A few weeks ago, Google launched a brand-new platform for small businesses. Called Google My Business, it combines the features of Google+ Local and Google Places for Businesses, streamlining advertising and campaign management. Should you be worried about the change? As a Prospect Genius client, the answer is no. We’re staying on top of the updates and can safely say that we’ll be able to continue managing your account without any interruption to your campaign. For several years now, we’ve been predicting that Google would eventually make this kind of platform available. So far, we’re very pleased with the layout of Google My Business and the accompanying dashboard (which all of our clients should now have access to). As you’ve hopefully noticed, the new dashboard provides you with access to the social sharing features of Google+ as well as the Maps features of Google Places. It helps you manage your customer reviews, too, and lets you track your visibility and performance. Overall, Google My Business is a highly anticipated design that removes the need for two different platforms and makes advertising management much less complicated.
Will Anything Change?
Since none of Google My Business’s features are actually new—they’ve always existed, just in disparate locations—there won’t be any major changes in the way we do things on our end. The only difference is that we can be listed as your account’s “manager” instead of the “owner,” which means you won’t have to give us all of your log-in information. Being your account manager provides us with access to all of the same features as before, so we won’t be limited in the revisions and additions we can make. From the new platform, we’ll be able to perform a multitude of tasks, including:
- Managing your customer reviews
- Tracking your visibility and audience engagement
- Sharing photos, links, and other updates from your company
- Accessing your Google Analytics data
Remember: In order to continue managing your Google account effectively, we need all of your online information to match. Since we use your Prospect Genius LeadTrax™ URL and CallTrax™ number when creating accounts for you on social media and business directories, we also need to use them on your Google account. This keeps all the parts of the campaign working in harmony, maximizing your return on each dollar. Google My Business is nothing to worry about because Prospect Genius has you covered. Any questions? Don’t hesitate to call!