Google My Business posts directly influence how potential customers discover and engage with your business in local search results. These free micro-updates appear on your Business Profile, offering a direct communication channel with searchers who are actively looking for products or services like yours.
For business owners and marketing managers focused on sustainable organic growth, GMB posts represent an often-underutilized opportunity. They strengthen local SEO signals, increase profile engagement, and can drive measurable actions without additional advertising spend.
This guide covers everything you need to know about creating effective GMB posts. You’ll learn the different post types, optimal formatting strategies, timing considerations, and performance tracking methods that turn your Business Profile into a conversion asset.
Understanding Google My Business Posts and Their SEO Impact
Google My Business posts are short-form content updates that appear directly on your Business Profile in Google Search and Maps. Think of them as social media updates specifically designed for local search visibility. When someone searches for your business name or related local queries, these posts display prominently alongside your business information.
The connection between GMB posts and local SEO performance is significant. According to Moz’s Local Search Ranking Factors study, Google Business Profile signals account for approximately 32% of local pack ranking factors. While posts alone won’t catapult you to the top of local results, they contribute to the overall engagement signals Google uses to evaluate business relevance and activity.
Posts serve multiple functions within your local search strategy. They demonstrate business activity to Google’s algorithms, provide fresh content that keeps your profile current, and offer direct calls-to-action that convert searchers into customers. Unlike traditional SEO content that targets informational queries, GMB posts capture users with high commercial intent who are already considering a purchase decision.
The visibility window for most GMB posts is seven days, after which they move to a less prominent position on your profile. Event posts remain visible until the event date passes. This temporary nature means consistent posting matters more than individual post perfection.
Types of Google My Business Posts and When to Use Each
Google offers several distinct post formats, each designed for specific business communication needs. Understanding when to deploy each type maximizes your profile’s effectiveness.
Update Posts
Update posts are your general-purpose communication tool. Use them for company news, behind-the-scenes content, tips related to your industry, or any information that doesn’t fit other categories. These posts work well for establishing expertise and keeping your profile active between promotions or events.
Effective update posts share valuable information without requiring immediate action. A restaurant might post about seasonal menu changes. An accounting firm could share tax deadline reminders. The key is relevance to your audience’s current needs.
Offer Posts
Offer posts highlight promotions, discounts, and special deals. They include dedicated fields for offer details, terms and conditions, coupon codes, and redemption links. Google displays these with a distinctive “View offer” button that drives direct action.
Timing matters significantly with offer posts. Align them with seasonal buying patterns, inventory clearance needs, or competitive market conditions. Research from Google indicates that offer posts with clear expiration dates generate higher engagement than open-ended promotions.
Event Posts
Event posts promote specific happenings with defined start and end dates. They remain visible on your profile until the event concludes, making them ideal for workshops, sales events, grand openings, webinars, or community activities.
Include essential details: event name, date, time, location, and what attendees can expect. The extended visibility period means event posts provide longer-lasting profile activity compared to standard updates.
Product Posts
Product posts showcase specific items from your inventory with images, descriptions, and pricing. They’re particularly valuable for retail businesses, restaurants featuring signature dishes, or service providers highlighting specific offerings.
These posts integrate with Google’s product catalog features, potentially appearing in shopping-related searches. Include accurate pricing and availability information to set appropriate customer expectations.
Writing Compelling GMB Post Content
The character limit for GMB posts is 1,500 characters, but optimal length typically falls between 150-300 characters. Most users view posts on mobile devices while scanning search results, so concise messaging outperforms lengthy explanations.
Crafting Effective Headlines
Your first line functions as a headline. It must capture attention immediately since Google truncates post previews after approximately 100 characters. Front-load the most important information or value proposition.
Strong opening lines state the benefit clearly. “Save 20% on all services this week” outperforms “We’re excited to announce a special promotion.” The first version communicates value instantly; the second requires additional reading to understand the offer.
Writing Action-Oriented Body Copy
After your headline, expand with supporting details that answer obvious questions. What’s included? What are the limitations? Why should someone care? Keep sentences short and scannable.
Avoid industry jargon unless your audience specifically expects it. A legal firm posting about estate planning services should use accessible language rather than technical terminology. The goal is immediate comprehension, not demonstrating expertise through complexity.
Including Effective Calls-to-Action
Every GMB post should include a clear call-to-action button. Google provides several options: Learn more, Reserve, Sign up, Buy, Get offer, Call now, and Order online. Select the CTA that matches your post’s objective and your business’s conversion path.
The CTA button links to a destination URL. Ensure this landing page directly relates to your post content. Sending offer post traffic to your homepage rather than a dedicated offer page creates friction that reduces conversions.
Visual Best Practices for GMB Posts
Images significantly impact post performance. Google’s own guidelines recommend images with a minimum resolution of 720 x 720 pixels in JPG or PNG format. The ideal aspect ratio is 4
for optimal display across devices.
