Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Google as the New Mobile Website
Yesterday at Streetlight Magazine during David Mihm’s and my conversation he noted:
You’ve been banging the drum for the last 12-18 months that for most businesses, Google Is the New Homepage. The reality is most customers are coming into your business digitally with Google as the front door.
But it feels like with all the new features Google has released during that time period, “Homepage” isn’t a sufficiently consequential descriptor. How about “Google Is the New Website?”
Google has been busy adding user and business owner content to the Knowledge Panel for the past year and, particularly on mobile, was beginning to obviously organize that information as a mobile website directly IN the Knowledge Panel. We noted the addition of videos, Google Q & A, Posts and the recently released Service Menu.
Well today they have further built out your mobile website by adding the traditional About tab to your “new website” (h/t to Sergey Alakov on Twitter). It is showing for all categories that I have checked although its presentation is dramatically different with hotels when accessed through the Local Finder rather than a brand search.
Typically it captures the many attributes that Google has been collecting over the past 18 months from Local Guides and if there are notable attributes they get highlighted visually. This is true of lawyers as well as restaurant.
As a note it appears (I am in a rush and couldn’t double check) that if you have the Service Menu you do not show the About Menu. And if you have no Posts that tab is missing as well:
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Comments
10 Comments
I don’t think the new tab is available across all industries yet. Agencies, SEOs, developers, etc. don’t seem to have it. Check your own KP, for example.
P.S. “(h/t to Sergey Alakav on Twitter).” – there is a typo in my last name:).
@Sergey
Sorry about that and I know better from all of the times I have written your name.
Hmmm. This looks nice but I’m not seeing this at all for any business – including the businesses listed in this post. Mobile or otherwise. (Oregon, USA)
But I like the idea of it. With all the new info – it’s got to be displayed somewhere, right?
About = Attributes
News = Posts
Prices = “Services” (basically a menu)
? = Description?
I suppose right now, most businesses have not embraced any of these new added features so this will look different for each one.
They are playing catchup with Yelp on attributes, services, etc… and it’s about time!
I am NOT a fan of those attribute Icons, however. Quick Bite? Wtf is that thing?
@Jeffrey
Description is buried at the bottom of the Overview Tab
What is this Streetlight Magazine of which you speak 🙂
Hi Mike
Some of my clients now have the Services List available, I have set them up in a couple of accounts. I was wondering if you have seen any examples yet that show how Google is displaying them in the knowledge panel.
Kind regards
Alan
It’s cisible on mobile here : https://www.google.com/search?q=webfor+vancouver&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
Cheers Mike … it’s actually quite bizarre, it displays in both Safari and Chrome but not if you use the Google app on the iPhone.
That’s interesting that the post tab disappears when you don’t have a post. I wish the posts would last a bit longer.
Good insight Mike. All of my clients are showing these tabs on mobile with various features. FYI for other marketers, my personal GMB didn’t show the about tab until I added a business description to my listing
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