How to Create the Best Google My Business Posts

Google My Business posts are an important part of your local SEO efforts. They are visible next to your GMB listing and provide customers with useful information as well as CTAs. This is a very simple and cost-free way of advertising various promotions or growing your brand image among potential customers.

What is even more convenient for busy owners is that Google My Business posts are short. Thus, it does not take the same effort to create one as it would take to write a blog post or in-depth article like this one.

The Anatomy of Google My Business Posts

Let us start with the basic details about the form and function of Google My Business posts. They contain:

• A title with a maximum length of 58 characters
• The text body with a maximum length of 1,500 characters
• Up to 10 photos, videos or animated GIFs
• A CTA button.

The recommended resolution for photos is 1200 x 900 pixels. As for the animated GIFs or videos, the maximum duration is 30 seconds and the maximum file size is 100 MB. As for the text, while the maximum allowed length is 1,500 characters, practice shows that the best performing Google My Business posts are around 300-500 characters long.

What Should You Write in Google My Business Posts?

One of the specific characteristics of GMB posts is that they should be on one of the five following topics:

• Events
• Offers
• Products
• Welcome Offer
• What’s New

Please note that What’s New, Offers and Events posts require you to set the start and end date. At any rate, they are active for maximum 7 days. The Products posts will continue to appear in your business profile until you decide to delete them.

For each of these topics, Google allows you to select a relevant CTA button or to add a link. The predefined buttons for Google My Business posts are:

• Book
• Buy
• Call now
• Learn more
• Order online
• Sign up.

If you select the “Call now” button, Google will display the primary telephone number on your GMB listing. This is why you should always make sure that your NAP details are accurate and up to date.

A Few Best Practices for Google My Business Posts

Now let us focus on how to craft effective GMB posts. We will talk about visuals first, and then about the copy.

Visuals

Make sure that you select a high quality and relevant photo or video to accompany your GMB posts. Do not use stock photos, but only branded images showing:

• Your products
• Your team members
• Your store or offices.

It’s all about authenticity and persuading a person to click on the CTA button and get an offer or book an appointment with you.

Copy

Here are some useful recommendations for the copy you will write for Google My Business posts:

1. Select the Adequate Post Category

Do not try to trick Google with posts that do not fit one of the five predefined categories. You will see them taken down and you will miss a great opportunity to attract new clients.

2. Pay Attention to the First 7-8 Words

This is the number of words visible above the fold for Google My Business posts. If the readers are interested, they can click or tap on Read more. So, choose your first words wisely to entice the users to keep reading your entire GMB post.

3. Use a Summary of a Relevant Blog Post

For Event posts, you can make a quick summary of the blog posts announcing it and then place a link to it at the end of the GMB post. This will give your readers the chance to discover the full detail of the event you are hosting or participating at.

4. Have a Personal Approach

When writing a GMB post, think of having a customer right in front of you and addressing them. This is how you get the best results and it helps potential customers discover and feel the connection with your brand values.

5. Be Precise and to the Point

A GMB post is not the place for complex lead nurturing tactics. Tell the readers directly what they need to know:

• What is your announcement about
• What do you want the reader to do
• How can they take action
• What is the timeframe of your promotional offer?

6. Add Coupon Codes in Offers

If you want to get a quick sale, make it easy for users to get it. Thus, one of the best practices for GMB Offer posts is to include a coupon code for discounts in the copy. At the same time, adding this code here allows you to measure exactly how many sales you got from your Google My Business posts. So, it is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

A Few Don’ts to Avoid in Your Google My Business Posts

Finally, we want you to learn from others’ mistakes and avoid committing these errors. So, always make sure that you check your posts before you share them and rule out the following:

DON’T: Copy/Paste from Your Blog Posts

Google doesn’t like duplicate content, and nor will your readers. Even if it feels tempting to use the first paragraph of your blog post as a GMB post, don’t do it. Instead, create a short and catchy summary.

DON’T: Use All Caps or Exclamation Marks in Excess

Some marketers are overly enthusiastic with the use of exclamation marks and words written with All Caps to draw attention. But people actually find this annoying. So, use the meaning of your copy to draw attention, not the way you type it.

DON’T: Use Slang Acronyms

YOLO, BOGO, and other similar acronyms have no place in Google My Business posts. You may think you are saving a few characters, but many potential customers will not understand them.

DON’T: Share Misleading Information

If your offer is subject to specific terms and conditions, state these clearly in your GMB post. Otherwise, people may consider your post misleading and flag it. Also, as a general rule, do not share promotions that have too many exclusions and restrictions.

DON’T: Use an Inappropriate Tone of Voice

Be friendly and familiar in your post, but do not push it too far. You are addressing people of all ages and sensibilities. What some people may consider cool and trendy, others may feel to be offensive.

Conclusion

Google My Business posts are extremely useful local SEO tools and they are completely free. Thus, make sure to post as frequently as you can, but only when you have something relevant to share. And always play by the rules set by Google. Good luck!