to see that.
[00:07:42] I will say cuz we use Google Business profile a lot for local seo. It's one of, we have strategies we try to implement in there and it's harder, like when you add photos, if you add photos and then click to view the photos. , it breaks, [00:08:00] right? If you add a post or a video post, you won't see it live. And we often like to check our work to see if there's any errors, so that makes it a little bit harder, but I think the strategies on Google Business profile are going to have to change in the next little while.
[00:08:16] I don't think they're working as well as they used to. I think more businesses are aware. You know how to use this and why it's important, and I don't know if you noticed, but if you manage Google Business Profiles, it comes on maps. Now they got rid of the app . They've forced you to use the app.
[00:08:34] They've gotten rid of the app. They've added the app. So now you manage your business inside the maps on your phone. And you'll notice if you interact with people. Like through the messaging service. There'll be a tab besides the messages saying, following. So Google is, it is really starting to grab that, Hey, [00:09:00] follow this business, or something like that.
[00:09:02] So I, and they've been trying to do that for years. Cuz Google business profile is very similar to Facebook business profile or Instagram. or LinkedIn Business profile posters. Yeah. Yeah. And you utilize it cuz it's on search. So I love it. It's like we're trying to make Google a place to just go and hang out on the site and stay there for products and services and everything.
[00:09:35] And searching for anything else you want or to the point where they're making it soon to come is in shopping. in Google purchase, you don't even, you're not even gonna have to go to the website. They do have this zero click thing that's been happening over the years. If you don't utilize your Google business profile I how many of us search a business, look at the right hand side of the page and be like, okay, they're open.
[00:09:57] Okay. It's high traffic, [00:10:00] volume, time, or I'm gonna read the reviews there. You don't even go to the business as much now because you get all that information. So if you're not using that as a business owner, even if I do believe it's not just for local seo. I think other businesses should fill it out.
[00:10:17] Really big businesses get something called the knowledge. , very much like a Google business profile, but it's like for Coca-Cola. And then if we go a step deeper, Coca-Cola has a knowledge graph, which is a bunch of knowledge panels put together cuz like the c e O will have his own knowledge graph.
[00:10:37] It's very interesting. What are you doing, Greg? What are you doing? Writing down a future topic. No way. I knew that if I didn't write it down immediately, I was probably gonna forget by the end of the live. But what is it has to do with what we're talking about? Is it secret? No. I can tell you the idea [00:11:00] of what I want to talk about is, yeah, is Google getting too much in our.
[00:11:06] Ooh, that's an interesting question. You can turn off Google being in your business. So it is a great topic and we could actually show people where to turn that off inside their Chrome extension, which is really great. I can, you can integrate as much as you like into what Google's offering, but is Google starting to offer too much?
[00:11:26] That is basically taking away from businesses being. unique and themselves by every business, having everything in just in Google. That's a very interesting topic because I'll talk about it in the future. Yeah. So many good things to talk about, especially with Google, and I often say Google Google and Facebook are like siblings and they're a little jelly of one another, and Google's really jealous of, Facebook has always been about time on page.
[00:11:59] Cuz [00:12:00] you go into Facebook and you stay there and you scroll. When you go to Google, you go. and then you leave. So this is a strategy I think, to change that a little, right? Because if you're in the search engine results pages where are they putting, like where are the metrics, right?
[00:12:17] So they're not, that's not, you're not going anywhere else. So you're staying on there. So time on page which is an SEO factor. So I don't know. Let us know if you've used Google Business profile in the search engine results pages, if you like it. The two things we really wanna talk about today are that if you type in your business, your Google business profile comes up if you actually type in my Google business profile.
[00:12:46] Yeah, I would. I was just gonna mention that as, as well as, because we manage multiple, but if you're a store owner and you just do one, you can't do it. If you just search for your business, it'll present you with all those [00:13:00] options to, but us who manage multiple, if you just search like you, were just gonna say Google business profile.
[00:13:08] The search will present you all of the businesses that you manage, and from there you can select it. Oh, look at us down here. Greg. Look, I'm normal size now. . I'm taller than you. Oh. I'm like can I move us? This is Nito. If I move the screen, then it moves. It just all gets awkward. But hold on.
