Google Business Profile posts allow businesses to generate more local leads by promoting sales, specials, events, news, and offers. These posts help you connect more directly with potential customers, providing timely information and engaging them with photos or videos.
Ways To Use Google Business Profile Posts for Promotions
Highlight Special Offers
Use GBP posts to showcase special promotions, discounts, or limited-time offers. This can entice potential customers to visit your business or make a purchase. Be sure to include compelling visuals and a clear call-to-action (CTA) to drive engagement.
Promote Events
If you're hosting an event, such as a grand opening, workshop, or sale, use GBP posts to spread the word. Include event details, such as date, time, location, and any special guests or activities. Encourage users to RSVP or learn more on your website.
Share New Products or Services
Keep your audience informed about new products or services you offer. Use GBP posts to highlight key features, benefits, and pricing information. Include a link to the relevant page on your website for interested users to learn more or make a purchase.
Showcase Customer Reviews and Testimonials
Share positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers to build credibility and trust. Highlight specific comments that showcase your business's strengths or unique selling points. This can help attract new customers who are researching businesses in your area.
Provide Helpful Tips or Information
Position your business as a trusted authority in your industry by sharing helpful tips, industry insights, or how-to guides related to your products or services. This can help engage your audience and establish your business as a go-to resource in your community.
How To Use Google Business Profile Posts: Step-by-Step
You can create GBP posts from either a desktop or mobile device. Here's how:
Creating a Google Business Profile Post on Desktop:
- Log in to your Google Business Profile.
- Click on "Add Update."
- Pick the type of post you wish to make.
- Fill out all the necessary information in the dialog box.
- Publish or preview your post.
Creating a Google Business Profile Post on Mobile:
- Launch the Google Maps app.
- Ensure you're logged in with the account associated with your Google Business Profile.
- Access your Google Business Profile by tapping "Business" at the bottom right.
- Select "Promote" and choose the type of post you'd like to create.
- To create your post, tap on the elements you want to include (these can be photos, videos, text, events, offers, or a button) and enter all relevant information for each one.
- Publish or preview your post.
Once you publish a Google Business Profile post via desktop or mobile, you'll be able to see its status from your profile. Possible statuses are "Live," "Pending," and "Not approved." Note that if your post is not approved, you can click on the question mark next to the status to see the reason why (i.e., which Google content policy it violates).
Things That Aren't Allowed in Google Business Profile Posts:
- Spam: Things like duplicate photos, videos, and logos, links to irrelevant sites, misspellings, gimmicky character use, and poor quality/distracting content are against Google's anti-spam guidelines for GBP posts.
- Disrespectful Content: No obscene or offensive language or images are permitted in Google Business Profile posts (this includes profanities and suggestive images).
- Promotion of Certain Regulated Goods/Industries: You can't use posts to promote adult entertainment, tobacco, alcohol, firearms, drugs of any kind, gambling, or any other regulated goods or industries.
Overall, a good rule of thumb is to keep your GBP posts "family-friendly" and avoid any spam tactics to ensure they get approved and published.
Where Do Customers See Google Business Profile Posts?
When searching via mobile devices, potential customers can see your GBP posts in the "Updates" and "Overview" tabs of Google Search and Google Maps. Where and when exactly Google decides to show them your posts depends on specific search signals.
When performing a search on a computer, customers can see your posts in the "From the Owner" section of your Google Business Profile.
Do Google Business Profile Posts Affect Local SEO?
Google Business Profile posts are not currently a direct ranking factor for Google, but they are still a great way to complement your local SEO efforts and generate more local leads.
By regularly posting relevant content on your GBP listing, you can help your business stand out among the competition and get more engagement with your business listing on Google.
In order to optimize your Google Business Profile to increase its visibility on Google Search and Google Maps, there are other best practices you should follow, such as keeping business information accurate and up to date, selecting relevant categories and attributes, adding photos and videos, and responding to reviews, both positive and negative.
Of course, you should also be tracking your local search performance with Local Falcon to get real-time data on your local ranking for specific keywords, as well as actionable AI-backed optimization recommendations and review analysis!