Google Business posts: what to post and how often

Once you have a business on Google, you get a small but useful tool: Google Business posts. These are short updates you publish straight to your Google Business Profile (you may still call it Google My Business), and they show up right on your listing when someone finds you in Search or Maps. They are free, they take a couple of minutes, and they are one of the most underused parts of the profile.

Here is what they are good for, what to write, and how often to bother.

What a Google Business post actually is

A post is a little card with a photo, a short bit of text, and usually a button (Call now, Learn more, Order). You create them from the Google Business Profile dashboard or the Google Maps app under your business, in the Add update or Promote area. There are a few types:

• Update - a general "here is what is new" post. The everyday workhorse.
• Offer - a deal with a start and end date and a coupon-style headline.
• Event - something with a date and time, like an open house or a sale weekend.

They appear in a row on your profile and can also surface when someone searches your business name directly. Think of them as the "what is happening right now" shelf of your listing.

Do posts help you rank?

Honestly: a little, and indirectly. Google has never said posting lifts your map ranking on its own, and you should be skeptical of anyone who promises it does. What Google does reward is a complete, active profile, and a steady stream of recent posts is one signal that the business behind the listing is alive and paying attention. The heavy lifting on rankings still comes from your primary category, your reviews, and how close the customer is to you - which is why posts are a nice-to-have on top of the real work in your profile optimization checklist, not a substitute for it. All of that activity rolls up into your Profile Score.

The clearer win is conversion. A fresh offer or a sharp photo can be the nudge that makes a customer tap Call instead of scrolling to the next result. That is real money, even if it never moves a ranking.

What to post

You do not need a marketing background. Rotate through a handful of simple ideas:

• A current offer or seasonal special ("$50 off your first drain cleaning this month").
• A new or highlighted service you want more calls for.
• A recent job with a good before-and-after photo.
• A seasonal reminder (furnace tune-ups before winter, AC checks before summer).
• A short answer to a question you get all the time.
• Hours changes around holidays so customers are not caught out.

Add a real photo every time - your own work, your truck, your team - not a stock image. Keep the text short and lead with the thing that matters. Google does not allow a phone number in the body, so let the Call button do that job.

How often to post

Aim for about once a week. Most general posts stop showing prominently after a week or so, so a weekly rhythm keeps a fresh one always live on your profile. Consistency beats bursts: one post a week, every week, does far more than a flurry followed by months of nothing. If weekly is unrealistic, every two weeks is fine - the goal is simply that a visitor never lands on a listing whose last update is from last spring.

Where posts fit in the bigger picture

Posts are a finishing touch, not a foundation. Make sure the big rocks are handled first: the right primary category, a fully filled-out profile, and a steady flow of Google reviews. Once those are in place, a weekly post is a cheap, repeatable way to keep your listing looking sharp and active - whether you run a HVAC business, a plumbing company, or any other local service. For the full picture of how all of this fits together, start with our local SEO guide.