Local enterprises enthusiastically embrace Google Business Profile (GBP), recognizing its immense value in securing prime online real estate for their businesses.Establishing a GBP listing is one of the simplest methods to secure a spot on the first page of local search results. Even when targeting broader audiences, having a GBP profile (and optimizing it for GBP ranking factors) can provide a competitive edge over competitors who lack such a profile.Google offers unique features on GBP profiles that offer free advertising opportunities to businesses. One of the standout features is the ability to post directly on Google Business Profile.This article will guide you through:
Understanding Google Business Profile posts
Types of Google Business Profile posts
Creating a Google Business Profile post (How to use Google posts)
Where customers can view your Google Business Profile posts
For more insights on local search and Google Business Profile strategies, continue reading or subscribe to our newsletter, Revenue Weekly!Through Google Business Profile posts, businesses can share updates about their brand, promotions, events, and products and services directly on their GBP profiles.These posts are visible to audiences on the Google Maps app on mobile devices and may also appear in desktop searches under your business’s information section in the sidebar (referred to as a knowledge panel or knowledge card): 
GBP posts resemble Facebook posts, and viewers can share them on social media or via email. However, individual profiles, sharing, or commenting are not available on the GBP platform. 
The primary benefit of GBP posts is the free advertising opportunity to promote your brand, products, sales, events, and offers.By leveraging GBP posts, you can increase visibility for key search terms, expand your brand reach to a wider audience, and all without incurring any costs. Additional benefits of GBP posts include:
Expanding reach: Posting on GBP enhances search visibility, attracting more online visitors to your business. Google Business Profile posts facilitate wider audience engagement.
Building brand recognition and loyalty: Direct communication with local customers allows for the cultivation of brand awareness and loyalty. Providing valuable information throughout the customer’s buying journey and timely updates, such as changes in business hours, are key.
Engaging with your audience: GBP posts enable direct engagement with customers in search results. Use posts to enhance the audience’s experience with multimedia content and provide information when it’s most needed.
Enhancing local SEO: GBP posts strengthen local SEO by providing customers with easy access to business information, promotions, products, and updates. Since GBP is integrated with search and Google Maps, you’ll rank higher for local keywords.
Posts on Google Business Profile typically include a photo or video, a title, and description, as well as a call-to-action (CTA). There are four distinct types of posts that can be created via Google Business Profile:
What’s New
Events
Offers
Products
Here’s an overview of each type of Google Business Profile post.
What’s New
The “What’s New” GBP post enables businesses to share recent news such as special hours, address changes, new product promotions, or general information.This type of GBP post excels in fostering brand awareness and loyalty. If you’re struggling to decide what to post, Google Business Profile can suggest topics based on your top reviews.On desktop search, these posts are displayed as a carousel in your knowledge panel, often above the “People Also Search For” section. 
On mobile search, posts are presented in feed format in the “Update” tab of your knowledge panel.
Events
GBP posts also allow businesses to promote online events on their profiles to increase visibility.GBP event posts require setting a title and specifying dates and times for the event’s start and end. If you omit start and end dates, the event defaults to 24 hours after posting.Optionally, include the location, a photo or video, a description, or a CTA like “RSVP.” Google states that if your event meets certain criteria, it can appear on the “Overview” tab in your GBP profile.Similar to “What’s New” posts, events will show up in your desktop search knowledge panel, often under your address and hours section.
For mobile search, events will appear in your “Updates” tab along with other posts.
Offers
“Offer” posts on GBP are similar to “What’s New” posts and serve as an excellent free advertising tool for promoting deals and promotions.”Offer” posts also require specifying start and end times, just like event GBP posts.Additionally, you can include links, coupon codes, and terms and conditions in your post. A notable benefit of offer posts is that GBP automatically includes a “View Offer” CTA button. When clicked, it directs users to another page with more information and options to redeem your offer.
Products
Product posts are displayed as a carousel catalog, different from the shareable post types like “Offers” and “What’s New.”
On mobile search, the products you post will appear in your “Products” tab on your GBP profile.With product posts, you can add a product description and a price tag.
GBP posts have a limited time frame.The default time frame for posts is seven days after publication, but Google allows extending a post’s active time to fourteen days. Product posts are an exception to this time frame as they remain active indefinitely.There is also a limited amount of space for your post in your business’s knowledge panel on search. Posts are displayed from newest to oldest, and only eight posts can be visible at one time.So, even if the time frame for a post has not yet passed, newer posts can still replace it.After posts expire, audiences can still view them by searching the “Posts” tab on mobile or clicking “View previous updates on Google” on your business’s knowledge panel.
Creating GBP posts is relatively straightforward.Just:
There are specific requirements to consider when creating posts on GBP. Media for posts has minimum and maximum specifications:
Minimum: 400 x 300 pixels and 10 KB size limit
Maximum: 10,000 x 10,000 pixels and 25 MB size limit
Additionally, each post has a maximum character count of 1500, though best practices suggest using between 150 and 300 characters for the most effective posts.Remember that Google often truncates words on desktop, so ensure your most critical information is within the first 80 characters. High-quality content should be:
Useful, relevant, and informative with correct grammar
Feature high-resolution images
Use respectful and family-friendly language and media
Your customers can view your published posts in various areas, including search knowledge panels and the Google Maps app. In search, particularly on desktop, posts are often visible in queries related to your brand, although this is not guaranteed.Here are some locations where customers can find your posts on GBP:
Google Maps app, Overview tab (near the bottom): If you open Google Maps, locate your profile, and scroll to the bottom of the Overview tab, you’ll find a section labeled “Latest updates from this business” below the “From the owner” description. All your Posts will be listed here.
Google Maps app, Updates tab: The Updates tab in the Google Maps app provides easier access to your posts than scrolling to the bottom of the Overview tab. If your business doesn’t have any posts yet, the tab won’t appear, but if you do, it will be prominently displayed after the Overview tab, offering greater exposure. Note that mobile search has the same setup with the Updates tab for your knowledge panel.
Chrome, desktop search, knowledge panel: Your posts will also appear in a carousel in your knowledge panel on the desktop under a section called “Updates from [your business],” often near the bottom of the panel. If your posts are expired, it may show a link to “View previous updates on Google” in that section instead.
Google Maps app, and mobile search, as a Follower: Both the Maps app and mobile search allow your audiences to follow your business, receiving updates about
