How to post to Google Business Profile

Choose the right post type

Google allows you to publish different types of posts on your Company Profile. In practice, the choice should depend on what you want to convey to the customer, not on which name sounds the most marketing-friendly.

• Use news when you announce a new service, a change in hours, a product delivery, a seasonal menu change or an important announcement for customers.
• Use an offer when the promotion has a title, date range and clear terms, such as a discount on a specific service for this week only.
• Use an event when the message has a start and end date, such as an open house, workshop, tasting, or local meeting.

Write for the search engine and Google Maps

The post may appear to customers on the Company Profile in Google Search and Google Maps. Therefore, the content should be more specific than a typical description for social media. The customer often sees it when checking the route, opening hours or looking for a company close to them.

• Start with the most important information: what's new, what lasts, what you can buy or where to come.
• Add local context, such as the name of a point, district, city, hall or pickup date.
• Avoid generalities such as "you are welcome" as the only content of the post.
• Don't promise more than what's actually available in your location.

It is worth treating the text to Google separately, even if the topic is the same as on Facebook and Instagram. On Google, the customer is often closer to the decision: he or she is looking for a route, hours, menu, service or availability. Therefore, the description should lead to a specific action more quickly.

Add a photo that shows the real topic

The photo next to the post should help the customer quickly understand the message. The best solution is a current image of the product, interior, team, entrance to the premises, shelf with new products or the effect of the service provided.

In Spreenity you prepare text and a photo for Google Business Profile; schedule videos for other channels. Thanks to this, the post to Google remains a short update visible next to the company profile, and the video format does not suggest support, which this channel does not have in Spreenity.

The photo should be sharp, well-lit and without excessive filters. It is best to choose up-to-date materials that really show the offer, place or effect of the work.

A short cheat sheet: what to prepare for Google

It is worth treating Google Business Profile as a local bulletin board next to the company's business card. The customer usually does not read a long story, but looks for a quick answer: what is available, where and what he can do next.

• When to use news: new delivery, change of hours, seasonal menu, available dates or an important message for customers.
• When to use the offer: The promotion has specific scope, dates and conditions that can be clearly summarized in a few sentences.
• When to use an event: The message has a start and end date, such as a workshop, open house, or tasting.

• Write the first sentence so that the customer immediately knows what the message is about.
• Add a photo showing a real product, service or place.
• Remove the phone number from the content and leave the contact details in the Company Profile.
• Check that the description doesn't promise availability that the company can't confirm.

Do not include your phone number in the body of your post

Google doesn't allow you to put your phone number directly in your post. Instead, use the contact button on your Business Profile, which uses the number you set on your profile.

• Do not include a telephone number in the description of the offer or news.
• If you want to encourage contact, write briefly why the customer should call.
• Make sure the number on your Company Profile is up to date, as it supports the contact button.

Instead of writing everything in the content, choose the simplest next step for the customer: call from the profile, check the route, go to the website, make a reservation or see the offer. One clear choice usually works better than several requests at once.

Remember that Google reviews posts

After publishing, Google checks the post against its content policies. The post may not be visible to customers until review is complete, and if it violates our policies, it may not be approved.

This also applies to photos. The company profile and visual materials are shown to customers only when the profile is verified and the added materials are checked by Google.

• Do not use content that is offensive, misleading or disconnected from the real offer.
• Only link to public sites that you trust and that really match the content of the post.
• For industries subject to additional restrictions, be especially careful when describing the product or service.

Plan content with time in mind

Posts in Google Business Profile make sense when they are current. Therefore, it is worth describing offers and events with a clear deadline, and seasonal information should be deleted or replaced with new ones when they are no longer true.

1. Prepare a message for a specific location.
2. Select the post type: news, offer or event.
3. Add a photo that shows a real product, service or place.
4. Remove the phone number from the content and leave the contact on the profile button.
5. Check if the link or button takes the customer to the correct next step.
6. Check the dates, offer conditions and visibility of the selected location before publication.