Local Search Changes with Google My Business Changing to Google Business ProfileWhen it comes to Google, changes are inevitable. And so it was really no surprise to me when Google announced in early November that the name of its local listing platform, Google My Business (GMB), was being changed to Google Business Profile.

According to Matt Madrigal, VP/GM Merchant Shopping, “Moving forward, we recommend small businesses manage their profiles directly on Search or Maps. To keep things simple, ‘Google My Business’ is being renamed ‘Google Business Profile,’” Madrigal wrote in the official announcement.

He also added, “And in 2022, we’ll retire the Google My Business app so more merchants can take advantage of the upgraded experience on Search and Map.” So what does this change mean to your local business?

When the new Google Business Profile name change — and new features — were announced, I was one of the first to write a comprehensive article about the name change and how to use Google search to update your Google Business Profile if you had a single Google Business Profile. Here’s the article I wrote for Search Engine Journal about the big changes to Google Business Profile.