Gemini's new small business hub can update your Business Profile

On October 20, Google announced new Gemini tools for small business owners, led by a business landing page that Google calls a "central hub" to build your brand, analyze finances and review customer insights. Google also says tens of millions of small business owners already use Gemini.

There are three main pieces. Brand visuals: upload your website, brand kit, fonts or colors, and Gemini, paired with Google's Nano Banana 2.1 image model, can keep that visual style for future assets instead of making you upload the guidelines again. Financial insights: it turns spreadsheets, receipts and purchase records into charts and interactive models. Connected apps: Google Business Profile, Google Ads and Google Workspace, plus Adobe, Canva, Dropbox, Shopify, Wix, Zoho and Xero.

Google says the hub, its marketing and finance skills and the new connections are beginning to roll out globally to all Gemini app users over the coming days, so you may not see them in your account yet.

For a local business, the Business Profile connection is the part we would test first. Google Business Profile Help says that once you connect your profile, Gemini can update your hours, contact info and action links, draft replies to reviews, create posts, summarize the themes in your reviews and pull up your performance metrics and the search keywords people used to find you.

There are limits. You need to own or manage only one verified Business Profile, be 18 or older and sign in to the Gemini web app at gemini.google.com with the personal Google Account tied to that profile. Work and school accounts can't use it yet, and Keep Activity has to be on. If your account has access to more than one verified Business Profile, you can't use this connection yet.

To connect, open gemini.google.com, sign in with your Business Profile account and ask Gemini about your profile. If it doesn't pick up the Business Profile app, add @Google Business Profile to your prompt, and it will offer to connect.

Marketing insight: Ask Gemini to summarize the themes in your recent reviews, then draft replies to the ones still waiting. Read and edit every reply before you post it, so it sounds like you and not a very polite robot.

Brand visuals are an easy time saver, since you set your style once. Keep the brand kit you upload current, because Gemini keeps using it.

Slow down on anything customers see. Your hours, contact details and profile posts are public, and Google's own advice for local results starts with complete and accurate information. Check the details before you ask Gemini to update or publish anything.

The Google Ads connection is less clear. Google's post doesn't spell out what actions Gemini can take inside an ads account yet. Until Google publishes those details, keep budget and bidding changes in Google Ads itself.

In our last edition, we covered how Gemini can now use a customer's saved Google Maps places. This works from the business side too. Customers can let Gemini use their saved Maps places, and owners can now connect their Business Profile to Gemini to manage it. Two different ways Gemini now touches the same Google listing.

Want help setting up Gemini for your business, or deciding which of these tools are worth your time? Talk to our founders below. See you in the next edition.