Google Business Profile Posts: How to Post (With Templates)
Quick answer: Google Business Profile posts are short updates, offers or events that show on your profile in Google Search and Maps. To post, open your Business Profile, select Posts, choose a type, add your text, photo and a button, then select Post. Posts older than 6 months are archived unless they have a date range.
We fix Google Business Profiles for a living. A holiday lighting company we worked with went from page 3 to the top 3 in Google Search in 30 days, and a profile that looks alive is part of every profile we build.
You know the “Back in 5 minutes” sign that’s been on a shop door since 2021? An empty posts section is the Google version. (My own personal social media is the same sign, by the way. The last thing I posted was a sandwich, and it wasn’t even a good sandwich.) Posts are how you take the sign down without doing anything heroic.
The 3 types of Google Business Profile posts
Google gives you three kinds of post. Pick the type before you write anything, because each one asks for different details, and nobody wants to rewrite an event as an offer at 9pm (trust me on this one).
| Post type | Use it for | What it needs | Button |
|---|---|---|---|
| Update | News, tips, a finished job, a new service | Text, plus a photo or video | Optional, such as Call now, Book or Learn more |
| Offer | A sale, discount or deal | Title, start and end dates and times | Adds a View offer button automatically |
| Event | A class, open house or launch | Title, start and end dates and times | Optional |
Source: Google’s Create and manage posts on your Business Profile help page. Hotels can’t create offer posts.
How to post on your Google Business Profile
Four steps. It takes less time than finding a photo where you don’t look surprised.
- Open your Business Profile, signed in to the account that manages it.
- Select Posts, add a post and choose Update, Offer or Event.
- Add your text, a photo or video, and a button. You can also schedule the post or set it to repeat.
- Select Post at the bottom right.
Changed your mind? Open Posts, select More next to the post, and choose Edit or Delete. Google lets you fix it after publishing, which is more than I can say for most of my emails.
Where your posts show up
Posts appear on your profile, not in a feed people scroll. On a phone, they’re in the Updates or Overview tab of your profile in Search and Maps. On a computer, look for the “From the owner” section. So the people who see them are already looking at your business, which means a post is less like a billboard and more like a sign on your own front door.
Rules that get posts removed
- No phone numbers, emails or social handles in the text. Google may remove posts with unverified contact details. Add a Call now button instead, which uses the verified number on your profile. Yes, it feels backwards. Google doesn’t care how it feels.
- Follow Google’s content policy. Photos, videos and text in posts have to follow Google’s posts content policy, and you’re responsible for the post following the law.
- Hotels can’t post offers. No deals, promotions or discounts in hotel posts.
How often should you post?
Google doesn’t give a number, and it doesn’t say posts help your ranking either. What it does say is that posts older than 6 months get archived unless they have a date range, so a profile that posted once in spring looks empty by autumn. That’s the “Back in 5 minutes” sign, coming back to haunt you.
Our habit is one post a week, or at least every two weeks. That’s practitioner consensus, not documented Google behaviour. The real reason is simple: customers who look at your profile see a business that’s open, busy and paying attention.
Google Business Profile post templates you can copy
Swap the brackets for your details. Keep it short, keep it true, and add a real photo, because a stock photo of a smiling handshake has never once made anyone call a plumber.
Update, finished job: Just finished [job] for a customer in [area]. [One sentence on what you did or fixed.] Need the same done? Tap the button to [call / book]. Button: Call now. Photo: the finished job.
Offer: Title: [Offer name]. [What they get] for [who it’s for], booked between [start date] and [end date]. [Any terms in one short line.] Dates and times: the offer window. Button: View offer is added automatically.
Event: Title: [Event name]. Join us at [place] on [date] from [time] to [time] for [what happens]. [Who it’s for, and whether it’s free.] Dates and times: the event. Button: Learn more or Book.
What we’d do this week if it were our profile
- Take one photo of real work this week. Phone camera is fine.
- Post it as an update, using the finished-job template, with a Call now button.
- Schedule three more updates for the next three weeks while we’re in there.
- Add any holiday offer or event with its date range, so it stays up for the right dates.
- Put a 15-minute “Google post” reminder in the calendar every Monday.
Posts work best on a profile that’s already set up right. Our guides on choosing your categories and getting more Google reviews are the two we’d pair with this one. Sign down, door open.
Frequently asked questions
Do Google Business Profile posts help ranking?
Google doesn’t say they do. Posts help customers who are already looking at your profile see what’s new, what’s on offer and how to contact you.
How long do Google Business Profile posts last?
Posts older than 6 months are archived unless a date range is set. Offers and events use their own start and end dates.
Can I put my phone number in a Google post?
It’s safer not to. Google may remove posts with unverified contact information, including phone numbers. Add a Call now button, which uses your verified profile number.
Can I schedule Google Business Profile posts?
Yes. When you create a post, you can schedule it for later or set it to repeat.
Are Google Business Profile posts free?
Yes. Posting is part of your free Business Profile.
No time to post every week? Our Google Business Profile optimization services keep your profile active and accurate and get it onto page 1 of Google, and you don’t pay until it’s there. Or call +1 424-428-1454.
