Businesses affected by COVID-19 should update their Google My Business profile with new operating information for customers.
This measure is important because it will make it easier for potential customers to find businesses.
Information such as extra services offered to the community, and whether they are making deliveries, will be displayed on your business profile in Google Search and Maps.
Check out Google's 6 guidelines on how to update information and temporary closures
1) Change the opening hours
If your business hours have changed, you need to update this information so that the new hours are displayed when customers visit your profile, letting them know exactly when they can visit the store. Learn how to change your business hours.
However, if you are still operating but not serving the public on-site, you should not mark the location as temporarily closed. We'll discuss this further later.
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2) Add a COVID-19 update post to your profile
This type of post about COVID-19 is for sharing more detailed and timely updates about what's happening at your company. You can add information about:
- Operating hours, reduced hours and temporary closures;
- Changes in the way the company operates (e.g., pickup or delivery only, calls to ask for details, etc.);
- Practices regarding safety and hygiene in the workplace;
- Support requests.
Update posts about COVID-19 appear prominently on your profile and are more easily seen by customers. Learn how to add a COVID-19 update post.
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3) Interact with your customers
Use your GMB profile to offer support to your customers. You can download the Google My Business app and activate the messaging feature so your customers can contact you.
If your customers are unable to contact your business by phone or if your business is closed, they can send messages through Google My Business and receive the necessary support. Learn how to enable messaging in the Google My Business app.
You can also enable the notification feature, so you'll be alerted when customers send messages, which helps keep your response time within the 24-hour requirement.
Tip: Write an automated welcome message to inform customers about your company's status.
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4) Update your company description
Your company description should briefly explain what it offers, what sets it apart from the competition, its history, or other information that is useful to customers.
Example: Our artisanal ice cream shop is located just a few meters from the city center and receives many groups of friends who come to have ice cream or pizza. We deliver. We have 35 flavors of homemade ice cream and sorbets served by hand all year round. We also serve a delicious thin-crust pizza with a crispy edge every day starting at noon. We're waiting for you!
If your company has had to change its way of operating, use the company description field to share this information, such as:
- If the company is only working with pickup or delivery;
- Extra services that she is offering to the community;
- possible delays in the services provided.
Learn more about how to edit your company description.
5) Use attributes to highlight restaurant and shopping options
Restaurants and shopping companies have attributes at the top of their profiles to inform customers about service availability.
The business category determines the attributes available for your Business Profile, such as accepted payment methods, accessibility options, or whether the business is ideal for the LGBT community. When editing your business information on Google My Business, you will see the attributes that match your location.
This new information will appear prominently on your business profile when customers search for it on Maps and Google Search. Available attributes will have a “✓”, and unavailable ones will have an “X”. Learn more about editing attributes.
Learn more about specific recommendations for food and beverage businesses.
Learn more about specific recommendations for retail businesses.
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6) Update your business as temporarily closed
Marking a business as temporarily closed will not affect its ranking in local search results, and it will be treated the same as open businesses.
If your business still offers pickup or delivery, do not use the "Temporarily Closed" status.
Businesses that offer pickup or delivery services should not change their status. If they do, these services will not be displayed on Google.
Our advice is to use the company description field to provide updates on company operations or to inform customers by adding an update post about Covid-19.
Here's how to mark your business as temporarily closed on Google.
Follow these tips to update your Google My Business profile and help more customers find your business.
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