Managing your GBP listing from Google search is the new norm. Here’s an overview of the in-search experience features you need to know.
Managing a GBP listing from Google search is not new. People have been able to manage a Business Profile from Google search since 2017.
But now, managing your profile from search is the new norm. This means you must understand how to effectively make the most of your Business Profile in the “in-search experience.”
The in-search experience: How to manage your Google Business Profile in Google search
To start managing your Google Business Profile in Google Search, make sure you’re signed into the Google Account email address you use to manage your Business Profile.
Next, go to Google and search for your exact business name (you may need to add your city), or you can also search for “my business.” (You might need to select View Profile to manage your Business Profile.)
Anatomy of Google’s New Merchant Experience (NMX)
After you search for your business name, you should see the Merchant Panel and your Business Profile (a.k.a., Knowledge Panel) at the top of the search results – right above the organic results.
Geek terminology: You may hear the new Google Search management feature referred to as NMX – which stands for New Merchant Experience. (It’s important you get used to the new lingo.) NMX is the Google Search interface used to manage your Google Business Profile in Google Search.
Explanation of the Google Business Profile menus
Here’s an overview of the main menus that most businesses have available to them.
You can either use the tabs across the top of a menu or just scroll down the menu page to access all available fields for you to update.
Edit profile
This is probably one of the most important because it has the most vital information many customers (or potential customers) are looking for. From the “Edit profile” menu, you can edit your main business information like:
- Business name
- Business categories
- Description
- Opening date
- Phone number
- Website
- Business address or service areas
- Business hours
- Attributes/More information:
- From the business (You can add attributes like women-owned, veteran-owned, LGBTQ+-owned, etc.
- Crowd (i.e., LGBTQ-friendly)
- Highlights
- Offerings (i.e., drive-through)
- Planning (i.e., Appointment Required, Accepting New Patients)
- Service options (i.e., Offers online appointments, Offers online care, Language assistance)
Depending on your business category, you may see other options available like:
- Check-in and check-out times (hotels only).
- Hotel information (hotels only).
- Health insurance (medical categories in the U.S. only).
- Offers online care (medical categories only).
- Or other options.
You may see other options available to you depending on your business categories. For instance, the hotel, car dealership and medical industries will find several other options in this section.
Paying attention to your reviews is essential to growing your business.
In this menu, you can see all your reviews, sort them in various ways and see what words people frequently mention in their reviews of your business. (By default, the reviews are ordered by “Most relevant.”)
Messages are a great way to connect with customers and potential customers. If you have the time and staff to respond promptly to customers looking to chat with you, simply click the “Turn on chat” button and follow the prompts.
The “Add photo” menu lets you upload photos and videos to your Business Profile. Here are a few options to choose from:
- Photo: This is where you can upload photos and videos from your business. Upload pictures of your building’s facade, the inside of your office, your team, the products you sell, the services you offer, etc. Don’t upload stock photos or other marketing material images.
- Logo: Upload your logo.
- Cover photo: This image should be a picture that best represents your business. Keep in mind that even though this is your chosen cover photo, Google has the right to select whatever cover image they want to display on your Knowledge Panel.