Google My business Is Now Google Business Profile

Google My Business is now Google Business Profile. As if it wasn't confusing enough, Google is looking to bring much of the business profile out of Google My Business and into Google Search and Maps.

Google Business Profile will be the new name going forward for Google My Business. Sometime in 2022 Google will retire Google My Business completely. Google's reasoning..."to keep things simple". 

Another new name. Google's local business management product has been through many names. Before it was Google Business Profile, it was named Google My Business. Before that, Google Places, and before that, it was Google+ Local. Further back,  it was Google Places, and then prior to that, maybe it was just Google Local.

Google My Business Is no more. What does it mean that Google My Business is going away? It means you'll be changing your business information through Google Maps and Search instead of through Google My Business. You can manage your profiles either through the web interface or mobile app. Google said that the existing Google My Business web experience will transition to primarily support larger businesses with multiple locations, and will be renamed “Business Profile Manager.” Google will redirect and rebrand the Google My Business web interface and apparently, we'll still be able to manage information through an interface much like Google My Business.

Features. Google announced some new features with the renaming to Google Business Profile. The new features include:

• Claim and verify your Google Business Profile directly in Google Search and Google Maps
• Call History is officially launching in US and Canada
• Messaging can be done directly from Google Search
• Message read receipts can be controlled in Google Search and Maps

How do I manage my business on Google? You can either search for your business name in Google Search or Google Maps for businesses or search for “my business” in Google Search to see the business you have already claimed and verified.

Why should you care?. Local search in Google is powered much off of the business profiles Google has in Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business. That means if someone goes to the web and types in a service or product related to you, if they're local and you have your business profile setup, your business should come up in search results. If you don't have a Google Business Profile, you definitely won't come up in search. 

Keep in mind, if you follow Google My Business on social and in the help forums, the rebranding will occur there over the next several weeks.