The benefits of Google Posts for your small business
Google My Business is a vital SMB digital marketing tool, and Posts are an essential component of the platform
Google Posts
If you’re wondering where to start with marketing your small business online, read our article on Google My Business setup and verification. If you’re already verified, read on!
Once your Google My Business account is verified, Google Maps users will see the blue check beside your business’ profile picture (as seen below).
Being verified (which typically involves Google sending a postcard with a verification code to your business’ mailing address) also means that you can begin exploring the platform’s free tools, like Posts.
In the above image, from a Houston-based boutique catering group, you can see how Posts appear directly below the business profile.
How it works
Visibility is the name of the game in Local SEO. Build it and they will come. If you are operating ethically and responsibly, running a useful, valuable local business, then more visibility in search results means more potential customers will see your business and services and perform actions like ‘Get Directions’ or ‘Call Now,’ etc.
Note in the image above that Posts show up in the Google My Business Post tabs and on Google My Business websites, but more importantly, Posts ‘may also be shown on Maps, Search and the Overview tab of business listings.’ Google also mines GMB Posts for keyword and other data that it uses in its search algorithm, which can also improve your Local SEO (especially if your geographical location or address routinely appears in your Posts).
That’s a lot of potential visibility, and the Posts are seamlessly woven into the user experience for a lot of Google Maps and Search users, particularly those submitting local search queries (searches from mobile devices, searches for ‘businesses near me,’ etc.).
These local searches are some of the most valuable if your small business has a physical storefront or geographic service area.
How to Post
One way to think of Google Posts is as free digital ads. They even offer insight into consumer behavior that can help you optimize your paid ads, making them a great dry run for new businesses or small businesses on a tight budget.
Types of Posts
This article from Moz (more or less THE authority on SEO and Google optimization) details some of the finer points of the Google My Business platform — for instance, did you know that you can include emoji in titles and descriptions? Not only do they stand out visually, but the data suggest that younger users are beginning to use emoji in their search (I’m 31, and that seems crazy to me, which just goes to show how quickly the SEO game changes, and why it’s important to stay up to date).
Create a Post
Take a look at the dashboard view (mine is pulled from Android mobile; if you’re using iOS or a desktop/laptop computer, your dashboard will look different because Google optimizes to various devices, which is a good example to follow).
- Make your Post stand out with a photo or a video
I tell my clients that this part is not optional. If you’ve ever run across a Post without a photo or video, it looks skeletal/naked. Users respond to vibrant, crisp visual imagery, whether in video or photo form, and selling your business through photos and videos is a necessary component of your digital marketing strategy, no matter what industry or vertical your business inhabits. - Write your Post
Google recently updated the text limit for Posts from 300 words to 1500 characters (which typically works out to 250–300 words). See this article from Search Engine Journal for more info. Typically, you want to be short and sweet, though, because not all characters are even shown on the Post unless users click on it. Get in — get out. Use phrases that users would likely be searching if they’re looking for your business (if you don’t know, do some keyword research or hire someone to do it for you; these are vital pieces of data to know). - Add Button
This is the real key to Posts. You can add what we marketers call a Call To Action (CTA) with a link. For instance, ‘Call Now’ is linked to your business’ phone number through Google My Business, and if a user clicks on a mobile device, they will immediately start calling your number from that device. You can also include links to your website or specific landing pages designed for a particular purpose (collecting email addresses for a mailing list, booking online, etc.), including driving traffic to your website or Google Maps listing.
At search/local HTX, we always recommend that our clients pore over the Google guidelines, content policies and Terms of Service. Running afoul of Google’s rules can result in penalties or listing removals, requiring time and effort to set right and losing your business traffic and SEO visibility in the meantime.
So if you haven’t yet used the Posts function in Google My Business, try it out! The Local SEO benefits are legion, and learning Posts is terrific practice for crafting and testing digital advertising formats and content.
Have you had unexpected or surprising success with a Google Post? Let us know by leaving a response, with a link to your Post!
