Wondering what and when you should be posting on your Google My Business page? Let’s Get Visible investigates the importance of keeping your Google My Business page relevant and how posting can help.
Why Do You Need To Use Google My Business?
If you have a website, it’s imperative you have Google My Business (GMB). This will not only ensure you are listed with Google, but it will also allow you to monitor how people find you with map locations, contact information and opening/closing times. Plus, you can also create ads through Google, interact with reviews, and post blogs and other information.
Don’t have a listing? The great news is it’s simple to use, and easy to set up and maintain. Once you are verified and added all the relevant information for your business you can now start considering your posts.
What Are The Benefits of Posting on Google My Business?
Like social media, posting on Google My Business will give you a much better reach to potential customers. Posting on social media is important, so why do you need to bother with Google?
The main aspect is that posts on Google My Business have a much better search capability – meaning when people search for a business these posts will appear on Google Maps and Google search pages. For local businesses, this is a huge advantage, as not only does your post appear, but so does your business location and contact information.
Google is by far the most used and preferred search engine around. Customers may find you on social media, but they will most certainly search for you on Google. It also boosts your keywords – the magic ingredient for all websites. The more keywords you have the more likely you are to show in a Google search.
Building Offsite Authority Online
It’s also about location and authority. Google loves for its users to find the information they most need. It’s one of the most important aspects of understanding how Google works – they are a search engine, and they want their customers (the searcher) to have the best experience possible when looking for a service or product.
When you share relevant information Google sees you as an important link in this chain, and they reward you accordingly. Posting shows Google you are a legit business with information to share.
When you have good local authority, you will rank better on their search listings. Increasing your SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) and your website’s organic traffic.
With Google posts, you can also call to action (CTA), from asking clients to call, learn more and even make a booking. You can promote any specials you may be running, or just give general information, announce a new blog from your website or introduce a new product or service.
What Should I Post on Google My Business?
Now that we understand the importance of Google My Business posts and what they can do for your business, let’s discuss the best things to post and when.
Like with your social media scheduling it’s a great plan to have this organised a few weeks in advance. You can also analyse in the first month what content is driving the most amount of clicks and likes. This will give you a good indication of what your target market is enjoying reading or learning about.
When you schedule your posts, consider doing a variety of different options – blogs, specials, images, etc. Variety is key and your audience will enjoy a good array of different things to read and see.
TOP TIP: if you are announcing a special or a hot deal, leave your google posts for a few days after, as if you post every day, your special may not be seen.
There are plenty of options for what you can post, having this in a visual schedule is key. This can be done online or designed on a whiteboard. You can also sync this with what you are showcasing on other platforms, or perhaps a blog you have created on your website.
Other Google My Business Post Ideas Include:
- Announcing special deals/daily specials
- New products/services
- Showcasing awards
- Upcoming events
- Blogs
- Interesting facts
- Business changes
Don’t forget your keywords! Like with all good SEO management consistent relatable keywords are key. This also applies to your posts. Researching your keywords and phrases will allow Google to rank your posts, and your website better. This will in turn increase your SERP, and allow your potential customers to find you easily.
Images On Google My Business
Posting an image? Google My Business Posts should be a minimum size of 720 pixels wide and 540 pixels tall. Always use good quality images that will make our posts ‘pop’ and are visually appealing. The aspect ratio is set at 4:3 and you’ll need to use a PNG, JPG or BMP file format. The minimum file size for GMB is 10KB and a maximum of 5MB. You also have the choice to resize the image in the preview menu.
GMB has endless amounts of businesses – and data! Research conducted in 2020 suggests that the best times to be posting content is on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays (between 9am-11am).
The Importance of Google My Business Reviews
Like with posting asking your clients for reviews is also a great way to ensure your GMB is functioning correctly. You should also get into the practice of responding to your reviews daily. GMB also offers you the opportunity to copy the review link directly so you can easily email and ask clients to review you.
Many businesses add this review link to invoices or statements. The easier you make it for your clients to post a review (just click the link), the more likely you’ll have success in gaining good reviews.
TOP TIP – when replying to a review make sure you add in your business name at the end or somewhere in the copy. For example Thanks John for your high recommendation, we are so happy you liked the product, have a great day – The Bike Company team.
Again, it’s a keyword, that Google will recognise, and one that is owned by your business and unique to your listing.
Google My Business Posting Rules
When creating your posting strategy for Google My Business, keep in mind the posting rules so that your posts do get visible and not rejected.
Avoid the following
- off-topic or irrelevant content
- spam, including misspellings and links to sites that are irrelevant to your business
- content that harasses, bullies, or is hateful
- adding a phone number in your content
- misrepresentation & misleading claims
With the right understanding, utilising your SEO keywords, and building a post/content GMB strategy you will increase your listings’ authority, and improve the relationship you hold with your clients – and potential customers.
Need some help with Google My Business? Get in touch with SEO Specialist Doreen Brown today.