Google announced on May 11th that they would soon be rolling out COVID-19 support links for Google My Business listings. This was just after Bing announced similar.
This has been a feature I’ve been eager to see released, as recent months have been extremely difficult for many businesses due to the pandemic.
I checked my Dashboard earlier today and noticed that the functionality has rolled out. Can see that Amy Toman and Claire Carlile are also seeing the feature for their clients.
To see if the feature is available for your own listings, there should be new ‘heart’ icon appearing on the ‘Home’ tab of your Dashboard:
The setup process within the Dashboard appears to be pretty straightforward. Clicking the icon then takes you the ‘Posts’ tab where you can choose between a gift card or donation link.
With the gift card feature, there’s the option to link directly to your own website or via Square. Whereas donations allow you to choose from either a GoFundMe or PayPal integration.
Once the integration has been submitted within the Dashboard, you’ll then be sent a confirmation email saying that your campaign will be live shortly.
For the test setup I completed for a listing I manage (a friends business, who actually needs the support), the feature became visible on their local panel almost instantly.
I haven’t tried the donation option yet, just for gift cards, but I’d expect the turnaround to also be quick. But let me know if you’re seeing otherwise.
This feature is a nice addition for businesses who have been heavily impacted by COVID. I’d highly recommend passing on this information to a friend or relative who could benefit.
