Google has announced that businesses can now link their social media profiles to their Google Business Profiles (GBP).
This new feature makes it easier for customers to find and connect with companies on their preferred social media channels.
This can be helpful for customers who are looking to connect with a company on a specific social media platform, or who are looking to learn more about a company’s social media presence. Additionally, the feature can be helpful for companies who are looking to increase their social media engagement.
By making it easier for customers to find and connect with companies on social media, this feature can help companies to reach a wider audience and build stronger relationships with their customers.
Before the ability to manually add social media profiles to Business Profiles, Google would automatically choose which social profiles to show based on a variety of factors, including:
- The number of followers or subscribers the business had on each platform
- The engagement rate on the business’s social media posts
- The relevance of the social media platform to the business’s industry
- The popularity of the social media platform in the geographic area where the business is located
This system was not always accurate and businesses often found their most important social profiles were not being shown. The new feature of manually linking social media profiles to GBP gives businesses more control over how they are presented to potential customers.
Add Your Businesses Social Media Links to Google Business Profile
To add social media links to your Google Business Profile and do the following:
Click on the “Edit profile” button > under the “Contact” section, you will see a new option for “Social profiles.” Click on this option and enter the web address URL for your social media profiles.
You can currently add one of each of the following social media links:
- TikTok
- X (formerly Twitter)
- YouTube
For example, this is how your Facebook link would look – https://www.facebook.com/username
Don’t worry if your account’s ‘Social Profiles’ section isn’t visible yet, keep checking back. Google has only rolled this out in certain regions currently but it will be coming coming to your region soon.
Update 5th September 2023: Social Profiles have been added to UK Google Business Profiles.
As of 5th September 2023, Social Profiles have been added to UK Google Business Profiles.
There are many benefits to linking your social media profiles to GBP. Here are a few:
- Increased visibility: When you link your social media profiles to your Google Business Profile, your business will be more visible in Google Search and Maps. This is because Google will show your social media profiles alongside other information about your business, such as your address, phone number, and hours of operation.
- Improved customer engagement: By linking your social media profiles, you can make it easier for customers to connect with you on their preferred channels. This can help you build relationships with customers, answer their questions, and resolve their issues.
- Increased brand awareness: When you share content on your social media profiles, it can help to increase brand awareness for your business. This is because your content will be seen by a wider audience, including people who may not have heard of your business before.
- Improved SEO: Linking your social media profiles to GBP can help to improve your search engine optimisation (SEO). This is because Google will take into account your social media activity when ranking your business in search results.
- Consistency: When your social media profiles are linked to your Google Business Profile, your customers will see consistency across all platforms. This can help to build trust and credibility with your customers.
If you have a Google Business Profile, we encourage you to add social media links to your profile. This is a simple way to improve the visibility, engagement, and awareness of your business.
If you are looking for ways to improve your business’s online presence, linking your social media profiles to your Google Business Profile is a great place to start.
Then read our article, 5 Tips For Maximising Your Google Business Profile!
If you need help with GBP or any aspect of digital marketing, please get in touch, we’d love to help.