Google launches the “What’s happening” feature for Google listings

Google is rolling out a new feature called “What’s happening” on Google listings – designed especially for restaurants and bars.

The goal? To help you showcase your latest updates and events in a visible, eye-catching way on search results. Let us explain!

A dynamic showcase for your latest updates

With “What’s happening”, businesses can now display updates right at the top of their Google My Business listing. This can include promotional offers, events, or any other announcement designed to quickly grab people’s attention.

Here’s how Google describes the new feature:

“What’s happening puts your updates front and centre – like ‘Today’s special’ or ‘Live music on Saturday’.”

In addition, the feature can automatically bring up promotions or events that have already been published via your Google Posts or your social media channels.

It’s a great way to make your business more appealing. “What’s happening” posts appear directly in Google Search and on Google Maps, giving your updates greater visibility.

How can you get access to the “What’s happening” feature?

To be automatically eligible for this new feature, you simply need to publish regular updates via Google Posts and your social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.). By sharing high-quality content on a consistent basis, Google will see your business as active and dynamic, and will gradually grant you access to the “What’s happening” feature.

Post everywhere, in just one click

Partoo shares your updates on Instagram, Facebook and Google Posts – reach your customers wherever they are, in one simple click!

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Although it was initially intended only for businesses with a single establishment, Google has expanded this feature to chains and multi-location businesses, allowing them to coordinate communications on a large scale while still maintaining local personalisation.
It should be noted that this update is, for now, limited to restaurants and bars located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

However, Google plans to extend the feature to other types of industries and regions around the world, although no date has been announced yet.

In short

If you run a restaurant or bar, this new feature is a great opportunity to catch the eye of potential customers right when they search for you on Google.

With better visibility for your events and offers, you can expect more online traffic – and more footfall too!