Initially of November 2021, Google introduced that it’s rebranding Google My Enterprise as Google Enterprise Profile. The identify change isn’t main information in itself because the product has undergone a number of identify adjustments through the years—most notably, the swap from Google Locations to Google My Enterprise again in 2014. Nevertheless, with the newest rebrand, there’s additionally various adjustments to how companies will handle their listings on Google.

The largest change is the forthcoming retirement of the Google My Enterprise app for single listings. Going ahead, native companies will now not be capable to entry and handle their listings within the app. As an alternative, they’ll depend on a management panel which seems after they enter their enterprise identify into Google Search. From right here, listings managers will be capable to do something that’s potential throughout the app: replace enterprise info, add pictures, publish Google Posts, and so on.

For companies managing a number of areas—together with companies working with native purchasers—not a lot has modified. These customers will nonetheless have entry to the app, which is now referred to as Enterprise Profile Supervisor. There are additionally hints that Google will make investments extra assets into options and performance for companies managing a number of listings, however no large reveals have been made but.

Main adjustments from Google all the time encourage numerous chatter throughout the native search engine optimization neighborhood, and this replace has been no totally different. Loads of native search engine optimization specialists weighed in with their take—lots of which we included in our weblog publish protecting the adjustments. Some specialists considered it positively, some had been extra skeptical, and a few had been left with many unanswered questions.

Whereas the native search engine optimization neighborhood was a tad divided, it’s price recognizing that native search engine optimization professionals make up a small fraction of people that use Google My Enterprise. So we had been eager to see how several types of Google My Enterprise customers really feel in regards to the rebrand, and in the event that they had been even conscious of those adjustments within the first place?!

We got down to reply these questions by polling over 500 BrightLocal clients, together with native search engine optimization professionals working in companies or as consultants, entrepreneurs working in-house at multi-location companies, and small enterprise homeowners themselves.

So what did we discover out?

Practically a 3rd of respondents weren’t conscious of the adjustments Google is making to Google My Enterprise

32% feels notably excessive given how integral this Google product is for any enterprise advertising itself on-line. What’s extra, it might be argued that BrightLocal clients are usually within the know and invested of their digital advertising efforts. So arguably the typical native enterprise proprietor is even much less probably to pay attention to these adjustments. Extrapolating out, it’s honest to posit that thousands and thousands of enterprise homeowners who’ve been utilizing GMB do not know in regards to the adjustments.

22% of respondents felt that they had been both very acquainted with the adjustments or knew all about them.

46% of respondents felt that they had been pretty acquainted with the adjustments.

Native companies had been probably the most unaware of the adjustments

Inside the ballot, we requested what sort of enterprise contributors labored in. Segmenting this knowledge down by enterprise sort we are able to see that native companies are the least within the know.

42% of small native companies had been unaware of the adjustments and solely 12% had been very acquainted or knew all in regards to the adjustments.

Solely 15% of entrepreneurs at multi-location companies weren’t conscious of the adjustments.

28% of company professionals and consultants didn’t know in regards to the adjustments.

Two-thirds of respondents weren’t positive how they felt in regards to the adjustments

Subsequent we needed to know the way individuals felt in regards to the adjustments. We excluded responses from anybody who wasn’t conscious of the rebrand.

The overwhelming majority (66%) stated they weren’t positive how they felt in regards to the adjustments.

Curiously, the break up between unfavorable and optimistic sentiment from respondents who did have an opinion was pretty even.

18% felt unfavorable or very unfavorable.
16% felt optimistic or very optimistic.

Total, solely 2% of respondents think about the adjustments to be very unfavorable.

There can typically be a knee-jerk unfavorable response throughout the search engine optimization neighborhood to any search-related adjustments made by Google. Google rewriting web page titles is a latest instance of this. However this knowledge appears to counsel that folks aren’t instantly going into panic mode and claiming that the sky is falling. It will appear most individuals are ready to see how this performs out earlier than making any form of judgement.

