Google opens Gemini Business Profile tools to Workspace accounts
Google is rolling out Gemini access to Business Profiles for companies that manage their listing through a Google Workspace account, according to a Small Business Bulletin posted by Lisa Landsman, the company's Head of Industry Engagement and SMB Success, on 5 November. Workspace admins must first switch on Gemini app access in the Admin console before employees can link a verified profile.
The bulletin and Google's own help documentation disagree. The help centre still states that owners must sign in with a personal Google Account and that the feature is unavailable for work or school accounts. The same page has dropped the European Economic Area and United Kingdom from its list of unsupported regions since 13 October, and now says only that the connection is available wherever the Gemini web app is supported.
Once linked, owners can upload photos and videos into Gemini chat from a device or Google Photos to add images to a profile or draft new posts, with prompts such as setting special hours for Black Friday. Linking remains limited to one verified profile per owner or manager, through the Gemini web app only, so agencies running several client listings cannot yet use a single login.
The same bulletin moves the Message button next to Call on Google Maps listings on Android and iOS, sending customers to a chat option the business has set up, including WhatsApp or text. A dead link or unread inbox now sits in one of the most prominent buttons on the listing. Google has also added a Generate hours section to the hours editor, which fills in schedule fields from plain-language input, and new Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Kosher and Halal menu labels.
Reported by Search Engine Journal ↗
Topics: Gemini, Google Search