Google Posts are free updates you publish directly on your Google Business Profile, visible in Search and Maps.
There are four post types: Updates, Events, Offers, and Products. Each serves a different purpose.
Posts have a maximum of 1,500 characters, but the first 150-300 characters matter most because the rest gets cut off on mobile.
You cannot include phone numbers, email addresses, or HTML links in the post text itself.
Standard update posts expire after seven days and move to an archive section. Posting once a week ensures a current post is always visible on your profile.
Table of Contents
What Are Google Posts?
Google Posts are short, free updates you can publish directly onto your Google Business Profile (GBP). They appear in Google Search and Google Maps when someone finds your listing, sitting alongside your business name, address, and reviews.
Think of them as a mini notice board attached to your listing.
You can share news, promote an event, run a limited-time offer, or highlight a product, and those updates sit right in front of people who are already interested in what you do.
Unlike social media posts, which go to followers who may or may not be paying attention, Google Posts reach people who are actively searching for your type of business.
According to Birdeye’s 2025 State of Google Business Profile report, 86% of all Google Business Profile views come from category-based searches such as “plumber near me” or “dentist open now”.
That means your posts appear in front of people who are already looking for what you do.
To create posts, you need a verified Google Business Profile. If you have not yet claimed and verified your profile, that is where to start.
What Are the Different Types of Google Posts?
What is an Update post?
Update posts (sometimes still called “What’s New” posts) are the most flexible option. Use them to share general business news, announce a new service, introduce a team member, or flag anything useful your customers should know.
These are the posts most businesses use day to day.
They show your profile is active and give potential customers a reason to choose you over a competitor whose profile has not been touched in months.
Update posts expire from active display after seven days. After that, they move into an archive section where visitors can still find them by tapping “view all”, but a current post is what appears by default on your profile.
What is an Event post?
Event posts let you promote something with a specific start and end date. This could be an open day, a sale, a workshop, a seasonal promotion, or any time-limited activity you want people to know about.
The event title has a maximum of 58 characters, and you need to set both a start date and end date. The post stays visible until the event finishes, so it will not disappear mid-promotion.
Event posts work well for local businesses running workshops, fitness studios announcing class schedules, or shops promoting a Christmas closing sale.
What is an Offer post?
Offer posts are designed for promotions and discounts. They work similarly to event posts but include extra fields: a coupon code (optional), a link to redeem the offer on your website, and terms and conditions.
Like event posts, offers stay live until the end date you set. Unlike standard update posts, they do not expire after seven days.
Use offer posts when you want to give potential customers a genuine reason to act promptly, such as a January sale, a new customer discount, or a seasonal deal on a specific service.
What is a Product post?
Product posts let you highlight individual products or services directly on your listing.
You add a product name, price or price range, and a description of up to 1,500 characters.
These are useful for businesses that want to showcase specific items without sending people straight to a website.
A plumber might use product posts to explain their boiler service packages. A photographer might highlight their wedding photography options.
What Is the 1,500 Character Limit and Why Does It Matter?
Every Google Post description allows up to 1,500 characters. That is roughly 250-300 words, which is more space than most people use.
The key thing to know is that Google displays only the first 150-300 characters before cutting off the text with a “more” link.
On mobile, this truncation happens even earlier. Most people reading your post on a phone will see only your opening sentence or two before deciding whether to read on.
Write your most important information first. If you are promoting an offer or making an announcement, lead with the key detail, not background context.
A practical approach is to treat the first 100 characters as your headline. Make them clear, specific, and direct. Use the remaining space to add context, terms, or supporting detail for anyone who taps through to read more.
What Can You Include in a Google Post, and What Is Not Allowed?
What you can include
- Text up to 1,500 characters
- An image (Google recommends 1,200 x 900 pixels, which is a 4:3 ratio)
- A call-to-action (CTA) button with options including: Book, Order Online, Buy, Learn More, Sign Up, Get Offer, or Call Now
- A link attached to the CTA button, pointing to a relevant page on your website
- Up to 10 photos or videos per post
- Video files up to 100MB in formats including MP4, MOV, and AVI
- UTM tracking parameters on your links, so you can see in Google Analytics how much traffic your posts generate
What you cannot include
Google has clear rules about post content. You cannot include:
- Phone numbers in the post text. Your profile already displays your number, and adding it in the post body violates Google’s content guidelines.
- Email addresses in the post text.
- HTML code or formatted links within the text itself. Links go in the CTA button only.
- Low-quality or misleading content, including excessive capitalisation, misspellings, or irrelevant information.
- Profanity or anything that violates Google’s general content policies.
If Google rejects your post, the most common reasons are phone numbers or email addresses in the text, misleading offer claims, or images that do not meet quality standards.
You can check the full list of content requirements in Google’s Business Profile guidelines at support.google.com/business. Check these first before resubmitting.
How Often Should You Post on Google Business Profile?
Google does not publish an official minimum posting frequency.
Because update posts expire from active display after seven days, posting at least once a week ensures your profile always has a current post showing.
According to Birdeye’s 2025 research, businesses with complete and active Google Business Profiles are 2.7 times more likely to be seen as reputable by potential customers.
Once a week is a sensible target for most small businesses. It keeps your profile looking current without requiring much time.
A simple update each week, whether that is a seasonal service reminder, a note about what you are working on, or a short piece of advice for customers, is enough to signal that your business is open and active.
For businesses running promotions or events, posting more frequently during those periods makes sense. Outside of active campaigns, one post per week is plenty.
