No doubt you noticed the separation of Google Brand Pages from Google My Business and the removal of the Classic Google+ interface has left Google business pages looking a child that was returned to the orphanage.

The Divorce Aftermath

The resulting aftermath is a complete lack of basic business details on a Business Page and from resulting conversations with Google, even Google did not realise this monumental cock-up, or did they?

So on desktop a user cannot find a business pages, business details, yet you can find all the details on Brand pages? You can on Mobile which just shows how disjointed the machine has become.

Missed Opportunities & Lacking of Business Understanding

Before Google+ came along it was estimated that 70% of all Google business pages / listings were unclaimed. Then Google+ came along and merged Google business pages into the Google plus family, the problem is that Google never marketed, pushed the benefit of managing and marketing your Google business page in a “social’ish” environment.

The result was 70% of Google business pages in the Google+ system were unclaimed and unloved, are you surprised. Without explaining it to businesses, they probably thing the business knowledge panel is Google magic fairy dust.

Now Google runs some “user” tests and decides that there is not a great deal of use / benefit for a Google business page to be running in the Google+ environment. I would argue that having 70% of all business pages unclaimed and dormant of course you bloody won’t have “usage” but that not to say that the businesses that are active do not see a decent amount of traffic and benefit coming from their Google+ business page.

I would not be surprised if their “user” testing over looked engaged businesses.