The long list of changes, upgrades and tests of Google My Business (GMB) in 2019

Google My Business (GMB) has become a vital tool for local businesses. In 2019, GMB went through a flurry of changes, upgrades, and tests. With four major Google Algorithm updates and one major local algorithm update, there were multiple updates to GMB that made headlines, and it would be hard to cover all of them in one article. The changes made by Google show that the search engine giant is increasingly relying on content in GMB for ranking, instead of third party citations and off-page signals.

Here’s a summary of the updates and changes that happened in GMB in 2019, along with a few that are unrelated to GMB:

January: Messaging, SAB flow, Virtual office rules

Google stopped SMS-based messaging and began emphasizing messaging in the GMB profile. For service-area businesses, Google introduced a new sign-up flow that sends the user down a SAB-specific path if the answer is no. Additionally, Google provided guidelines to understand who is eligible to create a GMB page for a virtual office.

February: Map Reviews, AR directions, Join waitlist

Google introduced a feature enabling hotel operators to directly enter their check-in and check-out times in Google My Business. The company also made replying to reviews in Google Maps easier by allowing business owners with verified GMB listings to reply on the desktop. Google also introduced the “join waitlist” feature, which is a part of Reserve with Google.

March 2019: Duplex rollout, Core update and SAB addresses disappear

Google introduced the Duplex restaurant reservations over the phone for Pixel users and began running tests for auto-generated posts featuring reviews. The company also removed business addresses from the GMB profile. Although not local, Google’s March Core Update affected some local businesses and their customers.

April: Assistant local results, GMB paid services survey

Google introduced various new GMB features and tools and also offered new branding and promotional capabilities. The company also surveyed small business owners to understand how much they can pay for monthly subscription fees that include a host of enhanced features and services of Google My Business.

May: Popular dishes, food ordering, and CallJoy

Google introduced CallJoy automated customer service and call intelligence capabilities for the SMB market. ‘End-to-end’ food ordering was brought to Google Assistant, Google search, and Maps via partners, DoorDash, Postmates, Delivery.com, and others. Google also began to showcase a carousel of “popular dishes” on local restaurant pages in which selections are generated by machine learning.

June: Mapspam and Shortnames

To encourage more local businesses to claim profiles, Google added various new GMB features and tools and also offered new branding and promotional capabilities. The Wall Street Journal published an article on fake listings on Google search and maps.

July: Get a quote and place topics

Google rolled out a new “Get a quote” button in local knowledge panels for some businesses that had opted-in GMB messaging. It also tested “place topics,” basically tags, themes, or keywords taken from machine learning using reviews.

August: Carousel pack, bulk reviews, Google Screened

GMB added support for hotels to update services and amenities details, appearing in Search and Maps. Google also introduced bulk review management to allow businesses to view reviews for multiple listings at once and reply to them for multiple locations.

September: Post highlights, food ordering opt-out

Google Post highlights start to show up in the Local Pack and Local Finder, although the posts have no impact on ranking. Google enabled local restaurants to opt-out of third-party food ordering and delivery, which proved to be highly unpopular. Another Core Algorithm Update was launched, which had an impact on local marketers. Again, this one didn’t have any major impact on our client rankings.

October: Search by photos, Incognito Mode for Maps

A new “search by photos” option was introduced in mobile results which appear as a module in SERP that opens a larger page of an image with star ratings. Google implemented several promised privacy controls for users.

November: Local algo update, follow local guides, no more phone support

A local guides follow feature was introduced to enable Google Maps users in multiple cities to follow local guides and see local recommendations of places and things to do. Toll-free phone support was discontinued for Google My Business.

December: Review carousels, auto-Posts, choose an area

Google started showing carousels withwith local reviews on local business profiles, whenever relevant to the search query & has enough “high-quality reviews”. It also began creating posts automatically from GMB posts, but these posts cannot be deleted by the business owner. Google displayed a “request quotes” button in local results. Only available to businesses participating in the Local Services Ads (LSAs) program and that have passed “Google Guaranteed” background checks. A test for the “choose area” feature was conducted that enabled mobile users to refine their search area below a city level as well as allow businesses to designate a large metropolitan area (MSA) as a service area than smaller areas.

Local SERP continues to evolve

Google’s use of machine learning is also making it easier for businesses to generate more relevant and personalized content for their audiences. This can help them to better engage with potential customers and drive more traffic to their websites.

In addition to the above updates, Google has also been experimenting with new features such as “Local Favorites” and “Explore” tabs, which aim to help users discover new businesses in their area based on their search history and location.

As local search continues to evolve, it is important for businesses to stay up-to-date with the latest changes and updates to Google My Business. By keeping track of new features and best practices, businesses can optimize their GMB profiles for maximum visibility and engagement with their target audience.

The updates and changes to Google My Business in 2019 have made it a more robust and engaging platform for businesses to connect with customers in their local communities. As Google continues to invest in machine learning and other technologies, we can expect even more exciting developments and improvements to GMB in the future.