Google has revealed two new features for businesses.
One feature allows businesses to use chat features from the search engine results, while the other allows them to select their display pictures, the images that appear in the search engine results.
Yesterday, Google announced the picture feature, which comes as a part of the Google My Business service.
The Google My Business Product Manager, Abhishek Poddar, said: “Starting today, you can tell us which image you’d like to appear when customers search for your business on Google.”
The new photo interface gives business owners six categories of images to choose:
- Identity photos
- Interior photos
- Exterior photos
- Photos at work
- Team photos
- Additional photos
Google said that the new feature gives the business more control over the images that come up in the search results, and claims this control can help to attract more customers.
Google tests new feature?
On Tuesday Matt Gibstein, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania and a former employee of Google, uploaded a picture of the ability to chat to businesses from the search results, posting it on Twitter.
Most Twitter users responded positively to the news about the feature, however, some have expressed concerns over the expected cost.
Barry Schwartz, the reporter at Search Engine Land has said that the feature does not yet appear for everyone in the Google My Business console.
He said: “I assume that this is tied to managers of the business and that if a manager is active on Google Chat/Hangouts, it may show the chat button in the local box in the search results.”
He expects Google to reveal more in the coming weeks.
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