Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Google Rolling Out Consolidated Interface for My Business & AdWords Access?
Scott Hendison of Search Commander in Portland, reported some strange goings on with Google My Business today for clients that were using location extensions in Adwords – a consolidated interface using the current bulk upload interface that presented both the local listing and the AdWords account.
From Scott’s post: TWO of three clients that I’ve spoken with today got redirected here after logging into Google.com/mybusiness – Apparently it’s called “Google Business Accounts for location extensions.”
When he was asked if the user had inadvertently gone to the Bulk interface he noted: “That’s what I thought too for the first one, but an hour later, another guy was automatically redirected while we were on the phone together. Also, each of them have that “business account” that uses their Google Adwords ID as the name – you can see that in the photo – really weird…“.
I have no idea exactly what is happening but it makes perfect sense for Google to start consolidating their local interfaces between Google My Business, Bulk and Adwords for local businesses (ie those that use location extensions) into a single unified interface.
Given Google’s propensity for testing this seems more likely a test than a brain fart on their part. Have you seen this?
In reading the help file that Scott referenced it appears that this is in fact rolling out. In the help article called Business Accounts for location extensions they noted that Google My Business Locations is now the source for business information used in AdWords location extensions.
They go on to note:
Locations in business accounts and in accounts that haven’t been verified are not currently visible in the Google My Business dashboard on Google+. Therefore, Google My Business Locations is the recommended tool for managing locations used in AdWords.
For fewer than 10 locations of the same business or a service area business, we appreciate your patience; we’ll have a solution ready for you soon. For now, please contact us.
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Comments
8 Comments
With all of the recent changes in local search, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a full consolidation, along with AdWords “opportunities” for each managed business.
Would be easy to take GMB impression/click data and show what it *could* look like if you bid on X keywords. Given the rollout of home services ads in SF, this seems probable.
I wasn’t automatically redirected, but I can indeed see the new interface by navigating here: https://business.google.com/manage/#/account. It probably won’t be long until we’re all redirected there.
@Kyle
And as a user of the GMB I much prefer the Bulk interface…. here’s hoping they include that. 🙂
@Adam
Agreed
I logged in to a few accounts that had location extensions hooked up and wasn’t able to reproduce this. I tried going directly to http://business.google.com/manage/#/account and it redirected me to https://business.google.com/manage/#/list (the bulk dashboard).
@Joy
When I first wrote the article I positioned it as a test. But as I read the help file I became more convinced that it is in fact rolling out, first to bulk and then later to GMB users.
I could be wrong and am waiting to see if I can get confirmation one way or the other.
Seems that different users can log into Google first, then go here https://business.google.com/manage/ – and from there get auto-redirected to either the new /manage/#/account or the old /manage/#/list –
Now if they could just pull in local analytics data (calls, directions, website clicks, etc.) into Google Analytics… That would be Greeeaaaaatt
I have a Google partners account for Adwords so my clients in that account would not be connected to their Google My Business pages, or so I imagine. Adwords Express has been part of the Google My Business but Adwords itself was separate. So I wonder if they now can both be accessed through Google My Business.
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