Google business profile posts – Why you need to use them

Google business profile posts tips and guidelines

Introduction

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a great way for businesses to connect with customers and promote their products or services. By creating a Google Business Profile and posting regularly, businesses can improve their visibility online, and build trust and credibility with potential customers. Google says "Your Business Profile on Google Search and Maps can help you attract new customers and grow your business."

1. What are Google business profile posts?
2. Types of Google Profile Business Posts that you can use
3. How to create a post
4. Why you should use posts to promote your business:

What are Google business profile posts?

With Google business profile posts business owners can post updates about their business that are associated with their profile. These posts help existing and new customers know more about your business.

The posts are a bit like Facebook posts in that they can be reshared from your profile and posted onto other social networks or via email. Unfortunately, unlike social networks, users cannot like or comment on your posts or share within the ecosystem as users do not have their own profiles.

Users will see these posts in a variety of places including Google Maps environments including the app, SERPS, and Local Search:

Types of posts you can use:

There are a few different types of posts you can use on your Google Profile Business page.

What's new

These posts are general updates on your business, it is easy to include photos or videos, a description together with an action button to lead users to find out more. They can be used for updates on opening hours, promotions, or things like address changes.

These types of posts are great for building brand awareness and affinity and in some countries also get surfaced automatically by Google based on your reviews rating and search intent.

Events

If you're hosting an event, using Google Business Profile is a great way to promote it. You can share event details, such as the date, time (start and end), location, and a brief description. As with What's New posts, these posts can include photos, videos, descriptions, and action buttons.

Customers will be able to see your event posts in Google Maps and Google Search. Events under some circumstances can be surfaced on your business in the Overview section of your business profile, Google does not publish what the criteria are for this to happen, however. All events will appear in the Events section of your knowledge panel in SERPS.

These posts are great for driving action and attendance as well as building affinity with your audience.

Offers

You can use these types of posts to share offers with your customers. As with the previous post types, you will be able to include the same information and media, but with this type of post, you will also need to include a title and start and end dates for the offer. In addition, you can also include links, Ts&Cs, and even give your offer a coupon code for redemptions.

These posts offer more flexibility to craft a great offer, as well as appear near the top of your profile in the knowledge panel. They will also appear in the Updates tab section nearer the bottom of the profile.

This is a great way to drive traffic to your business and generate sales. By utilising coupons you will be also able to measure the impact of using these posts on your profile.

COVID-19

Near the start of the pandemic, Google introduced a new type of post specifically for businesses to share their COVID-19 updates. Although less relevant for most businesses now, this is where you can include changes to your business hours, any new safety measures you have put in place, or even temporary closures. At the time this was a useful way for businesses to build trust with their customers and let them know which COVID-19 measures they had in place.

How to create a Google Profile Business Post

Creating a post is relatively straightforward, to create a Google Profile Business Post:

1. Sign in to Google My Business.
2. Choose the location you'd like to manage.
3. Click Posts from the menu.
4. In the top right, click Write a post.
5. Choose the type of post you'd like to create.
6. Enter the details of your post, then click Publish.

Why you should use posts to promote your business:

There are a few key reasons why you should use Google Profile Business Posts to promote your business:

• Reach a wider audience: By creating a Google Business Profile and posting regularly, businesses can improve their visibility online and reach a wider audience. Google business profile posts appear in Google Search and Maps, so potential customers can easily find your business when they're searching for products or services like yours.
• Build trust and credibility: Posting regularly can help businesses build trust and credibility with potential customers. When customers see that you're active on Google Business, they'll know that you're a business that is engaged with its customers and committed to providing the best possible experience.
• Promote your products or services: Google Business is a great way to promote your products or services to potential customers. You can share announcements, offers, new or popular items in stock, or event details directly with your customers. Posting is a great way to connect with your customers, but moreover, you will be able to drive traffic whether that be virtual or real-world and drive sales.

Google business profile posts are a great way to promote your business and reach new customers. By creating informative and engaging posts, you can improve your visibility online, build trust and credibility with potential customers, generate interest in your products or services, as well as drive traffic to your business. Google has even built a marketing kit site to help you create your first post, so what are you waiting for? Get started today. But if you feel that need help with this or any other SEO-related service, please feel free to reach out to us.

About Polything

At Polything, we help companies use the power of storytelling to elevate their marketing and grow their business. Our collaborative and strategic approach to marketing can be applied to any direct-to-consumer business, and we work with clients all over the UK and further afield. Our team is experienced and passionate about helping businesses achieve their goals, and we’re always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to market products and services. If you’re interested in learning more about how we can transform your business, get in touch today.

---