In the digital age, reaching a broad audience with your content is easier than ever. Google, a platform used by millions, offers a unique feature known as Google posts. Whether you’re sharing images, videos, or text, Google posts can be a game-changer in your content sharing strategy.

Google posts aren’t just about visibility; they’re about connectivity. With this feature, businesses can engage with existing and potential customers directly on their Google My Business Profile. But how can you optimize your posts to get the most out of this service?

What are Google My Business Posts?

Google My Business Posts, an integral part of Google’s business toolbox, offer a potent marketing channel for both new and established businesses. These posts let businesses share updates, events, services, and products directly on Google Search and Maps. Visible in the local Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) as mini cards within the graph database, Google Posts provide a convenient way for businesses to deliver timely marketing messages to prospective customers.

Google Posts function much like a business dashboard, enabling business owners to monitor and control their business activities. They provide a straightforward user interface on Google’s Business Profile, ensuring an effortless updating process. Business owners can modify posts, add event specifics, or revisit old posts whenever they desire on their Google Business Profile. Both post content and elements are simply manageable, even via mobile devices.

Understanding how to utilize Google My Business Posts effectively can skyrocket a business’s visibility on Google Maps. This is where Circleboom Publish steps in to ease businesses’ efforts via its automation and scheduling features. Users can batch their posts for an entire week or month, and schedule them in advance, thus saving substantial time and effort for other business aspects. These pre-scheduled posts then go live at the best times, aiding businesses in enhancing their Google Maps visibility. Moreover, Circleboom Publish’s Queue scheduling feature allows content to be posted automatically at set time intervals.

Hence, Google My Business Posts offer a comprehensive package for businesses to navigate the digital market successfully, ensuring efficient communication with customers and a robust online presence.

Steps to Add a Post to GMB

Leveraging the power of incoming updates, let’s delve into the crucial steps necessary for adding a post to your Google My Business (GMB) profile.

1. Content Selection: Opt for the type of content you yearn to showcase in your posts, such as text or image/video pertinent to the type chosen in the previous steps. After that, consider infusing a call-to-action (CTA), for instance, urging viewers to visit a website or schedule an appointment. Publish your post by clicking “save” and confirm it by clicking “publish.”
2. Post Publishing: On publishing, your post appears in the ‘Posts’ list, making it easily traceable on Google Maps or Google Search for related keywords tied to your specific business location.

I want to highlight a significant update concerning Google’s ranking algorithm – Google’s Vicinity update. It bolsters the importance of distance for ranking, meaning a business with no reviews, ratings, or prices might score a high rank purely due to distance advantage.

Additionally, the term ‘Prominence’ stands for a business’s fame and popularity in offline and online realms. Renowned landmarks like distinguished museums or well-known retail chains generally secure higher visibility in the local search results.

Infusing a CTA button into ‘What’s New’ posts can enhance engagement, as it displays three lines of text when included. It’s crucial to remember that ‘What’s New,’ ‘Offer,’ and ‘Event’ posts remain active for seven days. In contrast, ‘Product’ posts stay eternally active in the Business Profile, unless manually removed, and they ostensibly show before other existing published posts.

Despite their expiry, older posts aren’t removed but are accessible to searchers under the ‘Posts’ section, ensuring a continued online presence. By abiding by these steps, users can optimize their GMB accounts and interact more effectively with current and potential customers.

Steps to Publishing a Post to Google My Business

Publishing a post to Google My Business enhances direct customer reaches and triggers better business engagement. Grasp these steps for initiation.

1. Account Access: Access your Google My Business account. Unavailability leads to easy creation and subsequent business information addition.
2. Posts Selection from Menu: Identify the ‘Posts’ option in the menu after login. It sits atop the page and on selection, uncovers a post creation list ready for publishing or scheduled publication.
3. Creating Post: A ‘Create Post’ button exists at the Posts tab’s top right. Pushing this opens a window, primed for post composition.
4. Post Composition: This stage allows you to craft your post akin to writing an email or social media update. Valve in bold text, images, italics and more to create an engaging post for potential clients.

For auto-generation and AI scheduling of Google Posts, follow these steps with Circleboom Publish (http://publish.circleboom.com).

