Quick answer: Use Google My Business Posts for short, timely updates: offers, events, new products and news that belong next to your listing in Search and Maps. Aim for one solid post per week (or a few per month if that is all you can keep up), keep each post specific with a clear call to action, and treat Posts as a supplement to your website, not a replacement for proper pages.
Google opened Posts to all Google My Business listings in mid-2017. If you manage a local business, you now have a free slot beside your Knowledge Panel and Maps listing to talk to people who are already looking at you. Used well, Posts answer “what is new?” without making someone dig through your site. Used badly, they become vague filler that nobody clicks.
This guide covers what to share, how often to post, and how to keep Posts useful for local search and conversions.
What Google My Business Posts are
Posts appear on your Google My Business profile in Search and on Maps. They typically show a short title, a bit of body text, an optional image or video, and a button (Book, Order online, Buy, Learn more, Sign up, Call, and similar options depending on your category and setup).
They are not a full CMS. You do not build lasting service pages there. Think of them as dated notices that sit with your listing for a limited time (Google has indicated Posts stay visible for a period measured in days, then drop out of the main view). That is why freshness and clarity matter more than long essays.
Posts also do not replace Google My Business basics: accurate NAP, categories, hours, photos and reviews still do the heavy lifting for local visibility. Posts sit on top of that foundation.
What to share (and what to skip)
Offers and promotions
Short-term discounts, seasonal packages and “mention this post” deals work well because the button can send people to a booking or product page. State the offer, the dates and any limits in plain language. Avoid tiny legal text as the only content; put the deal up front.
Events
Workshops, open days, webinars, launches and in-store events fit the Event-style post. Include date, time, place and how to join. Link to a page on your site that has the full details and a form or ticket link.
Products and services
New products, a service you want to highlight this month, or a package you are pushing can all work. Keep the copy focused on who it is for and what happens next. Link to the real product or service URL on your site so Google and users land somewhere complete.
News and updates
Hiring, a new location, renovated hours, a charity partnership or a process change (“we now offer evening appointments”) are fair game when they help someone decide to contact you. Skip internal fluff that does not help a customer.
What to skip
- Vague slogans with no next step (“We care about quality!”)
- Duplicate copies of long blog posts (summarise and link instead)
- Claims you cannot back up on the landing page
- Posts with no image and no button when you could add both
- Keyword stuffing aimed at ranking rather than helping the reader
For local SEO hygiene around citations and consistency, our local SEO checklist still applies; Posts do not fix a messy NAP footprint.
How often to post
There is no official quota that guarantees better rankings. A sustainable rhythm beats a burst of ten posts followed by silence.
Practical ranges that work for most small businesses:
- Weekly: one thoughtful post (offer, event or highlight). Easy to plan on a Monday.
- Two to four times a month: fine if weekly feels forced. Consistency matters more than volume.
- Daily: usually unnecessary unless you are a high-volume retailer with real daily stock news. Quality drops fast.
Batch-create drafts for the month in a spreadsheet: date, type (offer/event/update), headline, button, destination URL, image brief. Schedule time to publish rather than improvising from your phone between jobs.
If you run multiple locations, post per location with location-specific details. A generic corporate blast on every listing feels lazy and often points to the wrong page.
How to write a post that gets used
- Lead with the point. First line should say what is happening or what the offer is.
- Add one concrete detail. Price, date, neighbourhood, who it suits, or how long it takes.
- Pick one call to action. Book, call, learn more or buy. Do not ask for three things at once.
- Use a real photo. Your shop floor, your team, the product, the event space. Stock-only graphics look interchangeable.
- Match the landing page. If the post says “20% off consultations this week,” the URL must show that offer. Broken promises waste trust and ad spend if you are also running local campaigns.
Keep the tone the same as your site. If your website is plain and direct, do not suddenly write like a billboard.
Images and buttons
Square or wide images that are sharp on mobile work best; most people will see the post on a phone. Avoid text-heavy graphics that become unreadable at small sizes. Show the thing you are talking about.
Choose the button that matches the action:
- Book or Call for appointment businesses
- Order online for food and retail with ordering
- Learn more when the next step is reading a page
- Sign up for newsletters or waitlists when that is honest
If your category does not expose every button type, use the closest fit and make the first sentence carry the action.
Measuring whether Posts help
Inside Google My Business you can review insights related to how people find your listing and which actions they take (calls, direction requests, website clicks). Views and clicks on Posts, where shown, tell you whether anyone engages. Compare weeks with posts against quiet weeks, but do not expect a clean A/B lab result; seasonality and reviews move the same needle.
On your site, use UTM parameters on Post URLs (campaign source such as google, medium such as gmb-post, campaign name for the offer) and watch Google Analytics goals or conversion events for those landing pages. If nobody arrives, fix the offer or the creative before posting more of the same.
Common mistakes
- Posting once, seeing no miracle, then abandoning the channel
- Sending every post to the homepage instead of a relevant URL
- Letting expired offers linger in your planning doc and accidentally republishing them
- Ignoring Q&A and reviews while pouring effort into Posts (responding to customers still matters more)
- Treating Posts as a substitute for multi-location SEO when each branch needs its own accurate profile
A simple monthly plan
Week 1: offer or seasonal package
Week 2: educational or “how we work” update with Learn more
Week 3: event or community note
Week 4: product/service highlight or hiring/news if relevant
Swap freely. The point is a calendar, not perfection.
FAQ
Do Google My Business Posts improve local rankings?
Google has not published a simple “posts equal rankings” rule. Posts can improve engagement on your profile and send qualified visits to your site. Strong categories, reviews, proximity and relevance still dominate local pack results.
How long do Posts stay visible?
They are short-lived compared with website pages. Plan on them mattering for days rather than months. Put lasting information on your site.
Should I repeat the same offer every week?
Only if the offer is still true. Refresh the image and wording so it does not look abandoned. Better: rotate related offers so regular viewers see something new.
Can I hand Posts to a junior marketer or VA?
Yes, with a checklist: brand voice, approved URLs, offer end dates, and image rights. Spot-check live posts for the first month.
Next step
If local search is a priority, pair a steady Posts habit with solid listing data and pages that convert the click. When you want help tying Google My Business activity into a wider get found plan, we can map the profile, the site and the measurement together.
