Many business owners make the mistake of thinking that Google Business is a set-it-and-forget-it marketing platform. When you provide essential information about your business to potential customers, you begin the trust relationship. Google Business Profile (GBP) does more than list the details of your valid area business: business category, business description, business photos, business hours, business location, local service area, and business reviews. It’s also a great tool to help boost your online SEO (Search Engine Optimization). One of the service’s many benefits is the ability to Google posts feature. You can use Google Business Profile posts to keep your current and potential customers in the loop with the happenings of your local business when they search for you. Let’s look at these step-by-step guidelines that will answer your questions.
What Are Posts on Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile (GBP) posts are any type of update about your local business. These updates can include sales announcements, offers, and local events as well as blog articles and posts used in social media. They appear on your profile, and customers can see your profile posts when they search your business’ name on Google.
In this Google Business Profile guide, we detail the common types of posts that brands can provide to customers, such as holiday hours, a sale or promotion, or an upcoming area event.
You create posts on your valid Google Business Profile the same way you add posts on other social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. Along with text, you can also post images and add an action button, such as “Book”, “Order Online”, “Buy”, “Learn More”, and “Sign Up”. For improved SEO, your posts can provide a link back to a website page or landing page that you want customers to visit after a search, such as an article or a sign-up form.
To get the most out of the Google Business posts feature and your SEO, there are a few guidelines and Google best practices you should follow. Keep reading to learn how to maximize your local Google Business Profile listing.
What You Can Post on Your Profile
Anything you want your customers (or potential customers) to know about your local business in addition to your business description and business category, add a post to your Google Business Profile (GBP). If you have an important update to share, such as a new service or product, your local Google business profile is a great place to provide this.
Why?
Google is the most used online search engine. That means your valid Google Business Profile probably gets more search traffic than your website, since people will often land on your local Google listing first—before they see your website. Regular posts and reviews indicate your business is active and engaged with your community. A local Google listing with consistent posts also increases your ranking in search results (SEO). And it’s a great place to answer your customers’ questions.
Even further, 50 percent of users visit a store within days of a Google search. That means relevant, enticing brand updates from brands could help draw more local customers (and more Google reviews) to your business.
Here are a few examples of common posts you’ll see on a Google Business Profile.
Company Google Profile Updates
These types of company GBP posts cover general announcements. Many local businesses use the post feature to inform the public on their COVID-19 protocols, provide updated holiday or business hours, and update any service areas.
New Business Product and Service Announcements
Just launched a new product or service? Let your customers know on Google Business. Again, posts are great for local search purposes and a new product could attract more area customers.
Company Sales and Promotions
If you’re having a sale or special offer, add a post to your local Google Business Profile. It’ll be one of the first things people see when they search your profile on Google.
Company Awards and Milestones
Make your business stand out by highlighting any company awards or accomplishments, such as a five-star Google reviews rating or “voted best” award.
Local Business Events
If you’re planning an in-person or virtual event, such as a grand opening or webinar, add a post to your local Google Business Profile. You can include the date, time, and location on event update posts. There’s also a button to link attendees to a sign-up sheet if you require one. Every click you get helps improve your online SEO.
These examples only cover some of the most popular types of Google posts. You can post just about anything if it meets Google’s standards. Now, let’s talk about what not to post.
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What You Shouldn’t Post in Business Profile Updates
Google screens all local Google Business Profile (GBP) posts. They can and will reject any post that doesn’t fit their standards. This list below details a few Google best practices and what your posts shouldn’t contain, so that you don’t hurt your SEO.
Typos and Misspellings
Double check your posts for typos, so Google recognizes your posts as high-quality content.
Offensive Language
Google rejects posts containing hate speech and profanity.
Suggestive Images
Your post images shouldn’t contain too much skin, even if they’re not suggestive.
Phone Numbers
Don’t put phone numbers in the post itself and in images.
Duplicate Google Posts
Google may view duplicate post content as spam. Avoid reposting the same post or images multiple times.
Text-Heavy Graphics
Graphics that have a lot of text in the post image look spammy, and Google will be likely to reject these images.
Politics and Ideology
Google will reject most posts that promote potentially controversial political or ideological stances.
Before posting on your local Google Business Profile, read Google’s best practices and full policy on posts.
How Often to Post on Google Business…
We recommend posting on a weekly basis and whenever there’s a noteworthy update to communicate to customers. There’s no need to add more than one GBP post per week. And you definitely don’t want to post fewer than one post per week.
But what if you don’t have any updates to provide every week? If you run out of ideas, consider these types of posts for better SEO:
- Images of your products or behind-the-scenes photos
- Repurposed content from your social media accounts, such a high-performing Facebook post
- Holiday messages
- Answers to frequently asked questions
- Recent positive customer Google reviews
- Excerpt from a blog post, with a link to your company’s blog
Note: Google will archive posts older than six months. Your posts won’t disappear, but Google will no longer display them on the front of your local Google Business Profile.
P.S. You can add a Google reviews widget to your website to collect more reviews to increase your SEO standings.
How to Create Your Post
Now that you know what to post, what not to post, and the benefits of regular GBP posting, the next step is to add a post on your local area Google Business Profile — if you haven’t done so already.
Follow these directions to add a post update on your local Google Business Profile and start improving your SEO and search engine results today:
- Go to Google’s homepage.
- Sign in using your business email account.
- Click on the Google apps icon in the upper right of the screen, represented by nine dots.
- Click Business Profile.
- Scroll down and click “Add an Update” on the left side of the page.
- Enter the details of your post.
- Select an action button.
Google Business Profile posts allow you to provide updates about your business or offerings and service areas — and boost your SEO and search engine results. Posts are an effective way to engage area customers and attract new ones. And to get the most SEO from your posts in addition to your local business description and details, you must follow Google’s guidelines and post relevant, timely content.
More Guidance…
Still have questions? Although you are not required to post updates to Google, if you aren’t posting regularly or haven’t created a valid local business profile on Google, we highly recommend that you do. And we’re here to guide step by step you through your Google business and SEO marketing plan.
