Google is rolling out new ways for businesses to market their GMB listings, including giving discounts to new followers.
Businesses can now attract people to their listings with welcome offers, cover photos, logos, and photo displays.
Here’s more information about each of these new features.
Welcome offers
More than half of online customers are looking for an offer or discount, Google says, so it’s giving businesses the opportunity to special coupon codes in exchange for following.
“Starting today, businesses can reward customers who follow their business on Google with welcome offers, turning happy first time customers into loyal, repeat ones.”
In the example below, you can see how users are immediately provided a discount after following a business.
It appears users won’t see exactly what the offer is until they follow the business listing.
So there’s no need to go overboard with exorbitant discounts. The mystery may even help encourage more people to follow.
Cover photos & logos
Businesses can now set their preferred profile cover photo. Previously, businesses could not set this manually.
In another update to business profiles, logos will now be displayed on the top right-hand side of the page.
Profiles are gaining one more visual update in the form of a new photo module. Photos uploaded by a business will appear instantly in this new dynamic module.
Local favorites
Google is now going to highlight the top five percent of businesses in a particular category with a “Local Favorite” designation.
Google will also recognize those businesses with, what it calls, “badges of honor.”
More details about these recognitions will be available later this summer.
