Google Business Profile Updates That Move The Needle

If you rely on foot traffic, phone calls, or booked appointments, your Google Business Profile is your new home page.

In 2025, a handful of changes will make GBP more important and a little different to manage. Here is what changed, why it matters, and what to do next.

What has changed since last year

• Chat and Call History are gone
  Google fully removed in-profile chat and the call history log in July 2024. You can no longer receive new chats, and prior logs are not available in GBP.

• Google-hosted GBP websites were shut down
  The free business websites Google offered inside GBP were turned off in March 2024 and now redirect to your profile. You need a real website and updated links in GBP.

• You can add official social links to your profile
  Google now supports adding one link per platform, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and more. Availability can vary by region.

• Restaurants and bars get a new Highlights section
  Google introduced a What’s Happening area that can show this week’s promotions or events, populated by your posts or synced from social. Initial rollout is in select English-speaking markets.

• Verification ties tighter to Local Services Ads
  A verified Business Profile is increasingly required to run Local Services Ads in many regions, and mismatches can suspend ads. If LSA drives leads for you, this is critical.

• Early AI experiments that may touch local
  Google is testing Ask for Me, which places automated calls to businesses for prices and availability in certain categories. Opt-out is managed via GBP settings. Treat this as an experiment to monitor.

What these updates mean for local visibility and revenue

1. Lead capture shifts off-profile
   With chat and call logs gone, your conversion paths must run through your website, phone, booking links, or messaging tools you control. Treat GBP as a high-intent landing experience, not a full CRM.

2. Completeness and freshness signals matter more
   Rich profiles with services, products, photos, menus, and social links tend to win more taps and justifications in Maps results. Google keeps auto-updating profiles with data it finds, so staying current protects accuracy.

3. Promotions and events surface faster for Food and Drink
   The What’s Happening block can put weekly specials in front of searchers without a click. Consistent posting and clean social sync become net new reach for restaurants and bars.

4. Ad eligibility depends on GBP hygiene
   If you use Local Services Ads, treat verification, categories, hours, and service areas like compliance items. Sloppy details can throttle leads even if your ad budget is healthy.

Playbook: five concrete optimizations for 2025

1) Rebuild your conversion flow without in-profile chat

• Add a clear primary action in GBP: Call, Book, or Website.

• If you take appointments, enable a booking partner, or point to a fast mobile booking page with fewer than 5 fields.

• Replace the lost call log with call tracking on your main number and a recorded IVR that confirms hours and location.

2) Add social links and coordinate posting

• In GBP, add one official link per platform that you actively maintain. This builds completeness, adds credibility, and gives users more proof that you exist in the real world.

• Set a simple cadence: 1 Google Post and 1 short video per week. For restaurants and bars, schedule weekly specials that match your social content so What’s Happening stays fresh.

3) Replace the retired GBP website with a fast, local-first site

• Launch a lightweight site that loads in under 2 seconds on mobile and mirrors your GBP data: NAP, hours, categories, services, pricing, FAQs.

• Use UTM on every GBP link so you can see traffic and conversions from Google Maps vs Search in GA4.

• Update your GBP website field and any booking links since the business website is no longer available.

4) Max out profile completeness

• Categories: pick one precise primary category and 2 to 4 supporting ones that match your services.

• Services and Products: list service names, short descriptions, and prices where possible.

• Attributes: add accessibility, ownership, and amenities attributes that apply.

• Photos and video: upload 5 to 10 bright, recent photos monthly. Include a 20 to 30-second walkthrough video.

• Q&A: seed 5 real FAQs and answer them from the business account.

• Reviews: ask consistently, reply within 48 hours, and reference the specific service performed.

5) Lockdown verification and data governance

• Complete postcard, phone, or video verification and keep ownership secure with two admins and two-factor authentication.

• Document a single source of truth for hours, holiday closings, and service areas.

• If you run Local Services Ads, ensure GBP name, address, phone, hours, and categories match your ad setup to avoid suspensions.

Advanced moves for competitive markets

• Menu, inventory, and pricing data
  If you can syndicate structured menus or inventory, do it. It earns richer justifications in SERP and reduces pre-call friction.

• Location-level content
  For multi-location brands, publish at least one Post per location each week. Variety offers so that profiles do not look duplicated.

• Photo EXIF hygiene
  You do not have to stuff EXIF, but consistent, georelevant images uploaded from your place of business correlate with higher photo views.

• Category-specific hooks

  • Home services: show service areas clearly in GBP and on-site. Add photos of jobs by neighborhood.

  • Healthcare: emphasize insurance accepted and after-hours options in your description and Posts.

  • Restaurants and bars: make weekly specials and events your posting backbone to activate What’s Happening.

Measurement checklist

Track these four numbers monthly, and you will know if your profile is doing its job.

1. Profile views by surface
   Search vs Maps. Expect Maps’ share to grow for on-the-go queries.

2. Actions per view
   Calls, website clicks, and bookings are divided by views. Improve this with better photos, stronger primary action, and clearer offers.

3. Direction requests for in-store conversions
   Ask at checkout how people found you. A one-question survey beats guessing.

4. GBP traffic to revenue
   In GA4, create a segment for UTM source Google and medium organic with campaign maps or gmb. Compare revenue or form starts against other organic sources.

One-time audit you can run this week

• Verify ownership and primary category

• Update hours, holiday hours, and service areas

• Add social links and confirm they work on mobile

• Replace any business site or dead links with your current site and booking pages

• Upload 10 new photos and a short video

• Publish one Post with an offer or event

• Seed and answer 5 FAQs

• Respond to the last 20 reviews

• Add UTM to Website, Menu, and Appointment links

Keep an eye on AI calling experiments

Is your team looking for new ways to strategize your marketing efforts? Get in touch with our team for a free consultation!