How to Use Google Business Profile Posts (With Examples and Ideas)

Google Business Profile posts are short updates you publish straight onto your listing on Google Search and Maps. They can announce an offer, promote an event, or simply tell people what's new. Many businesses ignore them because they're not sure what to post or whether anyone sees them. Others post once, forget about it, and leave a two-year-old update as the most recent thing a customer reads.

Used well, posts are a simple way to keep your profile looking active and give people one more reason to call, book or visit. This guide covers the post types, what to write, how to add photos and buttons, what to avoid, and a realistic routine for a small business.

What Google Business Profile posts are (and aren't)

A post is a small card on your profile: a photo or video, some text, and optionally a button such as Book, Order online, Buy, Learn more, Sign up or Call now. People can see posts when they look at your profile, and older posts stay available further down as new ones are added.

Posts are not a shortcut to ranking higher. Google decides local rankings mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and nobody can promise that posting will move you up. Think of posts as a way to help the people who have already found your profile make a decision — that alone makes them worth doing.

The three post types

• Update (sometimes shown as "Add update" or "What's new"): general news — a new service, a seasonal tip, a team member joining, photos of recent work.
• Offer: a promotion with a title, start and end dates, and optional coupon code, terms and a link. Use this only for real offers you will honour.
• Event: something happening on specific dates, such as a workshop, open day, tasting night or late opening, with a title, start and end time and an optional button.

Offers and events have dates, so they naturally stop being relevant when they end. Updates are the everyday post type and will be most of what you publish.

How to create a post

1. 1Search for your business name on Google while signed in to the account that manages the profile, or open the Google Business Profile manager.
2. 2Choose "Add update" (the option may also appear as "Posts" or a + button, depending on the screen).
3. 3Pick the post type: update, offer or event.
4. 4Add a photo or short video that clearly shows what the post is about.
5. 5Write the text (see the formula below) and add the details for offers or events.
6. 6Choose a button if it helps — for example Book for a salon or Call now for a plumber — and check the link works.
7. 7Preview and publish. Posts can be reviewed by Google before they appear, so allow some time and check back that it went live.

If you manage the profile together with someone else, make sure they have been added properly as a manager by the owner. Only the business owner, or someone they authorise, should have access to the profile.

A simple formula for writing posts

Most good posts follow the same shape. Keep them short — people skim on their phones.

1. 1Start with what's in it for the customer: "Need your boiler checked before winter?"
2. 2Say what you're offering or what's new in one or two sentences.
3. 3Add one useful detail: price range, dates, who it suits, or how long it takes.
4. 4Finish with one clear next step that matches the button: "Book a slot online" or "Call us to check availability."

Example for a cafe: "New winter menu is here. Try our spiced lentil soup and fresh sourdough, served every day from 11am. Order ahead and skip the queue." Example for a salon: "Booking now for December party season. Blow-dries and updos available on weekday evenings and Saturdays. Book online to choose your time."

Photos that work in posts

The photo does most of the work. Use a clear, well-lit image that matches the text — the actual dish, the finished job, the room where the event will happen. Avoid images that are mostly text, logos on plain backgrounds or stock photos that don't show your real business. If you need ideas, our article on what photos to add to your Google Business Profile has a practical shot list you can reuse for posts.

What to post about: 20 ideas for local businesses

• A new service, product or menu item
• A seasonal reminder (winter boiler checks, summer AC servicing, Christmas bookings)
• Holiday or special opening hours — and remember to update the actual hours too
• A real before-and-after of recent work, with the customer's permission
• A quick tip that answers a question customers often ask
• An upcoming workshop, class, tasting or open day
• A limited-time offer with clear dates and terms
• A new team member and what they specialise in
• Behind-the-scenes photos of preparation or equipment
• New booking, ordering or payment options
• Areas you've started serving (if you're a service-area business)
• Gift cards or vouchers before holidays
• A reminder of parking, access or how to find your entrance
• Answers to common pricing questions
• A thank-you to customers after a busy season (without quoting reviews you don't have permission to use)
• A product restock
• Changes to your process, such as new safety steps
• A local event you're taking part in
• A care or maintenance tip after a service
• A reminder of how to book or contact you

What to avoid

• Phone numbers in the post text. Google may reject posts that include them — use the Call now button instead.
• Misleading offers, fake urgency or prices you won't honour.
• Copying the same post every week. Repeats look automated and don't give people anything new.
• Keyword stuffing, such as cramming your town name and service into every sentence. Write for people.
• Posting about restricted or prohibited content under Google's policies, or anything you don't have the right to share (including customer photos without permission).
• Letting the latest post go stale. An offer that ended months ago tells customers the profile isn't looked after.

How often should you post?

There is no magic number. A realistic target for most small businesses is one useful post a week, or at least two a month. Consistency beats volume: four honest, useful posts a month look better than twenty rushed ones followed by silence. Before holidays and busy seasons, post a little more often so customers see your opening times and offers.

A simple routine: block 20 minutes on the same day each week. Take one photo during the week, write the post using the formula above, publish it, and check the previous week's post is still accurate. If you're also updating hours for holidays, our guide to holiday hours on Google Business Profile covers that step by step.

Checking whether posts help

Google Business Profile shows performance information such as profile views and actions like calls, website clicks and direction requests. Look at trends over a few months rather than day to day, and note what you posted and when. If calls or bookings pick up after certain kinds of posts — offers, seasonal reminders, new services — do more of those. Be cautious about reading too much into a single week; many things affect enquiries.

Where posts fit in your overall profile

Posts are one part of a well-kept profile, not a replacement for the basics. Accurate categories, hours, contact details, service areas, photos and reviews come first. If those aren't in good shape yet, start with our Google Business Profile optimisation checklist, then add posting as a weekly habit.

Need a hand?

If you'd rather not think about posts every week, DigitalPitch Technologies can help you plan and write them alongside the rest of your Google Business Profile and website work. We'll keep it honest: useful posts, real photos and accurate information — no promises of guaranteed rankings. Get in touch through our contact page and tell us about your business.