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Google Business Profile does impact SEO by increasing CTR, showing direct links to your individual products and services, and also displays the last ten posts you've made.
When it comes to search, there’s no denying: Google still reigns supreme.
Businesses that want to build their online presence and attract customers have to kiss the ring. In return, Google gives businesses unmatched exposure, with users logging billions of searches every day.
Google Business Profile (GBP) is a must-have tool for business. A well-maintained GBP gives businesses credibility, and best of all, it’s free marketing. The Google Business Profile is a critical local SEO ranking factor that drives local customers to a business’s website or physical locations.
Want to get Google’s attention and show up higher in the search results? We’ll show you how to use GBP posts to make that happen.
What Is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, is a free tool that helps businesses manage their online presence. It gives them maximum visibility across all of Google's platforms including Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping. Businesses own their profiles and can customize them with details like hours of operation, website links, contact information, and business-specific images.
With Google Business Profile posts, you can improve the likelihood that your business will rank higher in the local search results—the holy grail of marketing!
Benefits of Google Business Profile
Businesses can’t afford not to have a Google Business Profile. One of the main reasons: It’s where customers go to share their experiences. Your GBP allows you to easily collect online reviews from happy customers and build trust with prospective customers. From Google’s shareable link, you can gather customer reviews and display them on your Google Business Profile.
Want to show Google your business is legit? Claiming your business and providing up-to-date information shows Google how to categorize and rank your business. Updated locations, hours, products, and photos inform your local search engine optimization. Businesses with in-depth, accurate information get better local search rankings.
If your business has physical locations, a GBP helps customers find you. They can view your business hours and get directions to your location through Google Maps. It only takes a few taps to go from discovering your business to becoming a customer.
Your Google Business Profile also makes it easy for customers to get in touch. If they have questions, they can find your phone number and website link listed right in your GBP. Having an easy-to-visit storefront gives customers a chance to scope out products in person before they make a purchase. This is a huge benefit for businesses that sell products online.
How Google ranks business listings
The inner workings of Google’s ranking algorithm remain largely unknown. But not everything is shrouded in secrecy. Google has shared specific factors that influence a business’s position in the search results. Familiarizing yourself with these factors can help your business (and those managing your GBP) optimize your local listing.
Relevance, distance, prominence
If Google search had a mantra, this would be it. Relevance, distance, and prominence are the core factors Google uses to rank local businesses. That means a business closer to a searcher’s location might rank below a business with more relevant products or services. Location matters, but so does a business’s relevance and reputation in the community.
Here’s a closer look at the ranking factor trifecta:
- Relevance: How well does a business profile match a user’s search?
- Distance: How far does the person searching have to travel from their current location to your business?
- Prominence: How popular and well-known is your business?
When creating your GBP, provide as much detail as possible. This helps Google assess your relevance. Does your business have a positive reputation in the community or a special appeal as a historic landmark? Make sure you include these types of details in your Google Business Profile.
Openness and honesty
Honesty is the best policy—and it’s also a Google ranking factor. In 2023, Google strengthened its ‘openness’ signal as a ranking factor for local search results. This applies to non-navigational search queries, or queries that appear when you search for services versus specific brands.
If a business is open when a user searches, it will appear ahead of businesses that are closed. These businesses have the best chance of ranking in the top 3 Google results. This is the SERP feature known as the Local Pack, which includes a map and relevant search listings. With this ranking factor, Google aims to provide users with more relevant, immediately useful local results.
So that means you should list your business hours as 24/7, right?
No! Not unless these are your actual hours of operation. Businesses that falsify their business hours to show up higher on the search engine results page can be penalized or suspended.
GBP managers are gatekeepers for their brands. It’s more important than ever to make sure your business information, especially your operating hours, is up-to-date and consistent across platforms. Update your GBP to reflect any changes in business hours, including temporary closures or holiday hours.
Other information you’ll want to ensure your GBP accurately represents:
- Product and service listings
- FAQs
- Relevant business attributes (women-owned, wheelchair accessible, etc.)
Google reviews
Would you choose a business with 450 reviews and an overall rating of 4.5 stars, or a business with 50 reviews and an overall three-star rating? Most people would pick the business with more reviews and a higher rating. This is why Google considers review scores as a key ranking factor for local search.
Nearly half of Americans consult online business reviews before purchasing from a local establishment. Google is more likely to recommend businesses with higher scores and more positive reviews on the SERP and Maps. The rationale is that more reviews lead to better rankings, and higher star ratings positively influence rankings.
But there’s a caveat: Reviews must be genuine. Google’s focus on openness and truthfulness applies to review management. Business owners who artificially inflate their review scores may receive a lower ranking or face a profile suspension.
GBP optimization checklist
Now that you know why your business needs a Google Business Profile, how do you optimize it? Here are some quick and easy tips for attracting more high-quality leads in your local area:
- Claim and verify your Google Business Profile.
- Categorize your business so potential customers understand what you offer and Google can improve your search visibility.
- Complete your profile thoroughly, filling out all sections with accurate information. This includes your business name, physical address, phone number, website, and hours of operation.
