By Vipin Kanwal
Got a Google Business Profile? Perfect. It’s time to start creating some punchy, engaging, and well-optimized Google My Business (GMB) posts. If you’re not sure how to go about it, this article is for you! Inside, we help you understand Google’s intention for Google Business Profiles, plus how you can leverage the best Google My Business posts to improve your business’ discoverability on the best search engine in the world.
What Is a Google My Business Post?
These are short, social-media-like updates usually containing text, visual content, and a website link that you post on your Google Business Profile. The thing is, it’s estimated that about half of Google’s search queries are users looking for local information. Whether it’s information about local restaurants, schools, brick-and-mortar stores, or any other service within a specified location, you want your business to show up among the search results. Google My Business posts ensure that your business not only shows up among the search results but that it shows up armed with content the user might find helpful.
What Can You Use Google My Business Posts for?
The main benefit of these posts is that they enable you to provide real-time updates about your business. Do you have an important launch event coming up? You’re introducing a new range of products and services? Opening a new location for your restaurant? A simple and detailed GMB post is the best way to pass this message to both old and new customers. What’s even better is that these update posts show up right within the search results page of whatever your customer is searching for, making it difficult for them to miss or ignore them. Besides updates, you can also use these posts to share other exciting news such as new offers and discounts. Used correctly, Google My Business Posts can help direct traffic to your website, and thus boost your SEO efforts.
Related: How to Schedule Google My Business Posts in Minutes!
How Do You Create a Google My Business Post?
1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
The first step in creating GMB posts is to set up and update your Google Business Profile. An optimized profile ensures that your posts reach the searchers you’re targeting. In the setup process, it’s paramount that you type in the correct and updated information about your business. This includes opening hours, specific locations, prices, and more. This is important because Google’s search engine pedestalizes high-quality information, so if you give your target customers information that is helpful to them, Google will put the stamp on your credibility by improving your search rankings.
2. Decide on the Type of Post You Intend to Craft
If your Google Business Profile is already updated, the next step is to log in to the Google account with which you registered your business profile. Next, search for your exact business name or simply type in “my business” in the search bar. Once your profile shows up, click “posts” on the menu then select the type of post you intend to create. Your post should fall into one of the different types of GMB posts. These include offers, events, products, order online, book appointments, or Covid-19 update posts.
3. Create Your Post
Next, you can start filling in the fields and crafting your intended post. The good thing about GMB posts is that you don’t need the flashy elements of the content marketing world. Yes, your posts should be of high standards, but you don’t have to scratch your head for a catchy headline or a storyline that tugs at your customers’ emotions. It’s best to keep the content section of the posts short (within the 1500 characters limit) and straight to the point. As for the visuals, always go with top quality, professional images, and videos. More so if your business is centered on aesthetics (think eateries, interior design shops, or fashion stores), an appealing image can help draw potential customers towards your page. There are certain tips that will help elevate the quality of your GMB posts and make them easy to discover and rank. These include:
- Call to Action: Always include a Call to Action at the end of every post to drive the results you want. Google offers different CTAs that can motivate customers to purchase a product, click their way to your landing page, or learn more about your upcoming events.
- Incorporate Keywords: If you were a customer searching for a local pizza joint, what phrases would you type into Google? Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes in this manner can help you ensure that your business page ranks for relevant keywords.
- Uphold Professionalism: Your Google Business Profile might be the first touchpoint between you and potential customers, so first impression matters. It’s therefore crucial that you use professional language, and that you’re careful enough not to sound forceful. Instead, aim to educate and inform your target audience in a friendly, yet straightforward tone. While at it, exclude any offensive or age-inappropriate content.
- Set Longer Valid Periods for Ever-Green Content. Google archives posts that are older than seven days. Also, if it’s an event post, it will “disappear” on the day after the event date. So if you want your post to stay up longer, you’ll need to specify this. For instance, if you have an offer that will be up for the rest of the year, make sure you adjust the date periods of your post to accommodate this.
4. Publish Your Post
Where Will the Post Appear?
Typically, once posted, you should be able to see your Google My Business Posts on your GMB profile. They also appear in the updates tab together with all the other posts. The best part is, Google provides a way for you to track the performance of your GMB posts. The “posts insights” feature will help you analyze everything from clicks, views, all the way to the percentage increase or decrease in various performance metrics.
When Should You Publish Google My Business Posts
If you’re wondering when is the best time to post on Google My Business, the answer is early morning. Specifically, between 9:00 and 11:00 am. As for the days, research indicates that posts published on Thursday and Friday tend to perform better. This is followed by Monday and Tuesday posts. Generally, businesses that publish GMB posts once every day are bound to see an improvement in their rankings.
In conclusion, GMP posts will be great for your content marketing strategy. For the best results, schedule Google My Business Posts in advance to guarantee consistency and boost your chances of ranking highly. If you need help with content scheduling or planning, Simplified social media scheduler tool is the best for this! On simplified, you can simplify and organize your marketing strategy while collaborating with your team in a seamless manner.