Practically three quarters of native companies are uncertain really feel in regards to the adjustments

Not solely are small native companies probably the most unaware of the adjustments, they’re additionally most undecided in relation to viewing the adjustments positively or negatively.

73% of small native companies weren’t positive really feel in regards to the rebrand. On condition that the adjustments are extra vital for native companies, it might be the case that they’re ready to see what influence they expertise over time earlier than reaching a conclusion.

Companies and consultants are more than likely to view the adjustments as unfavorable

Google was initially unclear about how these adjustments will have an effect on companies and consultants who work with native enterprise purchasers. Their first announcement solely mentioned the adjustments in relation to companies managing a single itemizing or a number of listings.

Google later clarified that companies would nonetheless be capable to make use of Google Enterprise Profile— which goes to trigger considerably much less disruption—however it’s nonetheless fascinating to see that companies and consultants had been extra more likely to view the adjustments as unfavorable than optimistic.

When grouping these two segments collectively, the info reveals that 24% of companies, consultants, and freelancers have a unfavorable view, in comparison with solely 13% with a optimistic view.

Individuals are usually unfussed in regards to the identify change

What’s in a reputation? Not a lot it appears as solely 12% of respondents felt just like the identify change would have an effect on their enterprise.

For companies, this is smart. The identify of the product isn’t actually that necessary in relation to the day-to-day administration of listings. However surprisingly, to me at the least, companies are even much less fussed in regards to the influence.

Solely 4% of company respondents and three% of consultants thought-about that the identify change would have some influence.

At BrightLocal, the identify change is unquestionably going to have an effect—we’ve got a device referred to as Google My Enterprise Audit afterall! There’s additionally many extra locations that Google My Enterprise is referenced throughout our web site and product. We additionally rank extremely within the search outcomes for various GMB-related key phrases.

Proper now, it’s secure to imagine that search volumes round Google My Enterprise are going to stay greater than Google Enterprise Profile. Google Tendencies reveals that it took practically 4 years after the final identify change for ‘Google My Enterprise’ search volumes to overhaul ‘Google Locations’.

My assumption is that companies and consultants are more likely to be in the same place to us—they’ve providers and content material that refers to Google My Enterprise, and might want to determine if and when they will make adjustments. Moreover, shopper schooling is a standard ongoing wrestle for companies and consultants working with small companies, so a brand new identify may create confusion. Nevertheless it appears we’re one of many few companies on the market who’re experiencing an influence from the identify change.

Most small companies don’t see the adjustments as having an influence on their enterprise

On the floor, the adjustments are clearly most drastic for small native companies. They’ve misplaced entry to the Google My Enterprise app and are actually going to be absolutely reliant on managing their listings within the search outcomes.

Nevertheless, solely 10% of small native enterprise respondents believed shedding entry to the app would have an effect on their enterprise. And, solely 10% considered counting on in-SERP itemizing administration as having an influence.

It’s price noting that the in-SERP modifying just isn’t new. Companies have been capable of edit their listings in Google Maps and Search since August final 12 months. So many native companies would possibly already be doing it this manner.

Conclusion

Reflecting on all of this knowledge, the most important takeaway just isn’t how individuals really feel in regards to the adjustments—time will inform whether or not this can be a good factor for companies of all sorts—it’s the truth that a 3rd of companies who responded had no concept in regards to the adjustments.

As I alluded to earlier, our clients are probably extra within the know than the typical native enterprise, which signifies that it’s potential that thousands and thousands of companies are fully unaware that issues are altering. Hopefully these companies will study to adapt rapidly and the adjustments will truly assist make administration of their Google Enterprise Profile simpler than ever.

Kristian is BrightLocal’s Head of Advertising. He’ll sometimes pop up on the weblog to let our viewers find out about large issues taking place at BrightLocal and within the search engine optimization business. Kristian attracts from a decade of search engine optimization expertise and has spent the previous couple of years working in SaaS firms.