Want to make it easier for customers to find your Google My Business profile? That’s a lot easier now that Google My Business has added short names and custom URLs.
Sharing the URL to your Google My Business listing can encourage reviews and help customers find info about your business. But before this change, finding the URL was unintuitive, and the URLs themselves were overly complicated.
With the rollout of Google My Business short names, that’s all changed. By claiming a short name, you’ll create a URL for your listing that’s easy to use and easy to remember.
Here’s what it looks like: g.page/[yourshortname]/
Google suggests including this URL on your business card and other non-digital promotional materials, so that users have an easy way to find your Google My Business listing. When mobile users visit the URL, they’ll be directed to your search profile page. On desktop, users will be directed to your Google Maps profile page.
Right now, Google says that short names are a great way to encourage reviews and help customers find quick info about your business. And as with other Google features, there’s a good chance that it will have even more uses in the future.
Claim Your Google My Business Short Name Early!
Google My Business only introduced short names in April, and the feature is still getting rolled out. So at this point, 99% of businesses have yet to claim a short name.
But even if you don’t expect to use this feature now, it’s a good idea to claim your short name as soon as possible. As with social media handles, you don’t want to risk losing your short name to another business. Claiming your short name now will also save you the time and trouble of having to worry about someone posing as your business.
Plus, there’s a very real chance that Google My Business will start using short names in new ways. Google has never been shy about changing its services. Often, smaller features take on bigger roles over time. So, it’s possible that Google My Business short names will become a lot more prominent in the future. If that happens, you don’t want to be stuck with a second-rate short name.
How to Claim Your Google My Business Short Name
Google has made the process for claiming your short name simple for business owners. Here’s a quick overview of how this process works:
On Desktop
- Sign into your Google My Business account.
- Choose the location that you’ll be creating a short name for.
- Go to the menu, click on “Info,” then select “Add profile short name”
- Enter your short name.
- Click “Apply.”
On Mobile
- Open the Google My Business app.
- Select “Profile,” then tap “Add profile short name”
- Enter your short name.
- Tap “Save.”
Google My Business Short Name Guidelines
When creating a Google My Business short name, you’ll need to keep certain guidelines in mind. In particular, you’ll need to be mindful of the length of your short name and how often a short name can be changed. If you operate a multi-location brand, you’ll also need to think about how you’ll create unique short names for each location.
Note: Short names and custom URLs must adhere to relevant Google, Google My Business, and Google Maps policies. This means that you cannot impersonate a business, try to mislead users, or include obscene language when creating your short name.
General Short Name Guidelines
- Short names must be at least 5 characters long and have a maximum of 32 characters.
- Businesses can change their short names, up to a maximum of 3 changes per year.
- If you choose a new short name, the old short name could be claimed by someone else.
Guidelines for Multi-Location Brands
- For multiple locations, you will need to claim the short name for each location individually.
- Every short name must be unique, so each location will need a unique short name.
- Google suggests creating a unique short name by combining your brand name and a geographic identifier, such as your city or neighborhood.
To learn more about how you can take advantage of Google My Business solutions, contact us today!
