Two changes to Google Business Profile messaging surfaced on October 28, 2026, and neither has an official announcement yet. Both affect how customers contact you from Google, which means both affect whether those contacts turn into bookings.
The first change: Google is automatically adding Facebook Messenger links, the short m.me kind, to some Business Profiles and emailing the businesses to tell them. The second: some businesses setting up messaging are being asked for their EIN and a privacy policy link, followed by a review from a Google partner that takes three to four working days.
Neither change is catastrophic, but both need attention. A messaging button that leads to an inbox nobody checks is worse than no button at all.
What Is Happening with Messenger Links
Local SEO Darcy Burk flagged on X that m.me links were appearing automatically in Google Business Profiles. Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable confirmed he had not seen Google add these before, so this appears to be new behavior.
An m.me link is Meta’s short URL that opens a chat with a Facebook Page in Messenger. For example, m.me/yourbusiness opens a conversation with the Page whose username is yourbusiness. Google seems to be pulling these from public information about the business, most likely the connected Facebook Page, similar to how it fills in other social profile links.
The problem is obvious. A link Google adds for you is a link you did not choose. If your Facebook Page is old, unmonitored, or run by someone who left the company, customers may now be messaging an inbox nobody reads. A customer who messages a dead inbox at 7 AM with a burst pipe does not wait. They call the next plumber in the local pack.
What Is Happening with EIN Requests
Separately, some businesses setting up the message button on their Google Business Profile are being asked for an EIN, which is the U.S. federal Employer Identification Number, and a privacy policy URL. After submitting, a Google partner reviews the details, which takes about three to four working days before messaging can be activated.
This is a verification step. Google wants to confirm a real, registered business sits behind the profile before letting it receive messages from customers. It is likely a response to scammers using fake profiles to start conversations with potential victims. Schwartz noted that asking for an EIN makes more sense than asking for a personal government ID, which Google has also requested in some verification flows.
It is not clear yet what businesses outside the U.S. are asked for, or whether sole traders without an EIN can use their tax ID. We will update this when Google publishes details. For Indian businesses, the equivalent would likely be a GST number or PAN, but Google has not confirmed this.
How We Got Here: Messaging on Business Profiles
The history explains the direction. Google shut down its own Business Profile chat feature on July 31, 2024. By 2026, its help docs listed WhatsApp and text message as chat options for verified profiles in select regions. On October 7, 2026, a WhatsApp button was spotted in local panels beside Call and Directions. On October 28, Messenger links started appearing automatically.
The pattern is clear. Google stopped running chat itself and now sends people to apps they already use. WhatsApp, text messages, and now Messenger. The extra verification checks suggest Google is trying to keep scammers out of the new system. For legitimate businesses, this is good news. It means the messaging channel is more trustworthy, which means more customers will use it.
What to Check on Your Profile This Week
Spend ten minutes on this. It is the highest-ROI ten minutes you will spend this month.
First, search your business name on Google, on a phone. Look at your profile as a customer sees it. Is there a chat or Messenger button? Where does it go? Tap it. Does it open the right Facebook Page? Do messages reach someone today?
Second, check your email. Look for a message from Google Business Profile about a link update. If Google says it updated your links, check what it added.
Third, open Edit Profile, then Contact. Review the chat option and any links listed. Make sure each one is a channel you actively monitor. If there is a Messenger link pointing to a Facebook Page you stopped using in 2019, remove it or contact Business Profile support.
Fourth, decide on one main channel. You cannot be everywhere well. If most of your customer enquiries come by WhatsApp, make that your chat option. If people mostly call, text may be the easier step. Messenger only makes sense if your Facebook Page is active and someone answers it. Our local SEO packages include profile management and monitoring for businesses that do not want to track this themselves.
WhatsApp vs Text vs Messenger: Which to Pick
Here is a simple way to choose. WhatsApp works best when your customers already use it daily, which is the case for most of India. You need a business number someone checks, and the WhatsApp Business app is recommended. Text message works if your customers are mostly in the U.S. or Canada, or older demographics. Note that if you add both WhatsApp and text, Google only shows the text option. Messenger works if your Facebook Page is active and answered, but it is not in Google’s official chat help page yet.
For most businesses in Chandigarh and across India, WhatsApp is the right pick. It is already the dominant messaging app, and Google’s integration makes it easy for customers to start a chat without leaving Google.
Preparing for Verification
If you are in the U.S. and plan to use messaging, have your EIN ready, and make sure your website has a privacy policy page that covers how you handle messages and contact details. If you are in India, expect a similar verification step when it rolls out. Have your GST number or business registration details available, and make sure your website has a privacy policy.
A good messaging privacy policy covers four things. What you collect, names and phone numbers and message content. Why you collect it, to answer questions and book jobs. Who else sees it, Meta if you use Messenger or WhatsApp, and any CRM or booking tool you use. How long you keep it, and how someone can ask you to delete it. Keep it short and readable. Link it from your website footer.
Why This Matters for Local Rankings
Messaging buttons are not a direct ranking factor that Google has confirmed. But they affect what happens after someone finds you. Whether they contact you, and how quickly you reply, shows up in things Google does measure: profile interactions, review sentiment, and customer behavior patterns. A business that answers fast tends to get better reviews than one that misses messages. Better reviews mean better rankings. It is a chain that starts with a messaging button that actually works.
If you want help auditing your Google Business Profile or setting up messaging correctly, get in touch or book a meeting. We work with local businesses across Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, and the rest of India.