Image Quality Standards
Use high-resolution, well-lit photographs that accurately represent your business. Stock photos technically work but perform worse than authentic imagery. Customers respond to real photos of your actual products, team members, and location.
Avoid text-heavy images. Google’s systems may have difficulty processing images with excessive text overlay, and the small display size makes text difficult to read anyway. If you must include text, keep it minimal and ensure high contrast for readability.
Visual Consistency
Maintain visual consistency across posts to build brand recognition. This doesn’t mean every image looks identical, but rather that your posts share a cohesive aesthetic. Consistent lighting, color treatment, and composition style help your profile appear professional and intentional.
Consider creating simple templates for recurring post types. A weekly special might always feature the same layout style, making it instantly recognizable to repeat viewers.
Optimal Posting Frequency and Timing
Consistency matters more than volume. Posting once weekly maintains profile activity without overwhelming your audience or your content creation capacity. Businesses with more resources might post two to three times weekly, but diminishing returns set in quickly beyond that frequency.
Timing Considerations
Post timing should align with when your target customers are actively searching. For most local businesses, this means weekday mornings and early afternoons when people research purchasing decisions. Restaurants might focus on late morning posts to capture lunch planners or late afternoon for dinner decisions.
Data from Sprout Social suggests that Tuesday through Thursday typically sees highest engagement for business-related content, though local market variations exist. Test different posting times and track which generate the most profile interactions.
Content Calendar Planning
Develop a content calendar that balances post types throughout the month. A simple rotation might include one offer post, one event or update post, and one product highlight per week. This variety keeps your profile interesting while ensuring you’re not over-relying on promotional content.
Plan posts around predictable business cycles. Seasonal services should increase posting frequency during peak demand periods. Retail businesses might align posts with inventory arrivals or clearance needs.
Optimizing Posts for Local Search Visibility
While GMB posts aren’t traditional SEO content, strategic optimization improves their visibility and effectiveness.
Keyword Integration
Include relevant local keywords naturally within your post text. If you’re a plumber in Austin, mentioning “Austin plumbing services” in an update post reinforces geographic relevance. Avoid keyword stuffing, which reads poorly and may trigger Google’s spam filters.
Focus on service-specific terms your customers actually use. “Emergency AC repair” resonates more than “HVAC maintenance solutions.” Match the language patterns of your target audience’s search queries.
Location Signals
Reference your service area or location when contextually appropriate. “Serving the greater Phoenix metro area” or “Located in downtown Seattle” reinforces local relevance. These signals complement your profile’s address information and help Google understand your geographic targeting.
Category Alignment
Ensure post content aligns with your primary business categories. A business categorized as a “Hair Salon” posting primarily about retail product sales sends mixed signals. Maintain topical consistency between your category selection and post content.
Measuring GMB Post Performance
Google provides basic analytics for Business Profile posts through the Insights section. Key metrics include views, clicks, and the specific actions users take after viewing your posts.
Understanding Available Metrics
Post views indicate how many times your post appeared to searchers. This metric reflects visibility but not necessarily engagement. A post might receive thousands of views but generate minimal action if the content doesn’t resonate.
Click metrics show how many users interacted with your CTA button. This is your primary conversion indicator. Track click-through rates by dividing clicks by views to understand which post types and content approaches drive the most action.
Tracking Beyond Google’s Dashboard
Google’s native analytics provide limited depth. For more comprehensive tracking, use UTM parameters on your CTA destination URLs. This allows Google Analytics to attribute website traffic and conversions specifically to GMB post sources.
Create consistent UTM naming conventions. A structure like utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=june-offer enables detailed performance comparison across posts and time periods.
Performance Benchmarking
Establish baseline metrics before implementing optimization changes. Track average views, clicks, and click-through rates over a four to six week period. This baseline allows you to measure the impact of content, timing, or frequency adjustments.
Compare performance across post types. You might discover that offer posts consistently outperform updates, or that product posts generate more clicks despite fewer views. These insights inform content strategy decisions.
Common GMB Posting Mistakes to Avoid
Several common errors reduce post effectiveness or risk policy violations.
Policy Violations
Google prohibits certain content in Business Profile posts. This includes phone numbers in post text (use the CTA button instead), links to irrelevant landing pages, misleading claims, and content unrelated to your business. Repeated violations can result in post removal or profile suspension.
Avoid promotional language that makes unsubstantiated claims. “Best pizza in Chicago” is acceptable as opinion, but “Guaranteed to cure your back pain” crosses into problematic territory for a chiropractor.
Content Quality Issues
Low-quality images, grammatical errors, and vague messaging undermine credibility. Every post represents your business to potential customers. Treat them with the same attention you’d give any customer-facing communication.