1. Account Login: Use your Circleboom account to login. Rapid free account creation is possible in the absence of one.
2. Platform Selection: A first-time user interacts with several options like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google Business Profile. Opt for Google Business Profile and tether your accounts. Multiple accounts from varied platforms also see acceptance here.
3. Post Creation: Click the ‘Create New Post’ button for social media post generation. You’ll find distinctive post features for different platforms with Google Business Specific as an option. Follow this with account selection.
4. Image Addition: A Four-optionCircleboom’s social media image generator includes Canva, Unsplash, Giphy and Google Photos. Alternatively, upload individual files for direct sending.

After content selection, proceed to add desired content such as textual elements or images/videos to your posts.

Where Do Posts Appear?

Google My Business Posts appear on both Google Search results and Google Maps. These posts enhance a business’s visibility, establishing a strong online presence. They offer an opportunity for businesses to connect directly with their existing and potential customers in a personal, yet professional way.

Google users can view these posts in two prominent locations: Google Search results and Google Maps. When one conducts a search on Google and your business shows up in the search results, a display of your posts appears next to your business details within the Google My Business listing. This is the same for Google Maps. Whenever your business location is displayed, your Google Posts are visible alongside it.

The posts don’t directly influence the ranking of your business on Google’s Search results or Maps. However, their visual appeal and informational content make them a potent tool for enhancing user engagement and might even result in a click-through. Thus, they indirectly contribute to pre-site conversions, enticing potential customers with their compelling visuals and tantalizing snippets of what your business has to offer.

Moreover, these posts are worth the effort. With minimal time investment, just a few minutes per week, it’s possible to craft a post that can lead to direct conversions and attract new customers. Despite the shrinkage of organic reach on other social media platforms, Google My Business Posts promise a remarkable ROI with their extensive reach.

It’s evident that Google My Business Posts play an integral part in connecting businesses with customers. They enhance visibility within local search results, Google Maps, and perhaps most importantly, in the eyes of potential customers.

The 5 Types of Google My Business Posts

Google My Business provides a range of post types that cater to the diverse needs of a business. Each post type has unique features and uses, enabling businesses to present relevant information to their potential customers in the most effective way possible. Here are five main types of Google My Business posts.

1: What’s New

What’s New posts serve as an effective tool for businesses to share updates or news. Be it seasonal offers, new product launches, or changes in operation hours, What’s New posts cover a wide spectrum. They can hold up to 1,500 characters, allowing ample space for businesses to engage with searchers. This post type can include image, GIF, or a 30-second video, and even a Call To Action (CTA) Button. The visibility of these posts is across desktop, mobile, and Google Maps app.

2: Events

Event posts specifically cater to businesses that host events. The unique aspect of Event posts is their longevity—they stay active from the time of posting until the date the event is scheduled. Event posts display one line of text along with a date range, giving potential attendees a quick snapshot of the event details. These posts may include photos or videos, event title, start and end dates, event details, and a CTA Button.

3: Offers

Offer posts spotlight deals or discounts a business wants to promote. These posts afford businesses to provide detailed information about the offer including a title, date range, and even a link to redeem the offer. Google offers even allow the inclusion of coupon codes, terms, and conditions.

4: Welcome Offers

Welcome Offers are exclusive to businesses using the Google My Business app and serve as a special thank you to customers who follow a business. It can be an excellent way to win the loyalty of customers and encourage repeat visits.

5: Products

Product posts work best for businesses selling products, giving them the leverage to highlight their offerings directly in Google My Business Profile. These persistent posts offer businesses the ability to showcase their products with descriptive text, images, and pricing information, offering customers a direct avenue to make a purchase.

Google My Business Post Examples

Expanding on what I’ve covered in the previous sections, let’s delve into some specific examples to illustrate how different types of Google My Business (GMB) posts can be utilized.

1. News Posts: A perfect use case is updating your audience about changes in business hours due to a national holiday. Through a news post, you can inform customers about the special timings and ensure no one’s left scratching their heads looking for information.
2. Offer Posts: Imagine your business wants to promote a special discount code for the upcoming holiday season. An offer post provides the ideal channel for highlighting the value proposition, detailing the offer’s specifics, including a catchy headline, and sharing the discount code.
3. Event Posts: These are perfect for businesses that frequently host events. If your company organizes a yearly charity run, a GMB event post can be used to relay all the critical details, such as location, time, and entry requirements.
4. Product Posts: Suppose you’re launching a new product. A product post is useful to showcase it with a description, images, and a link to where customers can make a purchase.