- Review your GBP regularly to make sure your business description is accurate, especially your operating hours and phone number.
- Refresh your photos and videos regularly, adding high-quality content that showcases your business.
- Respond to positive reviews (and negative reviews) promptly to show potential customers you’re active and engaged.
Will posting improve GBP listing rank?
GBP posts are a great way to communicate with current and potential customers, sharing your latest business offers and upcoming events. They can also increase your click-through rates and user interaction, which can boost your visibility. Increasing your visibility in the local searches amplifies your local SEO.
Regular posts are also a sign your business is active. GBP posts show up in a carousel at the bottom of your Google listing. Visitors can click through and view your most recent activity. Posts no longer expire after a set time frame, which means there’s more post content for current and prospective customers to see.
So how can you boost your SEO ranking through your GBP posts?
- Add your business location to help Google understand what you do, what you offer, and where you operate.
- Sprinkle in SEO-friendly keywords related to your next event, product, or offer.
- Make your business more prominent by sharing detailed information about your business and allowing customers to engage with your brand.
What types of posts can you share to GBP?
Wondering what to publish to your GBP? The list below may help spark some ideas.
Pro tip: You can repurpose many of these ideas on your other social media platforms.
- Hours of operation and temporary closures
- Changes to how you operate (such as moving to takeaway or delivery only)
- Updates to how you manage safety and hygiene in-store
- Requests for support from your community
- Sales and offers with a ‘View offer’ CTA button (include photos, videos, descriptions, coupon codes, links, and T&Cs directly in your post)
- Updates about your business like sales and offers (you can even include photos, videos, descriptions, and a CTA button)
Collaborate effortlessly, save time and spend less
Why settle for a lackluster social media management tool when you could be using Sked Social? With unlimited collaborator access, streamlined approvals and advanced auto-post technology that lets you schedule to all major platforms, Sked Social offers everything you need.
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6 ways to optimize Google Business Profile posting
Ready to make Google Business Profile posts part of your marketing strategy? Here are 6 tips to elevate your posts and supercharge your results.
1. Post regularly
Let customers know what’s happening in your business by regularly posting to your Google Business Profile. You might not get a lot of immediate feedback from those who see your posts. But the more you post, the more Google learns about your business. Recent posts and updates show there’s a real, live person managing your online presence.
Posting at least once per week will keep your Google Business Profile active.
2. Keep content topical and relevant
Put yourself in a customer’s shoes: What types of content would you want to see on your Google Business Profile? Those looking at your profile are likely looking for special offers, opening hours during the holidays, or new menu items. Post the content that will drive them to shop at your business today.
One of the easiest ways to determine what’s most relevant is to monitor engagement. Track how your audience interacts with your posts and let the results inform your future content.
3. Share high-quality content
A good rule of thumb: If a photo or video doesn’t present your business in the best possible light, you probably shouldn’t post it. High-quality imagery and video content inspire visitors to take action and engage with your posts.
Use JPG or PNG files for images—ideally 720 x 720 pixels. Limit your videos to 30 seconds or less. While it may be tempting to use stock assets, original photos and videos are best.
4. Keep your copy short and punchy
You have up to 1,500 characters for your GBP post. But the best posts are much shorter—usually between 150 and 300 characters. Bite-sized captions help you get straight to the point without losing the viewer’s attention.
Don’t forget to include a call-to-action in every post to encourage conversions.
5. Inject SEO-friendly keywords into your posts
SEO keywords help boost your organic search visibility. As you’re choosing your keywords, think about your post topic, industry, and relevant business terms. Whenever possible, use local keywords to improve searchability.
6. Experiment with CTA buttons
You have many CTA buttons to choose from in your GBP posts. CTAs like Book Now, Get Offer, and Call Now can generate results for your business.
Play around with these terms to see which CTA buttons drive the strongest engagement for your profile. Your Google Analytics dashboard can give you valuable insights on the posts driving the strongest results.
You can even compare your results alongside your other digital advertising efforts. Some results might give you ideas you can apply across the board!
Manage posts across listings with Sked Social
Managing a single Google Business Profile is relatively straightforward. Businesses and the marketing teams managing their profiles can implement the tips mentioned above as part of their regular social media strategy.
But it gets tricky when you’re managing multiple accounts, GBP listings, or physical locations. You have to make sure information is accurate for each listing, manage additional reviews, and keep track of local nuances. What works for an audience in one location might not work for another. There’s also the monumental task of keeping everything you post on brand.
Scheduling tools like Sked Social make these time-consuming tasks a lot simpler. You can control your social media accounts and Google Business Profiles from a single dashboard, so you’re not constantly jumping between profiles.
Tired of struggling to stay ahead of what’s posting and when? Batching your Google Business Profile posts and scheduling updates across platforms can free up your schedule and reduce stress. You can even customize each post to fit different locations, scheduling posts to go up when audiences are most engaged. Sked makes managing social media for multiple locations or brands a breeze.
Book a demo and experience Sked Social for yourself!