Google My Business (GMB) posts, also known as Google Business Profile (GBP) posts, are a useful tool for businesses. It allows you to directly engage with customers, promote offers, and enhance your online presence. This feature also helps to boost local visibility, drive website traffic, and attract more customers.
So in this guide, we will explain the various post types, share best practices, and practical examples. Our goal is to help you create effective Google My Business posts that produce results. Let’s begin.
What Are Google My Business Posts and Why They Matter
Google My Business posts are a powerful tool that allows business owners to share updates, offers, and events on their Google listings. These posts are used to communicate with your customers, promote your business, and drive engagement.
GMB posts appear on Google search results under the “Updates” tab and Google Maps.
Regular GMB posts help you stay ahead of the competition, so your business stays top of mind.
In addition, you are able to show your business’s expertise. This will help to build trust with potential customers. Further, since it is used to promote offers, events, and products, GMB posts help to boost revenue and sales for your business.
There are various ways GMB posts have a direct impact on local SEO and customer decisions. Here are some of them:
Increased Visibility: With Google Business Profile posts, your business will experience an increase in visibility, allowing it to be found by potential customers
Higher Engagement: High-quality GMB posts can drive engagement. With attention-grabbing texts and media, you are able to encourage your customers to engage with your business and share your content.
More Website Visits: Including your website links to your posts can boost more traffic and potential customers to your site.
Customer Decisions: Google My Business posts are used to provide your customers with valuable information. This will help them make informed decisions about your business.
Types of Google My Business Posts You Can Use
Google My Business provides different post types so businesses can connect with customers and promote their products and services. Let us discuss each of them:
- Update Posts: This post has you share news, updates, or behind-the-scenes content of your business. Not only does it keep your customers engaged and informed, but it also builds trust and establishes your brand’s voice. You can use this post type when you want to share company news, industry insights, or new staff members.
- Event Posts: With this post type, you can promote your business events, webinars, or workshops. It is used to encourage customers to attend your business events and have a first-hand experience of your business.
- Offer Posts: Use this post type to share special deals, discounts, or promotions. This post type aims to incite customers to make a purchase or try your services. As a result, you get to drive sales and also attract new customers.
- Product Posts: This post type will allow you to showcase your products, including images, descriptions, and prices. It can be used when you launch a new product, best-sellers, and featured products.
- FAQ Posts: With this post type, you get to answer your customers’ frequently asked questions quickly. Thus, you are able to establish your business as a trusted authority and improve customer satisfaction. So if you want to provide answers to common questions, share tips, or offer advice, this is the post type to use.
With these post types, you are able to create a content strategy that your customers relate to and will boost engagement.
Google My Business Posts Best Practices
There are many tips you can follow to help you maximize the impact of your Google My Business posts. Let’s discuss them:
Writing Compelling Headlines and Copy
With a compelling headline and copy, you will be able to incite your customers to take action. Here are some tips to guide you through:
Headline Tips
- Your headline should clearly state the purpose of your post.
- Focus on the benefits of your product, service, and offer.
- Use action verbs like “Get”, “Shop”, or “Learn” to encourage your customers to take action.
- Keep your headline short and straight to the point.
Copy Tips
- Keep your copy brief and focused on the main message.
- Use a friendly and conversational tone that resonates with your audience.
- Highlight the benefits of your product or service.
- Include a clear call-to-action to get your customers to take action.
Additional Tips
- Use attention-grabbing words and stir up engagement.
- Include relevant keywords to improve visibility in search results.
- Keep the technical terms away to avoid confusing your customers. Instead, use a clear and direct tone that is easily understandable.
Using High-Quality Images and Correct Image Size
It is important to use high-quality images for your Google My Business post. So here are the photo recommendations and requirements you should know:
- Format: JPEG or PNG
- Aspect ratio: 4:3
- Size: Between 10KG and 5MB
- Recommended resolution: 1200px x 900px
- Minimum resolution: 480px x 270px
Tips to Remember for Choosing Visually Appealing Photos
- Ensure you use images that align with your brand’s style and tone
- Use high-resolution images that are clear and well-lit
- The images should be relevant to your business and post content
- Use images that are stunning and attention-grabbing.
Adding Clear Calls-to-Action
With call-to-actions like “Learn More” or “Book Online”, you get to drive engagement and conversions to your page. Here is why these CTAs are needed in GMB posts:
- They motivate your customers to interact with your business, which in turn, boosts engagement.
- CTAs help to drive sales, bookings, or other desired actions that need to be taken on your website.
- They provide your customers with clear direction on your website, making it easier for them to reach their goals.
When adding CTAs, make sure to use clear and direct language. Additionally, they should match the purpose of your post. For instance, the CTA “Shop Now” is used to direct customers to your online store/product page.
Posting Frequency and Timing Tips
Granted, posting consistently is important as it helps you maintain your brand presence, messaging, and content strategy. It also helps you build trust with your audience. However, to maximize your reach and engagement, you should also consider your posting frequency and timing. This can also be called a posting schedule.
