Google Business Profile posts put your offers, events, and updates directly in front of people searching for your business — right in the search results and Maps. They’re free, take five minutes each, and most competitors never post at all, which is exactly why you should.
What Are GBP Posts?
Short updates (photo + text + call-to-action button) published on your Business Profile. They appear in your knowledge panel when someone searches your business name or finds you in Maps. Types:
- What’s new: general updates, announcements, tips.
- Events: with date/time range — stays visible longer.
- Offers: with coupon code, terms, and validity dates.
- Products: showcase items from your catalog.
Standard posts expire after 7 days. Events last until the event date. The expiry is a feature, not a bug — it forces freshness.
Posts also appear in the ‘Updates’ tab of your profile on mobile, giving browsers a second discovery surface beyond the knowledge panel itself.
How to Create a Post: Step by Step
- 1. Open Google Search, search your business name (make sure you’re logged into the managing account), or open the Google Maps app → your business.
- 2. Click Add update (Search) or Promote → Add update (Maps app).
- 3. Choose the post type: What’s new / Event / Offer / Product.
- 4. Add a photo — posts without photos get a fraction of the engagement. Use a real photo, not stock.
- 5. Write your text: 1–3 short lines. Lead with the offer or news, not your business name (they already know who you are).
- 6. Add a call-to-action button: Call now, Order online, Book, Learn more, etc. — link it to the right page.
- 7. For offers: add dates and terms. For events: add the date range.
- 8. Preview and Publish.
Your post typically appears within minutes.
What to Post: A Month of Ideas
- Week 1: New arrival / new service announcement with photo.
- Week 2: Limited-time offer (even a small one — “free consultation this week”).
- Week 3: Behind-the-scenes or team photo with a human caption.
- Week 4: Customer testimonial screenshot or review highlight.
Other evergreen formats: seasonal greetings tied to an offer, event announcements, “now hiring,” new menu/service items, before/after work photos.
Repurpose what you already make — that Instagram post about your new product? It’s also a GBP post. Our content marketing guide for small business is built on exactly this repurposing mindset.
Writing Posts That Get Clicks
- First 5 words carry the post. “20% off all repairs this week” beats “We are excited to announce…”
- One CTA per post. Call OR book OR order — not all three.
- Real photos only. Phone photos of your actual work outperform stock by a mile.
- Include the essentials: what, when (if time-bound), and how to act.
- Skip hashtags. They don’t work on GBP posts.
The Weekly Routine (15 Minutes)
- 1. Pick this week’s one thing worth announcing (5 min).
- 2. Take or choose one good photo (5 min).
- 3. Write 2 lines + CTA button, publish (5 min).
Set a recurring calendar reminder. The businesses that win local search aren’t doing anything exotic — they’re just the ones still posting in month six when competitors quit in week three.
Batch a month in one sitting if you prefer: draft four posts, save the photos in a folder, and publish one each Monday. The routine matters more than the method. And track which posts drive calls — GBP Insights shows actions per post, so after two months you’ll know whether offers, events, or product posts deserve more of your slots.
Common Mistakes
- Posting once and stopping. A single expired post is worse than none — it timestamps your neglect.
- Stock photos. Searchers smell generic instantly. Real beats polished.
- No CTA button. A post without a next step is a dead end.
- Policy violations. No phone numbers in post text (use the Call button), no misleading claims, no prohibited content. GBP enforces this strictly.
- Ignoring insights. Check which post types get calls vs. direction requests, and do more of what works.
Posts are one piece of the puzzle — they work best on a fully optimized profile. Start with our Google Business Profile setup guide if you haven’t, then layer posts on top.
Finally, don’t post and ghost: if a post drives calls, answer them. A brilliant offer post followed by three missed calls teaches prospects that you’re not responsive — the post did its job, the business didn’t.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do Google Business Profile posts last?
Standard “What’s new” posts expire after 7 days. Event posts last until the event date. Offers last for the duration you set. Plan for weekly posting.
Do GBP posts help rankings?
Indirectly — they don’t directly boost rank, but they increase engagement (calls, clicks, direction requests), and engagement signals correlate with better local performance. They also win the click against competitors with dead profiles.
Can I schedule GBP posts in advance?
Not natively in the free dashboard — posts go live immediately. Third-party local SEO tools offer scheduling, but for one location, the 5-minute weekly manual routine is fine.
Why was my post rejected?
Common reasons: phone number in the text, misleading content, prohibited products/services, or low-quality/stock imagery flagged by review. Fix the issue and repost — rejections aren’t penalties.
Should I post the same content as Instagram?
Repurpose the substance, rewrite the packaging. GBP posts need the offer/CTA up front and zero hashtags; Instagram needs hooks and hashtags. Same photo, different caption approach.