Google has introduced or should I say reintroduced the ability to message your business directly from their Google Business Profile. This facility did exist previously, but the implementation was pretty hopeless. In the end it was removed from GBPS about six months or a year ago and the few people who found it useful were a little bit annoyed, but it was only a small minority of businesses that ever made use of the facility.
This time round, Google has chosen to integrate the Google business profiles chat facility with standard SMS messaging and WhatsApp Click to Chat functionality. To implement these chat functions is remarkably simple and I would recommend that business owners get on with it straight away. I’m currently updating the GBP of a company called Copper Beech Trading, a third-party logistics business whose speciality is in custom order fulfilment, gifting, corporate hampers and warehousing for small and medium sized businesses in the UK. The owner has given me permission to demonstrate the process using their listing.
Adding the SMS Function To Your GBP
Adding an SMS link to your Google Business Profile is quite simple. The quickest way to access your business information is simply to type in your business name and you will get the little knowledge panel about your business on the right hand side off the screen with the icons that allow you to modify parts of your Google business profile at the top of the screen.
Click on the business information icon, the one that looks like a rather weird little hut and wait till the editing panel opens. Scroll down pass the phone number section and you will see a chat section. Click on the pencil icon.
You will see three input boxes: the first, where you can select SMS or WhatsApp; the second one allows you to choose the country, while the third allows you to input the appropriate mobile number.
The video above walked you through the process for adding an SMS number. Each time you add one of the options you will have a wait of approximately 10 to 15 minutes, while that number is checked by Google’s AI.
Adding a Whatsapp "Click to Chat" Link to Google Business Profiles
WhatsApp Click to chat is the second option. The process is similar, but you have to add a specific Whatsapp, Click to Call URL.
The format of the URL is as follows:
https://wa.me/countrycode-mobilenumber
So for Copper Beech Trading, the link looks like this;
https://wa.me/447887637993
Note: do NOT use the + sign in thew country code. Leave out the leading zero from the Whatsapp mobile number.
The Inevitable Hiccup: Come on Google Do a Proper Job
In the UK, the implementation might be a little bit slow, as I haven’t yet seen an action button appear on any of the profiles that I’ve updated with these actions. STill – might as well get ahead of the game, because most of your business rivals won’t bother.
No doubt it will appear in the fullness of Google’s time. But come on @Google stop putting out semi functional updates that don’t actually work the way you promise… just to keep the weasels of Wall Street happy!
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