Google has introduced the ability for businesses to add social media profile links directly in their Google Business Profile.
This new option enables companies to showcase their social media presence alongside other information in Google Search and Maps.
By having social media links accessible on their Google Business Profile, businesses can provide customers with more ways to connect, acquire information, and resolve issues.
New Feature Rollout
A new Google support page explains businesses can now control which social media links are displayed on their Google Business Profile.
Businesses can add one link per social media platform to their Business Profile. The supported platforms include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
This feature is being rolled out gradually and is available in specific regions.
How To Use the New Feature
To add a social media link to a Google Business Profile, businesses need to access their profile, click ‘Edit profile,’ then ‘Business information,’ and finally, ‘Contact.’
Under ‘Social profiles,’ they can select the social media platform they wish to link and enter the web address.
Editing or removing the link follows a similar process.
To edit a link, businesses must update the web address field for the designated social media link. To remove a link, click on the ‘Trash’ icon next to the social media profile that needs to be deleted.
Occasionally, Google automatically adds social media links to eligible Business Profiles. To modify these auto-added links, businesses can add a new link for the same social media platform following the same steps.
What This Means for Businesses
The ability to add social media links provides another way for local business owners to optimize their presence across Google’s ecosystem.
Consumers today expect to find social media and website links alongside local search results. Small to medium-sized businesses can now keep up with chains in providing that seamless experience.
While businesses can add the same social media link to multiple Business Profiles, they cannot add various links from the same platform to a single profile.
This feature can be managed per business on Search or Maps or via the API to manage multiple locations simultaneously.
Note that Google doesn’t provide performance metrics such as click rates for these social media links.
Featured Image: The Image Party/Shutterstock