Essentially, the consistency of your posts influences how much trust you build with your audience. On the other hand, frequency affects how your day-to-day analytics work, that is, the volume of your engagement. So here are some posting frequency and timing tips for Google My Business posts:
Frequency Tips
- We recommend you post regularly, at least 1 to 2 posts per week, in order to keep your audience engaged constantly.
- Ensure to maintain a posting schedule to build anticipation and expectation with your audience.
Best Times to Post
- Morning: (8 am – 10 am) At this time, people check their notifications as they begin their day.
- Peak Time: (12 pm – 3 pm) This is when users are most active. It is also the lunch break for workers, which will typically have them checking their phones.
- Evening: (5 pm – 7 pm) People are wrapping up with work and may be looking to just while away time.
Although these are the recommended posting times, we also encourage you to study your target audience.
Experiment with different posting times, track your engagement using Google My Business insights to find out what works best for your business.
Do Google My Business Posts Help SEO?
Although they do not have a direct impact on search engine rankings, they play a special role in improving local SEO through indirect benefits. Here’s how:
Indirect SEO Benefits
- Improved Engagement: Quality posts drive engagement. When this happens, Google translates your business as being active and relevant.
- Click-through Rates: Compelling posts also help to boost click-through rates, thereby driving traffic to your website.
- Updated Content: Posting regularly helps your Google My Business listing stay up-to-date, which will, in turn, improve your business’s visibility.
Integrating Google My Business posts into your local SEO strategy will help boost your engagement, traffic, and drive potential customers to your business. Further, by staying consistent, you get to enjoy long-term SEO benefits and improved online visibility.
Scheduling and Automating Google My Business Posts
Scheduling your posts saves you time and ensures consistency. Regular posts keep your audience engaged and interested in your business. You also improve your business’s online visibility.
Thankfully, Google Business Profile comes with a built-in feature that allows you to schedule your posts ahead of time. You can also make use of social media management tools to schedule and automate the posts.
If, however, you do not have the time to do it yourself, you can seek the help of professionals. At Npoint, our experts will help you create great content and optimize your posting schedule.
Google My Business Posts Examples That Work
Let us highlight some practical post examples that help to drive engagement and sales:
Offer Post
- The Post: “Limited Time Offer: Enjoy 20% off all products! Use the code NP230 at checkout. Shop quality products and save big!”
- Why it works: When you use an eye-catching image, a clear CTA, and a limited-time offer, you create a sense of urgency in your customers.
Event Post
- The Post: “Our Summer Sale Event is live! Get exclusive discounts and meet our team. Set your calendars for July 2nd!”
- Why it works: The engaging visuals and clear details of the event build a sense of excitement in your customers.
Product Highlight Post
- The Post: “New Arrival! Check out our latest face product, designed to [here, you can briefly describe the product’s benefit]. Grab yours today!”
- Why it works: The high-quality product image, clear product description, and clear CTA can move customers to purchase.
The Common Elements Used
- Strong Visuals: Images that grab the attention of your audience.
- Clear CTAs: Call-to-actions that drive action.
- Special Offers: Offering limited-time/exclusive deals that create a sense of urgency.
Using these elements in your GMB posts will boost your engagement, sales, and customer loyalty.
Common Google My Business Posts Mistakes to Avoid
There are common mistakes you should watch out for. We will discuss some of them and also include their fixes.
Low-Quality Images: If your images are blurry, pixelated, or poorly lit, your customers will be discouraged. So make sure you use high-quality images that showcase your business.
Overly Promotional Copy: As much as you want to promote your business and make sales, constantly putting out sales talk can turn off your customers. There should be a balance. Post content that your customers can find engaging, informative, and helpful alongside the promotional posts.
Inconsistent Posting: We stated previously how consistent posting boosts engagement and visibility. Well, inconsistent posting does the opposite. To help you stay consistent, create a content calendar to schedule your posts.
Ignoring Comments: This is one mistake you should really avoid making, as it tends to damage the reputation of your brand. When you respond quickly to comments, you show your customers that you value their feedback, both positive and negative.
By avoiding these mistakes, you can improve your engagement, build trust, and attract more customers to your business.
Final Thoughts
By leveraging Google My Business posts, you get to improve your local visibility and customer engagement. Posting regularly allows you to connect with your audience, drive traffic to your website, and boost sales.
Explore more local SEO resources on our website to enable you to optimize your online presence. You can also hire the help of our professionals to manage and optimize your Google My Business profile.
FAQs
Do Google My Business Posts Help Seo?
Yes, it indirectly does. Regular posting helps to improve engagement, drive more traffic to your website, and contribute to a stronger presence online.
What are the Best Practices for Google My Business Posts?
Use high-quality images, clear CTAs, and engaging content. Further, post regularly, respond promptly to comments, and utilize different post types to drive more engagement and attract customers.
What Image Size Should I Use For Google My Business Posts?
Images with a minimum size of 480px x 270px and a maximum size of 1200px x 900px, with an aspect ratio of 4:3.
How Often Should You Post On Google My Business For Local Seo?
At least 1 – 2 times per week on Google My Business. This will help to maintain a constant flow of new content, engage your audience, and support local SEO.
Can You Schedule Google My Business Posts Ahead Of Time?
Yes, you can. You can use the Google My Business platform or third-party social media management tools to maintain consistency and save time.
