We live in a world where there are constantly new apps and features being released for our smart phones. Features and apps aren’t just exciting new games or quirky gimmicks they’re fast becoming part of our everyday life. Google have recently released a new app which could certainly change the way you communicate with friends and the way you search online. Their new app is called Gboard. In this article, I will be discussing what this new app is and how it could potentially impact your local presence.
Let’s get started…
What Is Gboard?
The first place to start is to discuss what exactly Gboard is. Gboard is a new app that Google have released for iPhones. Currently the app is only available to the U.S but it will be coming to the UK in due course. There are also rumours that it may also come onto Android devices. Google have released this app to make searching online easier, when having a conversion with a friend or when using another app. You’re able to share results from Google with one click, instead of having to flick between different apps to get the information you need. Not only can you do Google searches, but it also lets you search for GIFs to send onto your friends as well as letting you search for emojis!
Here is the official introduction video for Gboard that Google have released:
As you can see from the video, this is a massive new statement that Google have made. Google have always been known for the best ‘Search Engine’ but now they’re bringing their search function and usability to a whole new level. If this feature works in the way it’s intended, this could be a game changer from Google.
What This Could Mean For Your Local Business
Now that I’ve discussed what the new Google app is and shown you how it can be used, it’s now time to turn your thinking around. Instead of just thinking ‘That’s a cool app’, you need to start thinking ‘How can I get the most from this for my business?’ As I said before, if this app goes in the direction that Google want it to, this could open up a whole new world and audience for your business.
Let’s use an example: Someone has done a search on Gboard for ‘Hotels near me’ to send onto their friend, they’ve done a search and local hotels come up. Wouldn’t you love for your hotel to show up? This is when you need to make sure you’re doing everything you possibly can to show up locally. Currently when a user does a local search on Gboard it looks very similar to what would show up if the user was doing the same search via Chrome or Safari on their iPhone. This means that you firstly need to make sure your Google My Business page is 100% up-to-date so that anyone who finds your business has the correct address and phone number. We published a great article on Google My Business which you can find here - 5 Tips to Keep Your 'Google My Business' Page Fresh.
Once you have checked and made sure your Google My Business page is totally up-to-date, you can then turn your focus onto what marketing work you’re actually doing locally to help your local dominance. Making sure your Google My Business page is up-to-date and optimised, will certainly help when people are performing local searches. However, you can’t just stop there. It’s simply not enough just to depend on a Google My Business page. You need to make sure there is a proper plan and strategy in place to succeed. SEO and PPC can be great strategies for getting new traffic and customers to your website. Another article we posted about local dominance can be found here - 6 Easy To Implement Tactics To Help Increase Local Website Traffic This Summer.
Conclusion
Whether or not you will use the new Google Gboard app when it comes to the UK, it could potentially have a huge impact on your local business and how your customers search online. It’s always important to stay ahead of the curve and stay ahead of your competition. Always make sure you’re researching into new methods and apps to get the most for your business.
