An Overview Of Creating Posts for Your Google Business Profile Listing

By Tom Seest

What Are Posts for a Google Business Profile Listing?

Google allows you to make posts to your Google Business Profile informing your customers and potential customers of changes in your business. You can connect with existing customers as well as prospects with your Google Business Profile on Google Search and Google Maps through these posts. You can share posts about announcements, offers, popular or brand-new items, or information regarding events directly with your consumers.

This will allow your customers to make better decisions as they review your business information as well as updates. This permits you to communicate directly with your consumers, enhance your client experience with timely info, promote your sales, specials, occasions, and news, as well as engage with your customers with video clips as well as photos. Posts can consist of text, images, or video clips.

Messages on your Google Business Profile are displayed for your consumers through the “Updates” or “Overview” tabs of the Google Business Profile on mobile devices on Google Search and Google Maps. These posts will also be displayed on the “From the Owner” section of the Google Business Profile on desktop computers on Google Search and also Google Maps or on Google Business Profile internet sites. Blog posts greater than 6 months old are archived by default unless you specify a different date range.

What Types Of Posts Can Be Made to Google Business Profile Listings?

Each type of post to your Google Business Profile can have an action button so be sure to plan the Call To Action (CTA) for each post.

You can make COVID-19 posts that update your customers about changes in your hours of operation, any temporary closures, changes to how the business operates such as takeout or delivery only, a suggestion to call for details, or others, updates to how each business location manages safety and hygiene, and any requests for support.

You can make Offers posts that inform your customers about promotional sales or offers from your business. Offers require a title as well as start and end dates and times and a “View offer” action button is automatically added to the post. You can also include a photo, video, description, coupon code, link, and terms and conditions with the Offers post. These Offers posts appear near the top of the Google Business Profile on Google Search and Google Maps. These offer posts will also appear with all other posts in the “Updates” tab while the offer post date range is active.

You can also make What’s New posts that provide your customers with general information about your business. You can include a photo or video, a description, and an action button. This is convenient for introducing new products and services that your business is offering.

In some countries, a Google Business Profile can also automatically suggest posts based on your 4- or 5-star customer reviews. If Google offers this in the country where your business operates, you’ll see suggestions for this feature when you sign in to manage your Google Business Profile or through email notifications from Google.

You can also promote events at your business using a post. Posts about events require start and end dates, a start time, and an Event Title. If you don’t supply start or end times, then Google will default the time period to 24 hours on the date it’s posted. These event posts may also include a photo, video, description, and an action button.

You can read more about these types of posts and any specific requirements at https://support.google.com/business/answer/7662907?hl=en.

What Post Content Is Prohibited for a Google Business Profile Listing Post?

You can utilize your Google Business Profile to directly connect appropriate and prompt details in posts to your customers. Google has established rules for these posts to protect Google as well as your customers. Most of these rules for posting are common sense, but they can change quickly and from time to time. You’re liable for making certain that your posted material complies with all applicable laws and laws. You should review this post at https://support.google.com/business/answer/7213077 to be sure that any post you make currently meets all the Google guidelines from posts to your customers through your Google Business Profile.

How Do I Determine Which Type Of Post I Make to My Google Business Profile Listing?

This is largely determined by the current needs and changes in your business. For upcoming events, you can decide on any associated product or service promotions or sales and then draft a post about the event and any associated sales or discounts. If you need to change your business hours, a post explaining why will be of benefit to most of your customers.

For each of these posts, be sure to include general business information and business updates, any upcoming offers, any temporary closures, new hours, price changes, etc. Be sure to include photos and/or videos if they help to explain the changes to your customers.

Any Specific Methods for Optimizing a Post for Your Google Business Profile Listing?

You should ensure that your posts are short and to the point. You should also ensure the length and character count is within Google’s current guidelines. Avoid using gratuitous amounts of punctuation and slang. Be sure that any of your visual elements like photos and videos exude professionalism. You will want to avoid using hashtags in your Google Business Profile posts. Use higher quality images to maximize conversions into purchasing customers. Be sure to select an appropriate Call To Action from the options provided by Google for the post. Be sure to check that your selected Call To Action links to a live and active landing page.

Be sure to test your posts and that the post appears in the “From the owner” section on a desktop computer when being viewed in the browser and that it appears in the “Updates” and “overview” tabs on mobile devices. The Preview tab should allow you to see how the post will be rendered for your customers on their devices.

Can I Leverage Analytics to See How Each Google Business Profile Post Is Performing?

You will want to optimize your Google Business Profile to make sure that it is performing well for you. Google provides a summary view of all the posts to differentiate what works well and what doesn’t. You will want to optimize Google Business Profile analytics to see the performance of your posts. You will want to monitor these post analytics as frequently as your schedule allows.

You can read more about using Analytics to optimize these posts by reviewing the article at https://www.sterlingsky.ca/tracking-google-my-business-posts/ and at https://support.google.com/business/answer/9918094?hl=en.

Is There a Checklist for Creating Posts for a Google Business Profile Listing?

Yes, we’ve compiled a checklist you can download which contains all of this information as relayed in this blog post.

You can download the Adobe PDF version of it by clicking this link: google-business-profile-checklist-03-creating-posts-for-google-business-profile-listing.

Let us know if you have any additional questions by contacting us through the information listed on our website.