7 Updates to Google My Business in 2017 You May Have Missed
Google My Business has seen several changes throughout the past few months, and many of them have not been officially announced. Online marketing experts have put together a list of seven announced changes in Google My Business in 2017.
1. Snack Pack Available to More Industries
The Snack Pack shows an image instead of providing links to the website or directions to the business. The new pack has now been expanded to many industries, including pest control, sporting goods, and jewelry.
2. Google Plus Classic Version Is No Longer Available
The new version of Google Plus came out in 2015, but the classic version was still available until recently. The classic version included the NAP, or name, address, and phone number data, while the new version does not yet have this feature.
3. Closed Listings Removed from Local Finder
“Permanently closed” businesses used to be listed last on the Local Finder, but now they aren’t listed at all. The delisting is helpful for most users who want to find businesses that are still active, but it could be a problem if businesses try to mark their competitors as “permanently closed” to have their listings removed.
4. Local Pack Ads on Mobile
A few months ago, local pack ads on mobile became common. Now, they appear to be a standard feature of mobile searching.
5. Business Listings Edits on Google Maps
After Map Maker shut down, many people believed it was impossible to review business listings edits. However, you can review edits on the Google Maps app, and in March, Google launched the Fact Check feature on desktop.
6. Removal of Pending Edits from a Listing’s Status
Pending edits no longer show up on the Google Maps listing, which prevents spammers from reporting a business as spam to get it marked as “pending.”
7. Access to 18 Months of Data from Insights
The Google My Business Dashboard now includes bulk insights, and you can set a custom data range so you aren’t limited to one week, one month, or one-quarter intervals.
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