Don’t post just to post. A low-value update that says “Happy Monday! Come visit us!” provides no useful information and may actually reduce engagement with future posts. Every post should offer something specific: information, value, or a clear reason to take action.
Inconsistent Posting
Sporadic posting patterns—three posts one week, nothing for a month—signal inconsistency to both Google and potential customers. If you can’t maintain weekly posting, establish a sustainable bi-weekly schedule instead. Consistency at lower frequency beats inconsistency at higher volume.
Advanced GMB Post Strategies
Once you’ve mastered fundamentals, several advanced approaches can enhance results.
Seasonal and Event-Based Campaigns
Plan post campaigns around predictable seasonal patterns. A tax preparation service might increase posting frequency from January through April, while a landscaping company focuses on spring and fall. Align content themes with customer needs during these periods.
Create post series for major events or promotions. A week-long sale might include a teaser post, a launch announcement, a mid-week reminder, and a final-day urgency post. This multi-touch approach maximizes visibility for important campaigns.
Integration with Broader Marketing
Coordinate GMB posts with other marketing channels. When launching a new service, announce it simultaneously across your website, email list, social media, and GMB profile. This integrated approach reinforces messaging and captures customers across multiple touchpoints.
Repurpose content efficiently. A blog post about seasonal tips can become multiple GMB updates highlighting individual tips. An email promotion translates directly into an offer post. This approach maximizes content investment while maintaining posting consistency.
Competitive Differentiation
Review competitor GMB profiles to identify content gaps. If competitors post generic updates, differentiate with specific, valuable content. If they focus exclusively on promotions, balance your approach with educational or community-focused posts.
Your posts should answer the implicit question: “Why should I choose this business?” Every post is an opportunity to demonstrate expertise, showcase quality, or highlight what makes your business the right choice.
Conclusion
Google My Business posts offer a direct, free channel to reach customers actively searching for businesses like yours. The combination of local search visibility, engagement signals, and conversion-focused CTAs makes consistent posting a valuable component of any local SEO strategy.
Success requires understanding post types, maintaining visual and content quality standards, and tracking performance to refine your approach over time. The businesses that treat GMB posts as a strategic communication channel rather than an afterthought gain meaningful competitive advantage in local search results.
White Label SEO Service helps businesses build comprehensive local SEO strategies that include optimized GMB profiles and consistent posting schedules. Contact our team to discuss how we can strengthen your local search visibility and turn your Business Profile into a customer acquisition asset.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I post on Google My Business?
Post at least once per week to maintain profile activity and engagement signals. Two to three posts weekly works well for businesses with sufficient content, but consistency matters more than frequency. Establish a sustainable schedule you can maintain long-term.
Do Google My Business posts help with SEO rankings?
GMB posts contribute to overall Business Profile engagement signals, which influence local pack rankings. They’re not a direct ranking factor like backlinks, but active profiles with regular posts typically perform better than inactive ones in local search results.
How long do Google My Business posts stay visible?
Standard update, offer, and product posts remain prominently visible for seven days before moving to a secondary position on your profile. Event posts stay visible until the event end date passes. Older posts remain accessible but receive significantly less visibility.
What image size works best for GMB posts?
Use images at least 720 x 720 pixels with a 4
aspect ratio for optimal display. Higher resolution images appear sharper across devices. Avoid images smaller than 400 x 300 pixels, which may appear blurry or be rejected by Google.
Can I schedule Google My Business posts in advance?
Google’s native interface doesn’t support post scheduling. However, third-party tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and dedicated local SEO platforms offer GMB post scheduling functionality. These tools help maintain consistent posting without daily manual effort.
What should I include in a GMB offer post?
Include the specific discount or promotion, any terms or restrictions, the expiration date, and a clear redemption method. Use the dedicated offer fields Google provides rather than putting all information in the post body. Link to a landing page where customers can claim the offer.
Why aren’t my Google My Business posts showing up?
Posts may not appear immediately due to Google’s review process. If posts consistently don’t publish, check for policy violations like phone numbers in text, prohibited content, or links to irrelevant pages. Ensure your Business Profile is verified and in good standing.
Should I use hashtags in Google My Business posts?
Hashtags don’t function in GMB posts the way they do on social media platforms. Google doesn’t use them for categorization or discovery. Skip hashtags and use that character space for more valuable content instead.
How do I track Google My Business post performance?
Access post metrics through the Insights section of your Business Profile dashboard. For deeper tracking, add UTM parameters to your CTA destination URLs and monitor traffic in Google Analytics. Track views, clicks, and click-through rates to identify top-performing content.
Can I edit a Google My Business post after publishing?
Yes, you can edit published posts through your Business Profile dashboard. Locate the post, click the edit option, make your changes, and save. Edits may trigger another review process, so allow time for changes to appear publicly.
