In this post you will learn the what and why of regular Google Business Profile posting for both your local business.
What is Google Business Profile Posting?
As a local business, expanding your digital presence is paramount in today’s competitive market. Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly known and still frequently known as Google My Business (GMB), provides an excellent platform for this.
GBP posting — i.e uploading updates — lets you, the local business owner, connect directly with your target audience, share relevant updates, and enhance your visibility on Google Search and Google Maps.
This post will help you understand how to leverage GBP posts effectively, driving more traffic to your business and boosting your local SEO.
Understanding Google Business Profile (GBP) Posting
Google introduced Google Business Profile posts in 2017, intending to enhance businesses’ ability to communicate with their customers within their local business listing. GBP posts are updates, often created by business owners, including text, an image or video, and a link. You can use them to share timely announcements, special offers, upcoming events, or highlight new product offerings. GBP posting helps attract customers to your business.
Benefits of Using GBP Posts
Google Business Profile posting offers multiple benefits, including:
- Increased Visibility: GBP posts improve your business’s visibility on Google, leading to higher brand recognition and potential customer reach.
- Enhanced Credibility: By sharing relevant updates and responding directly to customer reviews, you can build a strong reputation and garner trust among your audience.
- Effective Communication: Updating your GBP allows you to connect with your existing and potential customers, share timely information and promote your offerings.
- Boosts Local SEO: Regularly posting updates can boost your local SEO, which leads to higher rankings in local search results.
- Customer Engagement: By sharing updates, offers, or events to their GBP, businesses can engage with customers more effectively and improve customer experience.
Read More: What Makes People Click on a Search Result?
Who Can Use GBP Posts?
GBP posts benefit businesses with brick-and-mortar locations, such as retail stores, restaurants, and service providers. However, even if you don’t have a physical storefront, you can still use GBP posts as long as you interact with customers in person.
GBP is a versatile tool that caters to many users, including business owners, marketing professionals, SEO experts, and consumers. Business owners use it to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps, effectively boosting their visibility. By posting to GBP, businesses can cast a wider net, drawing in more consumers and increasing their SEO outreach.
Types of GBP Posts
Currently, there are three types of GBP posts available:
- Update Posts: These posts can include images, some text, and a Call-To-Action (CTA). You can use them for general updates about your business, such as new products or changes in business hours.
- Offer Posts: These posts allow you to share promotional sales or special offers with your customers. They must include a start and end date and can also include a link to redeem the offer.
- Event Posts: You can use these posts to promote special events at your business. They require a title, start and end dates, and can include a description, photo or video, and a CTA.
Frequency of Posting: Balancing Quantity and Quality
As a digital marketing expert, I’m often asked, “How often should I post on Google Business Profile (GBP)?” The posting frequency in GBP can significantly boost your business’s online visibility and engagement. Let’s explore how to optimize your GBP posting schedule for maximum impact.
First of all, there is no “one size fits all” rule of thumb for how often to post on GMB. There is no golden formula for posting frequency line 4 times a day, or every month. According to Google, posts don’t expire but a post be given less visibility after 6 months.
My advice is to think about what you are offering the people who will see you Google posts and base the frequency of posting on providing them the most value. I know that sounds fluffy, but think about who will see your Google posts i.e. people searching for you on Google. People do not follow your GMB, so your posts are not shown to your followers, or to a story, wall or hashtag.
Since only Google searchers see your posts, your content and posting schedule should provide value to people who are searching for you. This usually means new customers, or people trying to find or contact your business. Think about what you want to say to prospects searching for your business, and base you posting frequency on that message.
While frequency is essential, you should maintain the quality of your posts over high quantity. Whether you post daily or a few times a month, each post should offer value to your audience and reflect your brand’s identity. Based on Sterling Sky’s research, a prominent and trusted SEO think tank, SEO experts suggest that GBP posts offering discounts or deals receive the most clicks. These experts recommend posting one or two offer posts a month to allow users ample time to see and click on the post.
The posting frequency in GBP can significantly impact your business’s online visibility and engagement. Whether you decide to post daily or a few times a month, remember to maintain the quality of your posts and offer value to your audience.
Remember, in the world of digital marketing, consistency is critical. Stay committed to your posting schedule, offer genuine value to your audience, and watch your online visibility soar.
Setting Up Your GBP Posts
Setting up your GBP posts is straightforward. Log into your GBP account, click on your listing, and select the “Posts” option in the navigation. From there, you can choose your post type, write your post, and include a visual and a CTA. You also have the option to customize your CTA button, which could link to a specific landing page, special coupon code, your website, or a direct product page.
Optimizing Your GBP Posts
You must ensure your posts are well-optimized to make the most Google Business Profile posting. Be diligent and review your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) consistently. Write a compelling business description and add high-quality images or videos. Create Google posts regularly, feature products on GBP, respond to reviews, and add questions and answers (Q&A) for better customer engagement.
Additionally, you can select highlights and attributes that represent unique aspects of your business, such as “Women-led,” “LGBTQ-friendly,” or “Accepting new patients.” By regularly updating and posting to GBP, your audience can grow, resulting in more growth for your business.
Tracking GBP Post-Performance
To measure the efficacy of your Google Business Profile posting, you can use tools like Google Analytics. By tagging your GBP posts with UTM tags, you can see how many visitors your posts drive to your website and what actions they take once they land on your site. By regularly posting to GBP, you will be able to track trends and see where customers are engaging with your business.
Related: Google’s New Search Generative Experience: What You Need to Know.
Final Thoughts
Google Business Profile posting provides a powerful way of connecting with your customers, enhancing your online visibility, and boosting your local SEO. By efficiently leveraging this tool, you can drive more traffic to your business, increase customer engagement, and ultimately boost your bottom line. Remember, success with GBP posts requires regular posting, constant optimization, and diligent performance tracking. By doing so, you’re well on your way to outperforming your competition on Google searches.
Katherine Anderson loves creating and designing. Her passion is helping local businesses apply digital marketing to attract and convert new customers. More articles by Katherine A.
