Google has changed and rebranded the local business platform a handful of times since launching in 2004. The most recent restructuring happened in November 2021, when they switched from Google My Business to the new Google Business Profile. When used correctly, the new Google Business Profile can be a precious asset to your business. But, finding the time to research and understand all the latest tools for a lawyer with a busy schedule is nearly impossible. Fortunately, we’ve done all the heavy lifting and have compiled all these new tools and changes in one place.
Phasing Out Google My Business
One of the most significant changes that Google has announced is the retirement of the Google My Business. Although the official ending date for the Google My Business app has not been announced, Google has decided to remove the app in 2022.
While the mobile app is being phased out, the existing Google My Business web experience will remain available, but it will be rebranded as Business Profile Manager. The Business Profile Manager will focus on large businesses with multiple locations, while smaller or single-location firms are urged to manage their profile directly through Google Search and Maps.
Now, small businesses can manage their online presence by signing in to Google Maps or Search instead of using the Google My Business app or console. The logic is that by removing a secondary platform, Google can simplify the way businesses operate online.
The Benefits of Google My Business
Google Business Profile allows businesses to manage their online presence across the entire Google platform, an expansive network of apps and tools that serves as a default source of information for billions of people per day. The importance of this is clear, especially considering that Google sites were ranked as the most popular multi-platform web property in the United States, hosting millions of Americans on a daily basis.
To be competitive in the market, maintaining an online presence is incredibly important. This is why Google Business Profile is valuable. It acts as a one-stop-shop for marketing your services to potential clients who, more and more, are using Google to find a lawyer.
Improved Search and Google Maps Capabilities
Google aims to streamline claiming and maintaining a business profile. For this reason, the technology company is beginning to increase the capabilities of Google Maps and Search.
The new Google Business Profile system lets business owners verify and claim their profile directly through Maps and Search. This shift to direct management is specifically important for law firms that have not yet verified their profile. Google will outline precisely how business owners can verify and claim their profiles in the coming months.
Call History Management
The call history tool in Google Business Profile allows you to keep track of phone calls that are made through Google Search or Maps. It is currently an experimental feature, but the new call history feature makes it easier to determine how many potential clients find your business through Google. At this time, call history is only available in the United States and Canada.
In practice, you can expect a short message at the start of all calls coming from your Google Business Profile, stating that the caller is coming from Google. When a potential client hits the “Call” button on your Google Business Profile, that call will be recorded in the relevant tab of your profile. You will be able to view all recent, missed, and answered calls in one organized location. Note that calls are kept for 45 days in the tab, and you have to opt in to the call history tool to benefit from this change.
Business Messaging Chat Feature
Another feature that Google has implemented in their new Google Business Profile rollout is a chat feature. Through business messaging, you can answer questions, provide clarity, and attract more clients. You can also create a customizable, automated welcome message that gets sent to clients who message you.
Google wants to see messages answered within 24 hours. If they don’t, they may deactivate any chat account that regularly goes beyond the allotted time frame. The chat feature is exciting, as it opens new avenues for communication with customers. This is particularly important for lawyers, as trust and rapport are both deeply important to potential clients.
Performance Planner Tool
The performance planner tool is particularly useful if you use Google Ads. The feature will allow you to plan local advertisement campaigns based on your budget. It also helps you see how changes to a campaign will affect key metrics and overall performance. With the tool, law firms can attract more clients through targeted advertisements.
Utilizing Google Ad campaigns can seem daunting at first. Fortunately, the performance planner tool will generate suggestions for improving the campaign while remaining within your allotted budget. Because the tool updates every 24 hours based on the billions of search queries that happen per day, the suggestions account for variables like seasonality, competitor activity, and landing page.
Digital Marketing Next Steps:
The rollout of Google Business Profile stands to impact your law firm’s Google visibility and online presence. Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile is incredibly important for local SEO. The features implemented in the new Google Business Profile can, and should, be leveraged to rank higher in local SEO for businesses.
Google will slowly incorporate these changes, so you do not need to worry about any immediate upsets. If you are a frequent user of the Google My Business backend or mobile app, you may want to practice editing your profile directly in Google Search and Maps. This will help you adapt when these platforms are retired in 2022.
Overall, the announcement of the Google Business Profile indicates incremental changes and improvements rather than anything you need to react to right now. So while you may want to consider how you will implement the new chat feature into your workload, for example, you do not need to take any immediate action.
Annette Choti graduated from law school 20 years ago, and is now the CEO & Owner of Law Quill, a legal digital marketing agency focused on small and solo law firms. Law Quill is the only legal digital marketing agency that provides unique, SEO-optimized content, pre-packaged content, and courses for lawyers to learn SEO themselves through Law Quill Academy. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so different from the legal field if we are all being honest. Annette can be found on LinkedIn or at annette@lawquill.com.
