Google Opens Posts To Local Businesses

Alphabet’s Google has started enabling local small businesses to post social network type updates about the businesses alongside search results.

According to a news in TechCrunch, Google had previously only let a handful of celebrities, sports teams, sports leagues, movie studios and museums post notes, images, videos, GIFs and text, but now it’s opening it up to local small business firms. The businesses can post on Google to get the word out about events, their products and services, or photos to Google Search and Maps. TechCrunch noted Google said the feature can be used by small businesses to share daily specials and promotions and to spread the word about events. They are also able to link the posts to their websites and use posts to increase the number of people who sign up for their newsletters or to direct customers to specific pages within their websites. Local small businesses can create the posts on the internet and in the My Business Android and iOS apps.

The report noted Google first tested posts during the election in the U.S. last year and has been since expanding it slowly. It most recently went live with the feature in Brazil, letting musicians include posts. TechCrunch said the move on the part of Google to interject a little social media into search isn’t part of a broader push to bring back Google+. It’s more focused on letting businesses publish information that is more timely for its customers. Google has been rolling out new features aimed at helping businesses on the internet and recently begun using billions of credit card transaction records – 70 percent of all transactions for credit and debit cards in the United States, according to reports – to determine just how many sales are being generated by digital ad campaigns.