Posting to Your Google My Business; Everything You Need to Know

Creating Google Posts through Google My Business helps you share events, products, and services directly to Google Search and Maps. Launched in 2017, Google Posts is a feature that allows for content creation in small cards. These cards appear on the local panel, and Maps within Google’s Search Engine Result Pages (SERP) knowledge graph. This comes in handy when Internet users conduct a search on your business.

These cards provide benefits for both businesses and companies. They are perfect for promoting timely content to customers and driving web traffic to your page. Another benefit of the tool is its potential to improve SEO. Google posts are managed through an easy-to-use, intuitive interface within GMB. And you can add them to each business location. In this article, we at Focus DMG will share all you need to know about posting to your Google My Business (GMB) Account.

The Basics of Google Posts

Some essential information you need to have at your fingertips as you create Posts to your GMB account are as follows:

• Google Posts are 100% free; the only requirement is that you manage a Google My Business profile.
• After seven days, your Google Posts become less prominent, except event and offer Posts. You are allowed to configure the display for the specific duration of the offer or event.
• You can include a call-to-action (CTA) button in each Post. Google will tell you the volume of clicks your CTA generated and the number of views your Post gathered. However, it is better to use UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters for keeping track of visits to your site. You can also use this digital marketing tracking module to monitor subsequent actions.
• What appears in the Knowledge Panel is the first 80 characters.
• The newest posts you created will show first, while the older ones can be seen in a carousel.
• Google will let you scroll up to 10 posts in a carousel; however, just the first two are displayed in Google Search Engine Result Pages.

Different Google Posts You Can Create

Posts can be used to disseminate a variety of information, such as:

• Events like an in-store session or a brunch band
• Offers or Specials like sales and coupons
• Announcements like “Special guests this week!” or “Open late this Saturday.”
• Product updates like newly released merchandise

Why Use Google Posts?

• Google Posts can help you engage with your customers/audience
• They increase website traffic
• Google Posts allow you to create messages tailored to specific customer needs & questions
• They have the potential to improve SEO
• Posts provide a one-click incentive for users to learn about, order or subscribe for a product, service or event
• They are part of GMB and can be managed easily from your site or on-the-go with the mobile app

Here’s How to Create Posts

It is easy to create Google Posts from your desktop computer/laptop or mobile on the go. To get started, simply download Google My Business on Android & iOS.

For Desktop

1. Start by logging into Google My Business. If you have 2 or more locations, hit the “Manage location” option to access the location you want to manage.
2. Then select “Create post,” or click on “Posts” from the menu.
3. From the “Create post” screen, you’ll find options for adding text, photos, events & a button to your Google Post. Now, click on each field and input the information you want out there.
4. Having created the post, you should hit the “Preview” feature to view a preview. If you’re satisfied with the way the preview looks, you can select the “Publish” button located at the top right corner of your screen.

Within a few minutes, your published post should appear in SERPs.

Note that all posts are archived in the “Posts” tab.

For Mobile

1. Launch your Google My Business app.
2. Press the “Create” icon (symbolized by the plus sign) in the bottom right corner of your phone screen. And hit the posts icon that shows up.
3. Then, you will see the “Create post” screen, that allows you access features for adding photos, events, text & a button to your post. The next step is to tap each field and supply the necessary information.
4. After filling out your information, you will see a preview of your post, and if you feel no corrections are needed, tap the “Publish” option at the top right corner of your device screen.

Closing Thoughts

Creating Google Posts on your GMB account is quite easy and straightforward once you know the basics. The tool comes with a range of benefits, allowing you to engage with your customers and audience. Among other benefits, increased web traffic and the potential to improve SEO are Google Posts most prominent benefits for a Google My Business Account.