Google has made significant changes to business profiles . True. Initial reactions will most likely not be very positive, but it’s an experience. So, what has really changed?
The Google Business Profile Manager is still available, but the ability to edit listings in the interface has disappeared . Users no longer have access to their old dashboards and are forced into the New Merchant Experience, where GBP edits are made directly in the SERP .
This is a massive change that neither business owners nor SEOs are thrilled about .
What is NMX?
NMX (New Merchant Experience) allows profile managers to edit profile information directly in the SERP and removes the Google Business Profile dashboard. While editing in the SERP is not new, the removal of the business.google.com dashboard is. In the future, profile managers will be required to edit information in the listing, manage information from the Google Business Profile within the SERP, and monitor performance.
What has changed with the switch to Google NMX?
Users may notice major changes between the new environment, merchants, and their company profile panels. The biggest change is the loss of the ability to work within the dashboard.
Historically, most things on your Google Business Profile were accessible through the GBP dashboard. Some things were accessible through the in-SERP NMX. This is no longer the case these days.
Overview of all changes:
- Google Business Profiles student data can now only be edited within the SERP. The Dashboard is no longer available.
- Some things still return users to the old dashboard. But it only works inconsistently for users and is unlikely to last long.
- “How customers find your business” metrics are no longer available.
- Photo statistics are no longer available. This data has often been criticized as unreliable and inaccurate. The prospect of better photo data in the future gives hope to users.
Location information when customers enter
Directions to your business) is no longer available. Instead, NMX displays direction requests over time.
- When you manage multiple profiles, you no longer need to use the dashboard. You simply access all your profiles using the SERP, and this SERP will show you all the profiles you manage.
- Google renamed “users” to “managers.”
- Google “posts” on the dashboard are now marked as “updates” in NMX.
- Branded search (and the this methodology teaches competition that appears in SERPs) culminates in brand analytics, as a branded search is required to open the dashboard.
Advantages of NMX
A BrightLocal Twitter survey found that over 83% of users found NMX difficult . However, the new business experience has some positives. After exploring the features and overall layout, users will find that they still have access to most of the functionality that the old dashboard provided.
For non-agency job managers and executive list small businesses, it eliminates one step within SERP by removing the need to navigate to a separate URL to access their business manager.
While the local SEO group may be on edge about this, the average user is the previous dashboard, making them easier for the average user to use and find.