Google is deep into rolling out its new labels for Google Business Profiles (GBPs), which all managers on the GBP NMX or New Merchant Experience can access. Although previewed back in 2021, these labels recently went global. The idea is to allow clients in the local business arena – who have the necessary access to manage their GBPs – to read Google’s take on the state of their profiles. You’re going for a Profile Strength label that reads – Looks good – and learning more about what’s up with Google in relation to this rollout can help you get there.
Not Exactly New Information
The label doesn’t exactly give businesses new information, but it does make the information, which includes views and customer interactions, far more accessible – highlighting its importance. The idea is to promote a deeper engagement between search marketers and the New Merchant Experience platform, which – in and of itself – is a great idea.
Profile Strength Label?
If you’re wondering what a profile strength label even is, don’t fret. It’s simply a front-and-center label or indicator on your NMX, which replaces your Business Profile dashboard, that lets profile managers know what’s what. When you head into your NMX, you’ll see a brightly colored circular symbol at the top right, and if it’s green, it means your profile is in good shape, and if it’s orange, it means that you may have some work to do in order to complete your profile. If your profile is looking good, Google will let you know with a cheery looking good, but if it’s not complete, you’ll find a call to action that prompts you to take the steps necessary to firm up your business profile.
Why It’s Important for Local Businesses
If you have been managing a GBP for a while now, you may be confused about why your profile may be lagging. After all, you entered all the requested information and checked all the necessary boxes. That, however, is not everything that Google is after – their intent seems to be guiding businesses to invest or engage with more of Google’s features rather than share more information. In the early days of the profile label, some companies were sidled out of the classification of complete because they wouldn’t opt into Messages, but this glitch – if it was a glitch – has been rectified. Google’s message to you is that – Customers are twice as likely to interact with businesses with more information. This remains true, but you don’t have to engage with Google features that are not useful to you or your customers in order to benefit from it.
Keeping Things in Perspective
When Google provides guidance, it’s often best to follow it – but this is one instance in which your own critical thinking can serve you well. If you’ve included all the correct, relevant, and important information that you need to include in your Google Business Profile, you’ve done your part. Ultimately, Profile Strength is not a ranking factor, and once Google irons out the wrinkle between what it wants businesses to do and what is best for each unique business, your ranking as having a complete profile should be greenlighted.
Don’t Be Strong-Armed into Buying Google Ads
Google ads can play a critical role in your online presence and in optimizing your business’s potential, but if it’s not part of your advertising budget or doesn’t make sense for your business, that is that. Yes, your business needs to be online, which means it needs Google, but you do not have to bow down to the online goliath’s whims.
The bottom line is that the biggest hurdle to achieving a complete profile on GBP NMX is signing up for Google Ads, but it’s important to keep in mind that the profile strength indicator is intended to help you. If your label’s yellow glow has you panicking, knowing that your profile includes everything your potential customers need to find and fall in love with your business is the antidote.
Taking Thoughtful Steps Forward
There are some important points to keep in mind as you move forward in your never-ending quest to stay relevant, to entice clicks, and to promote conversions – all while playing nice with Google, including:
- Remember that you are the expert when it comes to your business. If you and your SEO people are convinced that your GBP is everything that it can be, then it is.
- You also know what your customers and potential customers are looking for, and if opting into messages isn’t it, don’t be pressured to pile more on them.
- Once you’ve done the necessary soul-searching in terms of your Google Business Profile, don’t let Google’s yellow label dim your shine.
All of this said, however, it’s incredibly important to point out that your GBP is not a static event that you can check off your list and forget about. Google is the proverbial shark that never stops, which makes keeping up paramount. Keeping your online offerings well-polished is key to reaching all those customers out there who would like to get to know you better, and this involves vigilant SEO hygiene but does not include slavish devotion to Google’s every whim.
Perfect Your Business Profile with the Skilled Guidance of a Digital Marketing Pro Today
Google likes to throw curveballs that send local business owners into panic mode – without much lag time in between them. Yes, your Google Business Profile is incredibly important to claiming your market share, but if it’s been identified as incomplete, you shouldn’t let it get you down – as long as you’re certain it’s a solid profile that hitting’s all its marks. The Web Guys have the digital marketing and technical chops to drill down to your profile’s core and help you build it back up to its ideal image. Don’t wait for the magic to happen – contact or call us at 317-805-4933 today.
