Google My Business (GMB) is now a thing of the past. GMB is now rebranded as Google Business Profile.

Those with a GMB can log into their Google My Business Panel, will get a message about the changes and how they can manage their Business profile directly on Google Search and Maps in this video.

This isn't the first time Google's local listing platform has been rebranded.

If you've been using a Google Map Business Profile for a while, you may remember that it was called Google Local and now is known as Google Map Business. 

According to the official announcement, the reason behind changing the name is to keep things simple, and from now on, small businesses can manage their profiles directly on Google Search or Google Maps. 

In 2022, GMB will be retired. You will no longer be able to manage a single listing through the Google My Business Panel app.

This only applies to those of you who manage a single listing.

For agencies who manage multiple locations, according to Google, the existing Map Business Web experience will be renamed Business Profile Manager in order to support larger businesses with multiple locations. 

So, it seems like there will be an option similar to the My Business Panel. 

For now, local businesses will have to get used to the new ways of managing their business through search and maps, which is nothing new. This option was released back in 2017, and now it will become the norm.

If you want to change your listing details, you will have to do it on either Google Maps or Search by going into Google and signing in using the Gmail address associated with your Google Profile and searching for your business name.

You will notice that all the features that were available in your Google Map Business Dashboard interface or the mobile app have been migrated directly into Search, whether you are using a desktop or a mobile.

This makes it easier for business owners to keep their information accurate, as opposed to logging in to different applications. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Google My Business is changing to Google Business Profiles.

If you search for your business name on Google Map, it will bring up your listing, as well as the option to update it there. 

Clicking on the View Profile option will allow you to edit it. There's no longer any need for you to log into a Google My Business Dashboard. 

New features come with Google's new business profile. The ability to claim and verify a listing directly from search is one of the most notable ones. 

In addition, the opportunity to directly respond to customer messages you receive through your profile is one of the great features directly available on both mobile and desktop Google Search.

A call history feature is also available in the US and Canada and will be rolled out in other countries.

Another feature is the Performance tab, which was easy to miss in the old Google Map Business Dashboard and is more visible on the new dashboard.

The new dashboard now allows business owners to see how visitors interact with their profile, whether they found you on desktop, mobile, Google Maps or Google Search, how many phone calls, messages, or visits to your website you have received 

Also, available are easily accessible links to ask your customers for reviews. This is a major shift from Google and shows their intent to push the local listing platform and to establish their dominance in local search. 

These changes will hopefully make business owners to actively engage with the platform and produce more accurate business information overall. 

So goodbye, Google My Business and say hello to Google Business Profile, which may help local businesses get more engagement from both mobile and desktop.