Do Google Business Profile posts help?

What is a Google Business Profile post?

A post is a short update that appears on your Business Profile in Google Search and Maps. Owners use posts for news, events, seasonal hours, and offers. Customers see the post when they look at your profile, so the post speaks to people who already found you.

Do posts help me rank higher?

Do not count on it. Google’s help pages do not say that posting makes a profile rank higher. In practice, the things that move a local business up the map results are the basics: the right primary category, an accurate address or service area, real reviews, and a website that matches your profile. Posts sit well below those.

You can still post. Just do not spend your best hours on it.

Do posts help customers decide?

This is where posts earn their place. A customer who compares three plumbers or three restaurants looks for signs that the business is open and active. A post about holiday hours, a new service, or a booking change answers a real question before the customer calls.

Posts also help your profile stay accurate. Google’s guidelines tell you to reflect your business accurately. A post that contradicts your listed hours or services works against you.

What should I post?

Post facts that a customer can use. Good topics include:

• A change in hours for a holiday or a storm
• A new service or a new product
• An event at your location
• A seasonal reminder that fits your trade, such as a spring tune up or a fall shutdown

Skip filler. A post that says nothing new does not help a reader.

How do I add a post?

1. Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
2. Open your Business Profile from Search or from the Google Maps app.
3. Choose the option to add an update or a post.
4. Write one clear message. Add a photo that shows your real business.
5. Check the spelling, the hours, and the contact details. Then publish.

If you later find a mistake, you can edit or delete the post at any time.

What can get a post rejected?

Google reviews content against its policies. Its guidelines say that a rejected profile edit or post can have several causes. They also bar content that asks for private or confidential information. You may post your own business phone number, email, or social media handles. Do not ask customers to send personal details in a post.

Keep the post honest and relevant to your business. Low quality or unrelated content is the kind of thing the guidelines warn about.

Are there Canadian rules I should know?

Yes, two of them apply to everyday posting.

The Competition Bureau expects advertising to be truthful. If a post names a price or an offer, it must be accurate and not misleading to a customer.

CASL governs commercial electronic messages sent to people, such as marketing emails and texts. A public post is not the same as an email to a person. But if a post leads you to collect email addresses for later marketing, you need consent before you send those messages.

Can Google post for me?

Sometimes. Google may post an update to a verified Business Profile on your behalf. This can happen after an automated call, text, or message where you gave Google information. Google sends you an email when it does this. You can review, edit, or remove the post. You can also opt out.

Google says it never asks for payment, card details, or passwords. If a caller asks you for money to keep your business on Google, it is not Google.

What is a realistic plan?

Set a simple habit. Post when something changes in your business, and keep your hours, services, and contact details correct. Measure the result by calls and direction requests from your profile, not by a promise of higher rankings. If you stop posting, nothing breaks, but an old and stale profile can leave customers unsure.