[00:13:26] Let's see if I, oh, I can't see over here. This is Nito. See over here. When you type in my Google business profile and you can see your businesses, you could view all businesses. So that's pretty interesting. Yeah. And that little section up underneath the initial couple of listings there or whatever it is presenting are links directly to the first three profiles that it's presenting you, that you manage and you can, there's a view all business.
[00:13:56] Button if you want to click that and be able to see all [00:14:00] of the businesses that you can manage. Yeah, so I have found a tool to blur things out. So as you can see one of my clients, but that's cuz they let us share information about them. The other two, they're not, they're that we still have them on.
[00:14:14] If you work in Google business profile, you'll often get attached to a lot of accounts that you never get taken. It's just one of those things with the Google business profile. Want to know more about seo? We've got a class for that. Our mission is to educate students about the right tools, techniques, and strategies to grow their businesses using the most up-to-date search engine marketing optimization techniques and tools.
[00:14:39] Find out [email protected].
[00:14:43] The G B P is not a great acronym. I like the G M B. It was it. It's smoother. Anyway, Greg and I, so before, I know we were late today, so I don't necessarily wanna go overtime, but I don't wanna go under time. [00:15:00] I'm not sure what to do here, but. I did wanna bring up that Greg and I were on the call last on Tuesday, the day before fallen, and I were rummaging around Google and we found a Google Business Pro profile.
[00:15:15] What was it, Greg? It's the, oh, the Google Register business profile for agencies. Yeah. Something along those lines, which we will share in the comments, the link, and so you can sign up if you're an. For this Google Business profile management system. It looks just like the old Google My Business profile manager, backend.
[00:15:41] Which is really interesting, although super cumbersome to sign up for, because you need a email that's not attached to any Google business profile. I don't know. I it's one of those things, you start to try to do it and it's so new. Yeah I went to do the signup and it was asking, it [00:16:00] needed to be a domain, an agency domain email.
[00:16:03] And not a Gmail. I like so I don't have a Google account tied to my domain email. Or, and basically my Google account, I have my domain email as a, like an alias of Oh, yeah. Yeah. Of it. And you pull it into your email until when I tried to sign up. it I went to log in with that domain email of mine, and because it's tied to my normal Gmail, it oh, thinks I'm that person.
[00:16:34] So it won't let me sign up until I actually create an account, a Google account, with one of my domain emails. So you have to be paying for G-Suite. I don't think you have to be on G-Suite. You have to have an account that uses your domain. So for me, something at Original 72 Creative, you can create cuz a Google account and you're hosting a [00:17:00] Google account isn't tied to a Gmail account, it's just a Google account that you can use any email address that you have for that Google account.
[00:17:10] So I need, from what I understand, I need a Google account that uses a one of my domain email. . Okay. Yeah, that makes sense. We did our domain emails originally on our hosting and now we use G-Suite cuz it was just easier. So we will share that link to register if you wanna try to register for yourself.
[00:17:31] I do think other people will be talking about this in the. Coming couple weeks. I think we were maybe close to first to market on this to, in seeing it cuz we're a little absurd when we're searching sometimes . But so Google business profile, what we're talking about today is the good, the bad, and the ugly.
[00:17:50] So the good is that we have it. Yeah. The sure the bad is that it's too much changing names and just silly things. They [00:18:00] why, like why do you need to do that? And I. But I do think it, the ugly is that maybe customers can use it for themselves more easily now and they don't need an agency. That could be the Or.
[00:18:12] It's just because it's not that, I don't know what the ugly is. There's no ugly, it's hard to find everything still I think the ugly of it is the, because it's so integrated with the serp. I think customers don't truly understand what it is. Yes, I could see that. Yeah. So when I talk to some customers, they're like, oh when it does this and it shows this, I'm like, they know.
[00:18:46] Yeah. That's part of they don't know the separation to organic results to Google my business or Google profile, . and all of the things that are in there [00:19:00] or in the abnormal search. That's a really interesting point. I wouldn't have even thought about that because I rarely talk to my clients, but for sure they're probably confused.
[00:19:09] Especially cuz search console can't show up in there too. And the weirdest thing is when, what about security? So is there a security issue with the fact that, say I'm a business owner, I leave my computer on. , right? Somebody like maybe I don't have log on and off or something like that.
[00:19:28] If somebody can just turn on my computer and my profile is in Chrome. They could get into not only my account, but they can get into all my client's account. . Yeah, I just funny, I just had that conversation with a client yesterday because I was recovering his Google account for him. He forgot his password.
