SEO Tips & Tricks Podcast: Google My Business App Is Going Away! Here’s What To Do Instead

Hello, welcome to the Search Engine Optimization Tips and Tricks Podcast. My name is Tim Jennings and I work with Soulheart, a digital marketing agency that partners with brands that are making a positive impact on the world. 

Today I want to talk about something that was just announced by Google. They have sent an email out saying that they are discontinuing the Google My Business App. That means for many SEOs and small businesses, including myself, who find the App very helpful to post on the fly and directly from phone, we’re going to have to pivot. 

There is good news, however! You can still post to your GMB Listings via your phone. You’re just going to have to use a different app that the VAST majority of you already have: Your Google Maps App. Today I’m going to walk you through exactly how to do that. 

But First, if you don’t already have the Google Maps App, you’re going to need to download it. Once you have it you’ll login. Then this is where the fun begins. You will have to navigate the app some to get to what you need. 

Navigating The Google Maps App To Find Your Business Listings

You first want to click your profile picture in the top right corner next to the search bar. Then you’ll select the Your Business Profiles option. There you should see all of your GMB style listings. Note: if you’re like me and have multiple emails and you don’t see your listing then make sure you are logged in to the correct account. I’m embarrassed to admit that I had a mini panic attack when I didn’t see my listings but was logged into another account. 

After you select the listings you want to work on you’ll see what looks extremely similar to your original Google My Business listing.

Adding Photos Using Your Google Maps App

Now let’s talk about how you can add photos. In the top right corner you’ll find three little dots. Click those and you’ll get an Add Photo option. Then you can select the phot you want to upload just like the original app. 

You can also select the Photos option on the front of the listing and click add photos. 

A third option would be to click the Promote button and click photo to add a photo. 

Adding Events Using Your Google Maps App

Next let’s create events. The first way to add an event is to click the Updates option on the top of your screen. Then you can click the add event button and enter the details like you did in GMB. 

The next way is from the main overview page, click the promote button and then select Add event. 

Posting Updates and Adding Offers Using Your Google Maps App

To post an update simply click the Updates option on the top of your screen and then click add update. You can also add a special offer this way. 

The other way to post an update is to click the performance button from the main overview page. Then you can click add update or add offer. 

Some Other Features in the Google Maps App

To see your reviews simply click the review option on the top of your screen. 

And finally a feature I’m really excited about is the chat feature. When a user views your location they can chat directly with you to get immediate answers to their questions. Google is really good at notifying you when you get a new message. I immediately get an email notifying me that someone sent us a message. 

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And that’s how you pivot after Google announced they are discontinuing the Google My Business App. 

As always, if you don’t have the time or if this just sounds like something you’d rather trust to an expert, feel free to reach out to me at tim@soulheart.co and we’ll handle it while you focus on what you do best- running your business! Or feel free to check us out at soulheart.co. Have a great day!