Incorporating these types of GMB posts into your business strategy not only increases local visibility but also presents an opportunity to engage and interact with your customer base. But remember, your post content must always be specific, relevant, and offer value.

How to Make a Post & Track its Status for Your Business Profile

Gaining visibility and improving engagement are crucial for businesses, where Google My Business plays a vital role. Having mastered the knowledge of different types of posts, now it’s time to delve into the mechanics of making a post and keeping tabs on its status on your Google My Business profile.

The procedure starts with heading to Google support, identifying your business and any issues encountered. Choosing the right business from your list comes next, and then we delve into our post-creation process.

What’s New, Offers, and Event posts set the stage for active engagement for seven days, offering timely content to customers. Meanwhile, Product Posts keep an enduring presence in the Business Profile, showcasing your products until you choose to remove them. This continuity ensures these posts always precede unexpired published content, providing a constant stream of fresh visibility for your offerings.

Despite the expiry of a post’s activity I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t vanish into thin air. It moves to a section accessible to searchers under Posts navigation — whether on mobile or desktop. By scrolling to the post section and clicking ‘View all’ or, ‘View previous posts on Google,’ users can still reach this older content.

As is often the case, the devil is in the details. You must carefully edit and review content, paying attention to things like how many lines of text display when a CTA is included in the mix. Even the number of visible characters in the Knowledge Panel can affect your content, depending on whether you’re using a CTA button or not.

Tips to Create a Compelling Google Business Profile Posts

Creating compelling Google Business Profile posts involves striking a balance between engaging content and optimized keyword usage. Let’s delve into the key principles to guide you:

1. Post Timing and Duration: Your ‘What’s New’ and ‘Event’ posts stay active for seven days. Keeping posts fresh helps in engaging new visitors and returning customers alike.
2. Product Posts Persistence: Unlike ‘What’s New’ and ‘Event’ posts, ‘Product’ posts are always active. They remain in your profile unless removed manually, providing a constant spotlight for your products and services.
3. Access to Expired Posts: Although older posts expire after seven days, they don’t cease to exist. Users can access them under the ‘Posts’ tab in your profile on both mobile and desktop.
4. Crafting Engaging CTAs: A Call-to-Action (CTA) button displays up to three lines of text on your ‘What’s New’ posts. Carefully compose these lines as they often decide whether a user engages further or not.
5. Optimize for Knowledge Panel: Content visible on the Knowledge Panel plays a crucial role in user engagement. As the visible characters depend on the presence of a CTA, careful crafting is key. If necessary, review and modify posts after publishing to ensure optimal display.
6. Instant Verification Option: Opt for instant verification if your business’s website is already linked with Google Search Console. Here’s the necessary support link – Google Support. However, remember that some business categories may not qualify for this handy feature.
7. Google’s Vicinity Update Impact: Google’s Vicinity Update has made distances more crucial for ranking. For any issues on ranking and verification, don’t hesitate to reach out to Google’s support specialists using this link – Google Business Help.

By following these tips, you enhance the impact of your Google Business Profile posts, boost engagement, and potentially improve your overall ‘Google My Business’ visibility.

What is the Best Photo Size for Google My Business Posts?

Optimizing images forms a critical part of compelling Google My Business posts. But the question revolves around the ideal image size for these posts. The best photo size for Google My Business posts typically comes down to aspect ratios. An image ratio of 4:3 is recommended for the best visibility. This equates to dimensions of 1200×900 pixels, providing a quality, high-resolution image that displays excellently in a Google post.

However, remember that images can get cropped when viewed on different devices. Hence, maintaining the key content in the center of the image counts as an important practice. This ensures that vital elements don’t get cut off and the whole image will make sense even when cropped.

