Creating a Google My Business (GMB) post is are great way to help your business rank locally while keeping your customers informed of new information, news, products, and events.
As you probably already know, Google My Business (GMB) is a free listing and platform provided by Google to help potential customers find your business. Your GMB listing is an essential part of any business in 2020. If you have questions about what a GMB listing is, you can read our previous blog that explains it in more detail. In this blog, we will be talking specifically about the posting feature that is available in your GMB listing.
Google My Business posts are social posts that appear at the bottom of your GMB listing. As you can see in the example below, the basic components of a GMB post is an image, content, and a call to action. Posts are generally shown for seven days before they are no longer featured directly on your listing.
There are several reasons why creating at least one post per week for your business is recommended:
Google Will Better Understand your Business. By writing content relevant to products and services your business offers, you are helping Google better understand when to show your GMB listing. The more your GMB listing is shown to people who want your offerings, the more likely you are to get a customer. If given the choice between two listings that are seemingly equal in content and relevant to the user, Google will pick a listing that has recent posts over a listing that does not.
Rankings on the Local Pack Will Improve. Arguably, the Google Local Pack is one of the most important places for your business to be. When you consistently post on your GMB, your local SEO results will also improve. Next to getting good, consistent reviews, GMB posts are considered to greatly improve a GMB listing once all of the other static information is correct.
Customers Are Informed At a Glance. There is a lot of competition out there for any business. When customers are searching online, they want to find relevant information fast. By creating a Google My Business Post that has an eye catching image, well written content, and a direct link to what the post is promoting, you are making the customer journey much easier. This simple differentiator may help them choose you over another business.
There are four types of Google My Business Posts you can choose from.
What’s New Posts. This type of post is informational in nature, and very useful for quick messages. They are also great for or click-through to a website or landing page, for example to promote a new blog post. These posts will last seven days and have an optional call to action button.
Event Posts. Unsurprisingly, an event post is intended to promote and in person or online event that has a date and time. To use this type of post, a start and end time is required; the post will expired automatically after the event is over. An optional call to action button is a great way to direct people to more info about the event, or to purchase tickets.
Offer Posts. Offer posts are similar to event posts as they require a start and end date. This type of post is great for special offers, discounts, and daily specials. You also can display a coupon code or a link to redeem the offer.
Product Posts. Product posts are intended to showcase a product or service you offer, with an optional price or price range. A call to action button is also optional. It is important to note on mobile devices product posts are displayed on a separate tab.
There are a few best practices when you are creating your Google My Business Post. Google provides their own guidelines, but there have been numerous studies that have dug into what works and what doesn’t. For example, Google recommends between 100 and 300 words, though in most studies it’s pretty clear 80-100 words work just as well. This is what you needs for your post:
There are a few best practices when you are creating your Google My Business Post. Google provides their own guidelines, but there have been numerous studies that have dug into what works and what doesn’t. For example, Google recommends between 100 and 300 words, though in most studies it’s pretty clear 80-100 words work just as well. This is what you needs for your post:
Google My Business Post performance is measured separately than the rest of your business listing. Each post will show you relevant metrics, though it is important to note that it is widely accepted these metrics are inaccurate. Like many newer features Google introduces, there is some level of functionality that needs to be refined over time.
If you have questions about Google My Business posts, or how your listing is performing in general, contact us to learn how we can help!
