Google Maps Message Button: What to Do
Google Maps now shows a Message button right next to Call on business listings that have chat turned on, on both Android and iOS. It gives customers a way to ask a quick question before they ever dial, and it turns your Google Business Profile into one more place that needs watching, not just another feature to switch on and forget. Here is what it does, who it matters to, and how to set it up properly, whatever size your business is.
AT A GLANCE
By Conqueror Capital · Published
The short answer: the Message button is an extra way for a customer to reach you from your Google listing, sitting beside the long-standing Call and Directions buttons. It is useful only if someone is actually checking and answering it. A button nobody watches is worse than no button, because it invites a question that then goes nowhere.
WHAT CHANGED
Previously, a customer browsing your Google Maps listing had two real options to reach you directly: call, or get directions and show up in person. The Message button adds a third option that fits how a lot of people already prefer to communicate, especially for a quick question like "are you open right now" or "do you have this in stock", where picking up the phone feels like more commitment than the question deserves.
For businesses that already field a steady stream of texts or app messages about bookings and pricing, this is simply one more inbox to check, not a new skill to learn. For businesses that have never offered a messaging option, it is worth deciding upfront who owns it before customers start using it.
WHY A QUIET INBOX COSTS YOU CUSTOMERS
A missed call has always meant a missed customer for a lot of local businesses, and a missed message now carries the same risk. Someone who messages instead of calling is often doing it specifically because messaging is their preferred way to decide, and if nobody answers within a reasonable window, they are free to message the next listing on the map instead.
The fix isn't complicated, but it does take a decision: treat your Business Profile messages the same way you treat your phone line, with someone responsible for checking them during business hours and a plan for after-hours questions.
HOW TO SET IT UP PROPERLY
- Turn on messaging in your Google Business Profile settings if it isn't already on.
- Assign an owner. Decide who checks messages, and during what hours, the same way you'd staff a phone line.
- Write a few starter replies for the questions you get most often: hours, pricing, availability and booking links.
- Set expectations if you'll be slow to reply, for example by pointing to your website's booking page in an automatic first response, where that feature is available.
- Review it weekly alongside your other profile checks, so a quiet inbox doesn't go unnoticed for weeks.
SMALL, MID-SIZE AND ENTERPRISE
Small businesses: one person, usually the owner, can own this directly. The main job is simply checking it as part of a daily routine.
Mid-size businesses: with more staff and more volume, route messages to the same team or software that already handles phone and online bookings, so nothing falls through a separate, forgotten channel. Our online booking link guide covers keeping every channel pointed at one booking flow.
Multi-location and enterprise brands: each location's profile has its own messaging setting and its own inbox. Decide on one policy for every location, and make sure messaging is included in whatever system already tracks call handling and response times, so one quiet location doesn't drag down the brand's reputation. See how we work with mid-size and enterprise teams.
FAQ
What is the Google Maps Message button?
A button shown next to Call on a business listing when messaging is turned on, letting a customer send a text-style question straight from the Google Maps app on Android or iOS without dialing the phone.
Do I need to turn on messaging myself?
Messaging is managed from your Google Business Profile. If it isn't already on, you can turn it on there, and the button appears on your public listing once it is.
What happens if I don't answer a message?
An unanswered message reads the same as a missed call to the customer who sent it. They are free to message or call a competitor instead, often within minutes.
Can more than one person answer messages?
Yes, Google Business Profile supports more than one manager, so messaging duty can be shared or handed off between staff rather than resting on one person.
Should a large or multi-location business bother with this?
Yes, and more so. Each location's profile has its own messaging setting, so a brand with many locations needs a consistent policy and a real answering process at every one, not just the flagship store.
KEEP READING
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