Selecting the right post type also impacts the representation of your image. For instance, a ‘What’s New’ post permits up to 1500 characters of text, potentially allowing more in-depth interpretations of your image. Additionally, one can opt to represent a post with a GIF or a maximum 30-second video, given the upload size doesn’t exceed 100MB and up to 10 photos, gifs, or videos are allowed.

A Call to Action (CTA) button, though optional, can notably intensify viewer engagement with your image or video post, enabling users to book, order online, buy, learn more, sign up, or even call directly using your listing’s primary number.

Remember, striking a balance between the image’s attractiveness and the relevancy to your content is crucial. Engage your audience with visually appealing pictures but also ensure they directly relate to your business or post’s theme to avoid sending mixed signals.

An effectively optimized image can substantially elevate the engagement rate of your Google My Business posts, driving tangible results for your business. Strategize, optimize, and roll out winning posts! Don’t forget, it’s the real-world results that count.

Make Use of Excellent Photography and Videos

Creating engaging content isn’t just about the text; it’s also about the visuals. Google My Business posts that include well-composed photographs and engaging videos often attract more attention than those without. Specifically, high-quality images and videos can enhance user experience and facilitate effective communication of your business offerings.

When choosing images for your Google My Business posts, always opt for high-resolution photographs that depict your business, product, or service accurately. Use images that have a 4:3 aspect ratio, as this is the preferred format for Google My Business. Besides, ensure you maintain the key content, such as logos or text, in the center of the image to prevent them from being cropped out on certain devices.

Incorporating videos into your Google My Business posts can also be a strategic move. Videos provide a dynamic way to showcase your business and products, and they can elicit strong emotional reactions from viewers. When creating videos for Google My Business, keep them brief and to the point, ideally not exceeding 30 seconds.

Remember, visual content increases engagement rates. Therefore, spend time curating and creating visuals that not only look great but are also relevant to your post’s message. By enhancing your posts with excellent photography and compelling videos, you can significantly enhance the visibility and engagement of your Google Business Profile posts.

Create Headlines that are Actionable

Crafting an efficient headline demands a special blend of writing skills. Most importantly, it’s got to be enticing, motivating your audience to act in a hurry. Take “Get Your Free Coffee” for instance—an immediate, concise command that swiftly informs what you want your audience to do.

Lean on your experience writing ads to optimize your headlines. Google places a limit of 1500 characters on your post, but a mere 80 of those will appear in SERPs. So, it’s important to make it catchy within the confines of 80 characters.

Common wisdom suggests a guideline of 150-300 characters for a headline. Keep in mind, though, Google’s knowledge graph will only display about 80 characters, headline inclusive.

“Get Free Download”, “Learn More”, “Order now”; they communicate your intent pretty clearly. These choose-your-own-adventure style call-to-actions are powerful tools. They offer a clear guide for the reader, succinctly capturing the purpose of the article within the headline.

However, don’t let constraints inhibit your creativity. With Posts’ high turnover rate, you’ll find ample opportunities to experiment and refine your approach. Always be ready to try something new and exciting.

Remember, it’s about portraying your message as clearly as possible. The need for brevity and concision can’t be overstated. It’s all about optimizing within character limits and making every word count.

Things to Avoid In Google Posts

In the journey of creating effective Google Posts, it’s crucial for businesses to steer clear of certain pitfalls.

Firstly, avoid posting content that lacks CTA buttons or doesn’t utilize them effectively. The CTA button for “What’s New” posts, for instance, shows three lines of text when included, offering a unique opportunity to engage viewers. If omitted or not maximized, it could lead to missed engagement opportunities.

Secondly, don’t disregard the lifespan of different post types. Understand that “What’s New”, “Offer”, and “Event” posts stay active for seven days, while “Product” posts are evergreen until removed by you. Even so, older posts don’t disappear, as they’re accessible to searchers under the “Posts” navigation.

Thirdly, resist the temptation to ignore character limits. The number of characters displayed within the Knowledge Panel, especially, depends on whether a CTA button is included. Therefore, it’s likely that words might be cut off, resulting in truncated messages if not optimized. Review this after a post is published and edit if necessary for ultimate clarity.

Fourthly, don’t forget about distance in local search ranking. Google’s Vicinity update made distance a crucial factor in the ranking order, and ignoring this vital update could diminish your ranking despite other favorable aspects of your business.