The easiest way to stay consistent is to batch your posts.
Sit down once a month and write four short posts at once. Since November 2025, Google Business Profile has a built-in scheduling option. When you create a post, select “Schedule this post”, choose your date and time, and it publishes automatically.
Do Google Posts Help with SEO?
Google Posts are not a direct ranking signal for organic search. They are not assessed in the same way that reviews, backlinks, or website content are.
Google has not publicly confirmed any direct ranking benefit from posts, so be cautious of any claims that posting will directly boost your position.
Where they do help is with engagement and visibility.
A profile with regular posts looks more active and trustworthy to someone comparing two businesses in search results. Posts also give Google more text to associate with your profile, which can help you appear for relevant searches.
The indirect benefit is measurable.
According to Birdeye’s 2025 research, verified Google Business Profiles that are fully populated appear in search results 80% more often than incomplete or unverified listings.
Regular posts contribute to that completeness signal. A well-maintained profile with recent posts, good photos, and active review responses consistently outperforms a sparse, neglected listing in local search.
If you are choosing between time spent on Google Posts and addressing more basic issues, such as NAP consistency (making sure your Name, Address, and Phone number match across all your online listings) or building up reviews, tackle the fundamentals first.
Posts are a good ongoing habit, but they are not a shortcut around the basics.
How to Create a Google Post: A Quick Walk-Through
Step 1: Sign in to your Google Business Profile
Go to business.google.com and sign in with the Google account connected to your listing. You can also manage posts directly from Google Search by searching for your business name when signed in.
If you manage multiple locations, select the correct one.
Step 2: Find the Posts section
In the left-hand menu, click on “Posts”. Any existing posts will appear here, along with the option to create a new one.
Step 3: Choose your post type
Select the type that matches your goal: Update, Event, Offer, or Product. Each type shows slightly different fields based on what information is needed.
Step 4: Write your post and add an image
Start with the most important information. Add a high-quality image if you have one. A clear, well-lit photo relevant to the post improves click-through rates noticeably, and you do not need professional photography. A sharp smartphone photo works well.
Step 5: Add a call-to-action button
Select the CTA option that fits your post. For most update posts, “Learn More” works well. For offers, “Get Offer” or “Buy” are more appropriate. Add the URL you want to link to.
Step 6: Preview and publish
Check the preview to see how your post looks on mobile. If the most important text is being cut off, shorten your opening sentence. When you are happy with it, click “Publish”.
Your post usually goes live within a few minutes, though Google occasionally reviews posts before they appear.
What Makes a Good Google Post?
The difference between a post that gets noticed and one that gets ignored usually comes down to a few things.
Be specific, not vague
“We offer great service” tells a potential customer nothing. “Book a boiler service this month and we’ll check your heating controls for free” gives them a reason to act. Concrete detail works better than generalities every time.
Use an image whenever possible
Posts with images draw more attention than text-only posts.
According to Birdeye’s data, Google Business Profiles with 15 or more photos see stronger engagement across website clicks, calls, and direction requests.
You do not need professional photography. A clean photo taken on a modern smartphone is fine, provided it is well-lit and relevant to the post.
End with a clear next step
Every post should give the reader somewhere to go: book an appointment, read more, claim an offer. A post without a call-to-action leaves potential customers with nowhere to go, which is a wasted opportunity.
Keep it focused
One post, one message. Trying to pack too much into a single post makes it harder to read and harder for the reader to know what you want them to do.
Tip: If you have two different things to promote, write two separate posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Google Posts are free updates you publish on your Google Business Profile. They appear in Google Search and Google Maps when someone finds your listing. You can share news, events, offers, or product information. Each post can include text up to 1,500 characters, an image or video, and a call-to-action button that links to your website. They are free to create and need no technical knowledge.
Update posts expire from active display after seven days, then move to an archive section visitors can scroll through. Event and offer posts remain visible until their end date passes. Posting once a week ensures a fresh post is always showing on your profile. If you publish a new post before an older one expires, the newer post appears first and the older one moves into a “view all” section. Posting regularly keeps your profile looking current, rather than relying on a single post for months at a time.
No. Google’s content guidelines do not allow phone numbers or email addresses in post text. Your contact details are already visible on your profile. If you include them in the post body, Google will reject it. Website links should go in the call-to-action button, not in the text of the post.
There are four post types. Update posts are for general news and announcements. Event posts are for activities with a specific start and end date. Offer posts are for promotions and discounts, with optional fields for coupon codes and terms. Product posts highlight individual products or services with a name, price, and description.
As much as possible but once a week is a practical target for most small businesses. It keeps your profile looking active without taking up much time. Outside of active promotions, one focused and relevant post per week is enough. Writing four posts at once at the start of each month is an efficient way to stay on top of it.
Google Posts appear on your Business Profile in both Google Search and Google Maps. In Search, they sit in the Knowledge Panel, which is the business information box on the right of desktop results or near the top on mobile. In Maps, they show within the listing when someone taps on your business. Posts do not appear across the broader search results pages.
Yes. Google Posts are a free feature included with any verified Google Business Profile. You do not need to pay for advertising to use them, and there is no limit on how many you can publish.
Yes. Google added native post scheduling directly inside Google Business Profile in November 2025. When creating an Update, Offer, or Event post, you will see a “Schedule this post” option. Toggle it on, select your date and time, and Google publishes the post automatically. You no longer need a third-party tool for basic scheduling. If you manage multiple locations or want a content calendar view, tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, or Sendible still add value, but they are no longer the only option.