[00:19:51] He doesn't use it. He only uses it when he wants to pop in and see analytics or things like that. And so he [00:20:00] forgot his password, but it was originally set up by someone else, and the recovery email on it went to someone else, was another comp, another agency. And so I had to contact that agency.
[00:20:11] We got, we recovered the account anyways, but when I was talking to him after we recovered it to get him back logged in. I told him, okay, go to Google in the upper right click, there's a sign-in button. He, and he is no, there's no sign-in button. There's just a circle. It says whatever, initial K or something.
[00:20:31] And I was like, oh, then. Then it seems like you're already signed in. And so I said, click that. It'll show you your information. And it was a completely different person. It was one of his bookkeepers. Oh. was signed into their Google account on his computer, but he, that's his computer he uses all the time.
[00:20:50] But I guess she had never signed out. So he had access to, if he knew or what he was doing, he could go into, if she had her own business, not go into anything. Yeah. [00:21:00] Yeah, actually that's true. It's it's very smart. Bets always sign. Close down your computer, or at least just have it on the timer so that you have to sign in.
[00:21:11] I think that is the smartest option. But how many of us have left our Facebook pages open and a friend has started posting random weird pictures for you on your profile? I had a friend that did that. It was super funny. He had people getting a hold of him being like, why is Nicholas Cage all over your Facebook business, your Facebook.
[00:21:31] So super funny, but yeah, security's an issue. Did you know you can actually go into Google Maps, like if you're a business owner and you need to figure out how many kilometers you used for the year and where you went, so you could figure out which were business locations that you went to. You could actually figure that all out in Google Map.
[00:21:54] Easily cuz they track you everything unless you turn it off. So I had a question for [00:22:00] you about Google Places. Oh, Google Business places or Google Places. Google Business. See now I'm mixing up big places and Google Business Profile. They need to come up with consistent naming. Yes, they do. So I can just refer to them as the same thing, but Google or me
[00:22:16] But now we can use Google Business Profile and Google My Business as a really good example. Google Trends. To see how it changes over time. . Anyway, what's your question? What's the question? I, what was my question? I was gonna ask you about the biggest impact for those your Google Places listing, posting updates of doing video.
[00:22:48] because I came across someone who said video is like the biggest thing you could do to help boost your profile. Do a video [00:23:00] walkthrough of your Yeah. Location or something. What's your feeling on video specifically and or other items to really look at? You're you're listening, I would say so.
[00:23:14] I do, so number one, I do make sure I name all my images before I upload them when I'm uploading images, so if they have a keyword in them or whatever. However, Google does not show that information. They just show the month inside. So where you add images, you can add video, but often it doesn't let you.
[00:23:34] add video there, or the video has to be super short. There is a place where you can actually hire somebody to do a walkthrough. Yeah. And do a video. But I think you could do that yourself. But video posts, if you did the video post with a s r T file. Or at least you had it all the words.
[00:23:57] Coming out so the Cuz crawlers [00:24:00] can't read video, but we're not necessarily thinking about crawlers, we're thinking about people. I think it's more engaging. When I go to a business and I see as their posts I want that information filled out. I wanna learn as much as I can about your business and I wanna be able to jump inside your business.
[00:24:18] Those posts, those products, and so I think that I like the video posting. I think it's more engaging. I think it's a great way to do post. And I think if it's, if we're not talking robots and we're talking people do you find it more engaging? Are you gonna be more likely to click that play button?
[00:24:38] Probably not. I will tell you the thing that kills me about it. , it's great on a phone, but sometimes you'll add video of your clients doing a video. Yeah. It's all perfect on a computer. It's like they're cutting off the head . It's, and you're just like, that's all perfect, and you don't want your clients to see that, but it looks perfect on a phone.
[00:24:56] So I like, yeah I think the way [00:25:00] I use search and stuff I tend still to focus on information, not as much video, especially when I. Looking for a place that I want to go I think the, but maybe that's because I'm older and still set in like earlier internet days and I have to adapt to these newf fangled technologies.
[00:25:26] Yeah the future is pretty open. We'll see where Google goes with the Google business profile. I like it. I use it. I think it's a great asset. And they came up with the Google business profile to help local businesses generally compete with businesses like Walmart, who were taking, or Home Depot, so that the little guys could get attention on Google and not get squeezed out of the market.
