Google Posts: What to Post, How Often, and What You Get Out of Them

When someone searches for your business name, or for a service near them, Google often shows a Business Profile with your hours, phone number, reviews, and photos. Google Posts let you add short updates to that profile. Think of them as mini announcements that sit right where customers are already looking.

This guide explains what Google Posts are, what to put in them, how often to post, and what a local service business can realistically expect.

What are Google Posts?

Google Posts are short updates you publish from your Google Business Profile (the free listing that used to be called Google My Business). A post can include text, a photo or video, and a button that sends people to a web page or lets them call you.

Posts can show up on your profile in Google Search and Google Maps. Where and how they appear can change over time, so look at your own profile on a phone and a computer to see what customers see.

Google Posts are not the same as social media posts. You are not building a following. You are giving a person who is already interested in your business a little more information at the moment they are deciding.

What do local service businesses get out of them?

Here is the honest version.

What posts can do:

• Give searchers fresh, useful information without making them dig through your website.
• Show that your business is active and paying attention.
• Promote a seasonal offer, an event, or a new service right on your profile.
• Send people to a specific page, such as a booking form or a service page, with a button.
• Make your profile look more complete next to competitors who never post.

What posts cannot promise:

• Google does not guarantee that posting will raise your ranking in local results. Treat any ranking benefit as a possible side effect, not the goal.
• Posts will not fix a profile with the wrong hours, missing photos, or few reviews. Get those basics right first.

The real value is simple. Posts help a customer who is already looking at you decide to call, visit, or click. For a plumber, a dental office, a landscaper, or an accounting firm, that is a worthwhile reason to spend a few minutes a week.

Types of Google Posts

The options inside your profile may be labeled differently over time, but they usually fall into three groups.

Updates

General news. A new service, a team announcement, a seasonal reminder, or a helpful tip all fit here.

Offers

A deal with a clear description and, often, a start and end date. Use this for a promotion, a free estimate, or a limited-time discount. Make sure you can honor whatever you write.

Events

Something with a date and time, like an open house, a workshop, or a community day. Events work best when the date is clear and the post is published ahead of time.

What to post: ideas that work for service businesses

If you stare at the blank post box and draw a blank, start with this list.

1. Seasonal reminders. An HVAC company can remind people to schedule a tune-up. A landscaper can post about fall cleanup.
2. A service you want more of. Pick one service and explain it in two or three sentences.
3. Recent work. Share a before-and-after photo of a finished job. Get the customer’s permission if the photo shows their home or private information.
4. Answers to common questions. If customers keep asking the same thing on the phone, answer it in a post.
5. Hours and holiday notices. Let people know about holiday closures or extended hours.
6. Team and community. Introduce a new hire, mention a local sponsorship, or share an event you are attending.
7. Offers with an end date. A clear deadline gives people a reason to act now.
8. A reminder to book. Sometimes a simple “We are taking appointments for next week” is the most useful post.

How often should you post?

There is no official number that works for every business. A steady rhythm matters more than a burst of activity followed by months of silence.

A practical approach for a busy office:

• Aim for about one post a week. If that feels like too much, every two weeks is still better than nothing.
• Post when something actually changes. New hours, a new service, a new offer, or an event.
• Batch it. Write four posts in one sitting once a month, then publish them one at a time.

Also look at how long your posts stay visible. Google has changed how long different post types last, so check your profile. If old posts disappear or sink out of view, that is a good reason to keep adding new ones.

How to create a Google Post

Menus change from time to time, so if a label below looks different on your screen, look for the closest match.

1. Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile. Only owners and managers can post.
2. Find your profile. Search for your business name while signed in, or open the Business Profile manager.
3. Choose the option to add an update or post. It is usually labeled something like “Add update” or “Promote.”
4. Pick the type. Choose an update, offer, or event.
5. Add a photo or short video. Use a clear, bright image that shows your work, your team, or your location.
6. Write your text. Keep it short and put the most important detail first.
7. Add a button. Options often include things like Call, Learn more, or Book. Link to the page that best matches your post, not just your home page.
8. Set dates if needed. Offers and events usually need a start and end date.
9. Preview and publish. Read it once for typos, then post.

Some tools offer scheduling or posting on your behalf. Features vary, so check whether any tool you already use supports this, and always confirm the post looks right on your live profile.

How to write a post people actually read

Searchers are skimming, often on a phone. A few habits help:

• Lead with the point. “Free estimates for roof repairs through the end of the month” beats a long warm-up.
• Use plain words. Write the way you would explain it to a customer on the phone.
• Be specific. “Same service, now offered on Saturdays” is better than “Great news from our team!”
• One idea per post. Do not cram three offers into one.
• Include a clear next step. Call, book, or visit a page.
• Use real photos. Your own photos usually beat generic stock images because customers want to see the actual business.
• Keep it accurate. Do not exaggerate, and do not promise something you cannot deliver.

Also read Google’s current rules for Business Profile content. Posts that are spammy, misleading, or break the content policies can be removed.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Posting once and forgetting. A profile with one post from long ago looks neglected.
• Pushing every post as a sales pitch. Mix helpful tips with offers.
• Linking everything to the home page. Send people to the page that matches the post.
• Using tiny or blurry images. Pictures can be cropped differently on different screens, so keep the important part in the center.
• Ignoring your reviews. Posts help, but customers also read your reviews. Reply to them, good and bad, in a professional way.
• Leaving out basics. Make sure your hours, phone number, categories, and services are correct before worrying about posts.

How to tell if your posts are working

Do not guess. Your Business Profile has performance information, such as how people found you and what they did next, like calling or asking for directions. The exact reports can change, so look in your profile for the current version.

A simple routine:

1. Note your calls, direction requests, and website clicks for a month.
2. Post steadily for the next two or three months.
3. Compare. Also ask new customers how they found you.

Results from a small local business will be modest and slow to measure. If posts take you ten minutes a week and you get even a few extra calls, that is usually a good return.

A simple weekly plan

Here is a routine a small office can keep up:

• Week 1: A seasonal tip or reminder.
• Week 2: A photo of recent work.
• Week 3: An offer or event with dates.
• Week 4: An answer to a common customer question.

Repeat, and adjust based on what customers respond to.

If you run an office and want more practical tips like this, browse our more how-to guides.

Frequently asked questions