In another nail to the coffin of Google+, the search engine company has removed metrics related to a business Google+ listing found on its business listing dashboard, Google My Business. The search engine is replacing Google+ statistics with data related to the performance of a Google business listing that appears on Google Maps and Google Search.
The new feature is “designed to let users see where and how people are finding a business via Google,” according to Tom Pritchard, Google My Business product manager.
The new feature is another tool that emphasizes the importance Google is placing on helping businesses keep their information up to date — a service that is valuable both to small businesses and Google. By encouraging businesses to update their information, the search engine giant can provide more accurate and timely information in Google searches.
Also on SmallBusiness.com | How to start using Google My Business
As we’ve suggested for months, it’s important to update your business information on Google Search and Google Maps. Using the “Google My Business” dashboard, you can update both Search and Maps simultaneously.
According to Google, the average well-maintained Google My Business listing gets five times more views than listings which haven’t been claimed by their owners.
What the new feature will report
Though some people search for your business on Google by name, others search more generally for what you have to offer. (For example, “pizza restaurants in [your town].”) The new feature will allow a user to see the number of people who visited their listing after searching for it directly, and how many discovered your business while looking for a broader category (like pizza restaurants).
VIA | Google Small Business