The Complete Guide to Google My Business Posts in 2024

Google My Business is an invaluable free tool for local businesses to manage their online presence across Google. One of the most useful features of Google My Business is the ability to create posts that show up both in Google Search and on your business profile.

These posts allow you to share updates, events, offers, and more with customers right on Google. They can help drive traffic to your website, get more eyes on your products/services, bring awareness to sales and promotions, and keep your business top of mind.

But how exactly do you get started with Google My Business posts? What are some best practices to follow? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know, from creating your first post to optimizing your posting strategy.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What Are Google My Business Posts?
Benefits of GMB Posts
Ideas and Tips for Posts
How to Create a GMB Post (Step-by-Step)
Posting Best Practices
Posting Frequency and Scheduling
Measuring Effectiveness & Optimization
Mistakes to Avoid
FAQs

Let’s dive in!

What Are Google My Business Posts?

Google My Business posts are short updates, announcements, sales, events, articles, and more that businesses can publish directly to their Google My Business profile.

These posts appear in two main places:

At the top of your Google My Business profile, underneath your photos and bio. Visitors to your GMB profile will see your posts displayed chronologically.
In Google Search results for relevant keywords and searches. For example, if you publish a “Teacher Appreciation Sale” post, it may appear in search results for users searching for terms related to your business.

The great thing about GMB posts is that they allow you to share timely and useful information right on Google where customers already are. Rather than hoping customers will stumble upon an update on your website, social media, or email newsletter, you can proactively push it out on Google.

Also Read – Google My Business for Different Business Types: The Complete 2024 Guide

Benefits of Google My Business Posts

There are many advantages to leveraging Google My Business posts as part of your local SEO and digital marketing strategy. Some of the top benefits include:

Increased visibility – Posts can help you get found in Google Search and Maps for relevant queries.
Engagement – Posts make it easy for customers to connect with your business and vice versa.
Promotions – Easily highlight sales, deals, events, launches, and more.
Freshness & authority – Regular posting shows your business is active and authoritative.
Traffic – Posts can drive clicks directly to your website or location.
Brand building – An opportunity to share your brand story, voice, and personality.
Customer service – Address FAQs, share updates, and more via posts.
Analytics – GMB provides data on post impressions, clicks, and more.

As you can see, posts allow you to accomplish several marketing, engagement, and brand-building goals directly on Google.

Now let’s look at some specific ideas and tips for the types of posts you should be publishing.

Ideas and Tips for Google My Business Posts

The great news about Google My Business posts is that almost any type of short update or announcement can make for an effective post as long as it provides value to customers.

Here are some top examples of what to post about:

Store promotions and sales – Highlight current promotions, discounts, flash sales, etc.
New products or services – Share the launch of a new menu item, service, class, etc.
Upcoming events – Promote special events happening at your location.
Holidays and seasons – Relevant holiday promotions or greetings.
Community involvement – Showcase philanthropy, donations, and volunteer work.
Industry or business news – Share news related to your business niche.
Store openings and milestones – Announce a new location or business anniversary.
Blog post links – Share links to your latest high-quality blog content.
Customer reviews – Repost and highlight positive customer reviews.
Feedback calls – Ask customers for reviews, feedback, suggestions, etc.
Customer Appreciation – Thank yous, special offers, and deals just for customers.
Meet the team – Introduce your employees and their roles.
Behind the scenes – Give customers a peek at what goes on behind the scenes.
FAQs and how-tos – Create posts that answer common customer questions.
Customer photos – With permission, repost user-generated photos.

This is just a sample of the many possibilities. The key is to mix up your posts to cover a wide range of topics relevant to your business.

Here are some tips for creating useful, engaging Google My Business posts:

Focus on customer value – Will your post provide value to customers? Is it educational, entertaining, or promotional? Make sure it has a purpose.
Keep it short and scannable – Posts are limited to 1,000 characters, so keep language tight. Use bullet points, numbered lists, etc.
Include images and video – Posts with images/video tend to perform best. Use high-quality, eye-catching visuals.
Utilize emojis and GIFs – Spruce up plain text with relevant emojis and animated GIFs to catch the eye.
Ask questions – Post questions and calls to action to encourage engagement.
Monitor performance – Track views, clicks, and engagement with each post. Tweak your strategy based on what performs best.
Promote your posts – Share your GMB posts on social media and email newsletters to extend reach.
Be consistent – Post consistently, not just once in a while. Set a posting schedule.

Next, let’s look at the step-by-step process for actually creating and publishing Google My Business posts.

How to Create a Google My Business Post (Step-by-Step)

Here is a simple step-by-step guide to publishing new posts to your Google My Business profile:

Login to Google My Business

Go to google.com/business and click “Manage now” under your business name. Log in with your Google account credentials.

Access the Posts section

From the menu, click ‘Posts’. This is where you’ll create and manage all your posts.

Click the “Create a post” button

This opens the post editor window.

Add your post title and text

Write a compelling but concise title. Then write the body copy – limit to 1,000 characters.

Insert a photo or video (optional)

Click the image icon to upload a relevant photo or video that will be displayed at the top of your post.

Select the location(s) to post to

If your business has multiple locations select which location(s) you want this post to publish to.

Set a call-to-action (optional)

You can set a call-to-action like “Order Now” that links to your website.

Preview your post

Review how your post will appear to customers. Make edits if needed.

Schedule your post

Choose to either publish immediately or schedule a future publishing date/time.

Publish your post

Once everything looks good, click the “Publish” button to post it live.

Share your post (optional)

To maximize reach, share your new post on social media channels.

And that’s it! Following these steps allows you to easily create and share updates directly on Google.

Now let’s go over some best practices to follow when publishing Google My Business posts.

Also Read – A Complete Guide to Using Featured Posts on Google My Business

Google My Business Posting Best Practices

Here are some best practices for posting on Google My Business:

Content:

Post regularly: Aim for at least once a week, but don’t spam your audience.
Use a variety of post types: Google My Business offers several post types, including updates, offers, events, and products. Use a mix of these to keep your audience engaged.
Focus on local: Highlight what makes your business unique to your local community.
Be informative and helpful: Share valuable content that your target audience will find interesting and useful.
Use strong calls to action: Tell people what you want them to do, whether it’s visiting your website, calling you, or coming into your store.
Proofread your posts carefully: Typos and grammatical errors can make your business look unprofessional.
Use keywords: Use relevant keywords throughout your posts to help people find your business.

Images:

Use high-quality images: Blurry or pixelated images will make your business look bad.
Use square or landscape images: Google My Business displays images in a square format, so landscape images may be cropped.
Use images that are relevant to your post: Don’t just use stock photos. Use images that show off your products, services, or team.
Add alt text to your images: Alt text helps people with visual impairments understand your images.

Additional tips:

Respond to comments and questions: Show your customers that you care about their feedback.
Track your results: Google My Business Insights can help you see how your posts are performing.
Use Google Posts as part of your overall marketing strategy: Integrate your Google My Business posts with your other marketing channels.

By following these best practices, you can create Google My Business posts that will help you attract new customers and grow your business.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.