[00:25:53] I wonder if the name change. has anything to do with maybe strategy with, because [00:26:00] Google my business was really focused and as far as I know, is still quite focused on local services, right? Not business listings. Like you and I have a thing more like plumbers, electricians, and oh, we're in there now.
[00:26:17] We're in there. We are in there. But Google my business I think was more catering, trying to more cater to those local businesses where you needed to find a company to, to yeah, get a service done. They had two. They had two. So they had the service area, which would be plumber electrician.
[00:26:37] Type of people and then they had like small businesses like in town, the local flower shop or Yeah, that's what it was used for. We were not actually allowed Yeah. To have a Google business profile until, and so now with the name change, I feel like they're going to basically like just open, open up.
[00:26:57] The it more to be [00:27:00] like anyone who has a business period can get a business profile on Google. Yeah. Yeah. We'll see. There's been a lot there's been a different hacking schemes, black hat SEO techniques, rank and rent. Was one of them. So you get a Google business profile, you pop up a quick website, and then you get all the leads and then you sell them to other businesses in the area.
[00:27:23] That was done by I don't know what his name is, he's a black hat or, and he closed down Google Business profile. The other thing to mention before we go is that you get notifications that your business update your hours and things like that, supposedly. in the last little while. If you don't go in and accept changes or edit, those changes, Google when they automatically update, you could lose all your reviews and then you have to go and fight to get them back.
[00:27:55] And to be honest, they don't even wanna look at you if it's not more [00:28:00] than 50 plus reviews. So they did a lot of why would you lose reviews? Update your hours or something? Because when they updated it, it like turns it over in the system. So it doesn't, it just, it's not pulling them through.
[00:28:16] That's the thing. So that's one of the hiccups. The other thing is I lost reviews. Some people woke up and had all like hundreds of extra reviews. My negative review got taken down. So if you have negative reviews, make sure you go and try to fight. Because they can't get taken down because Google knows they do hurt businesses.
[00:28:35] And if you, somebody's written a review and it's yeah, I tried to go to the business, but I never got there. That's, no, you're not allowed. I should attempt to remove a negative re review for a client of mine lawyer who, yeah. Yeah. The opposition gave a negative review of the person he was suing his lawyer.
[00:28:56] So that's not okay. Yeah. So it would [00:29:00] be like, if I was suing someone and I lost the case and I went and gave that other person's lawyer who was defending them against my suit of negative review, just because I lo like spiteful, I lost. Well, That's brutal. That's a conflict of interest.
[00:29:19] There is a conflict of interest. The best one is if if a company or somebody leaves a review and they mention another company, it gets taken down. If you report it like within like a. Which makes you look really good as a marketer, right? That you're helping your client get rid of those. We've had some like crazy reviews from people, not on our account, but on our client's accounts that we've had to work towards getting removed.
[00:29:42] So it's always a bonus to try to get those removed from, so that can be part of the bad of Google. Yeah. Profile manager. I think there, the profile, I can't get the name right there anymore, . It's changed too much. I'm so confused. Yeah. Yeah. And the geek. BP is hard to say, like for [00:30:00] some reason it just doesn't flow.
[00:30:01] Anyway. We are I do apologize for being late only because I missed being here early and I did make Greg twiddle his thumbs. And if you know me I'm a, I liked, I do like my punctuality. And I am a judger on if you don't show up, but I get over it. I've been taught Greg, in the next couple weeks, we only have, I think two or three more weeks of we have two first Thursday and the second Thursday of the month, we'll have, and I don't, I'm not looking at what the, they're fun.
[00:30:32] It's all, but we have two more before the end of the year. We're taking the last two off for Christmas and New Year. So we'll see you guys in the new year after. The next two weeks after the next two. And if you're joining us on some other channel like YouTube, we do have a Facebook group called Cyberpunk Geeks Marketing Mixer.
[00:30:52] I am not always this short compared to Greg and we will see you next week and thank you so much for joining us. Thanks [00:31:00] everyone. Bye bye.
[00:31:01] The conversation never stops in our Facebook group, cyberpunk Geeks. Join us at facebook.com/groups/cyberpunk geeks to ask your questions, meet new friends, and learn even more about search, social and websites.