Lastly, avoid vague or ineffective PPC campaigns. These advertising campaigns, when wisely used, can significantly boost your online presence. Note that costs will vary based on the ad type and target audience. Therefore, make sure you’re optimizing your campaign for your audience and budget constraints.

By sidestepping these common mistakes, you’ll enhance your Google Posts and better leverage this platform to catalyze your business’s success.

How Often to Post on Google My Business

Consistency, though crucial, isn’t the only factor to consider in the frequency of Google My Business posts. It’s also about optimizing effectiveness without overflowing the viewer’s screen. In reflecting on the common practice, once a week fits the bill.

Don’t fall into the trap of over-posting. Although numerous posts create a carousel, tests reveal that businesses fare better embracing the ‘less is more’ philosophy. It’s a misconception that more posts imply greater visibility. Data shows, a solitary articulate post drives better results.

Timeframe comes across as a vital aspect of Google Posts. ‘What’s New’, ‘Offers’ and ‘Events’ are active posts. Keeping the post active allows your content to stay in front of your audience.

Additionally, Google treats a post view each time it appears, not necessarily indicating a user interaction. This calls for examination, as the reported views may be substantially overestimated by Google.

But don’t fret, Google offers a helping hand with weekly account metrics. Posts on search, total views, and the top three posts as per interaction – it’s all there in the report. This valuable insight lets you adapt your posts and better meet the needs of your viewers.

Lastly, the Call-To-Action (CTA) button deserves its due. Research suggests that for ‘What’s New’ posts, three lines of text under a CTA makes it more persuasive, leading to fruitful engagement.

So, let’s recap. Post once a week. Prioritize quality over quantity. Leverage Google’s provided metrics. And last but not least, optimizing your CTA can drive engagement and conversions. Stick to these best practices, and you’ll optimize your Google My Business strategy effectively.

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Google Business Profile Posts

Expanding the reach of your business does not solely depend on offering featured products or driving offers and events. It’s also about structuring your online presence more effectively. Local SEO practices, particularly Google Business Profile Posts, can significantly improve your business’s visibility on Google, whether it’s for a desktop search or mobile Search.

“Whats New” posts remain active for seven days, showcasing your latest offers or events. Contrarily, product posts remain active indefinitely on your business profile until you decide to remove them. They always appear ahead of any current, yet-to-expire posts. Remember, even if posts expire, they won’t disappear but will find a new home underneath the “Posts” navigation section. It makes it easier for prospects to browse your past endeavours, whether on mobile or desktop, enhancing their browsing experience.

It’s vital to carefully construct your posts. For instance, when you add a Call to Action (CTA) button in a “Whats New” post, it displays the first three lines of accompanying text. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure your initial text is engaging and effectively communicates your message to avoid cutoffs and promote click-throughs.

When it comes to posts’ verification, several options are available. For instance, email verification allows you to enter the provided code directly into your Google My Business account for a seamless verification process. This option is available for businesses that have already verified their websites with Google Search Console.

In the realm of Local SEO updates, Google’s Vicinity update shifted the importance more towards the mapping distance for Local SEO ranking. This change underscored the significance of geographical location as a determinant in ranking.

Ultimately, Local SEO initiatives, combined with optimized Google Business Profile Posts, can fuel your success in establishing a more visible and authoritative online presence. Small, consistent steps, such as effective post structuring and proper utilization of available post types, can propel you forward in the journey of achieving digital marketing excellence.

How to Assess Customer Satisfaction/Success

So, we’ve traveled the road of posting on Google together. It’s not just about posting; it’s about doing it right. From understanding the significance of Google My Business Posts to mastering the art of creating engaging headlines and optimized images, we’ve covered it all. We’ve also dived into the depths of Local SEO, Google Business Profile Posts, and the impact of Google’s Vicinity update. Remember, it’s all about combining these elements to create a strong online presence. The result? Enhanced business visibility and a strategic edge in digital marketing. But don’t forget to measure your success. Keep an eye on your metrics, listen to your customers, and tweak your strategy as needed. After all, the digital world is ever-evolving. Stay ahead, stay visible, and keep posting on Google. Your business deserves it!