Google Posts: Publish on Your Google Profile to Attract More Customers

Google Posts are free publications you share directly on your Google Business Profile, and they appear in Google search results and on Google Maps when a customer searches for your business. In practice, a restaurant in Lyon, a plumber in Marseille, or a physio clinic in Bordeaux can announce a promo, a new service, an event, or a current offer, with a photo, a short text, and an action button. It is one of the simplest and most cost-effective levers in local SEO in France: zero advertising budget, instant visibility at the moment the customer decides. Used well, Google Posts increase calls, directions, and clicks to your website. Here is how to publish them effectively to attract more customers.

In short

• Google Posts are free publications on your Google Business Profile, visible in Google search and on Maps.
• Four main types: What's new, Offers/Promos, Events, and (depending on the sector) Products.
• An ideal post combines a sharp photo, a short text of 150 to 300 characters, and an action button (Call, Book, Learn more).
• Publish at least once a week: recent posts reinforce the freshness of your profile and your spot in the local pack.
• "What's new" posts expire after about 7 days, so remember to republish regularly.

What is a Google Post and where does it appear?

A Google Post is a mini piece of content you add to your business listing through Google Business Profile (the former Google My Business). It shows up in several strategic places:

• In the knowledge panel on the right of Google results when someone types your business name.
• On your profile in Google Maps, under the dedicated posts tab.
• Sometimes directly in local search results ("plumber near me", "hairdresser Nantes").

The benefit is twofold. First, you take up more visual space against competitors. Second, you speak to the customer at the exact moment they are comparing you with another local business. A bakery in Lille displaying "King cake available until January 31" captures immediate buying intent.

To go further on optimizing your overall listing, read our complete guide on the Google Business Profile for local customers.

The 4 types of Google Posts (and when to use them)

Google offers several publication formats, each suited to a specific goal.

Post type	Goal	Display duration	Concrete example
What's new	Share news, a service, an info	About 7 days	"New delivery service in Toulouse"
Offers / Promos	Push a discount or an offer	Dates you set	"20% off haircuts in March"
Events	Announce a date, a workshop, an open house	Until the event ends	"Open house Saturday 2pm"
Products	Highlight a product (by sector)	Permanent until removed	"Lunch menu at 14.90 euros"

Practical tip: alternate the types. One week an offer, the next a piece of news, then an event. This variety keeps a lively profile and gives customers several reasons to contact you.

The action button changes everything

Each post can include a button: Book, Order online, Buy, Learn more, Sign up, or Call. Choose the one that matches your main conversion. A restaurant will favor "Book", a tradesperson "Call", a shop "Learn more" toward a product page. This button turns a simple read into a concrete action.

How to publish a Google Post step by step

The process is quick, count less than 5 minutes once you have access to the profile.

1. Log in to your Google Business Profile account (search your business name on Google while signed in, or go through business.google.com).
2. Click Add update or Promote, then choose the post type.
3. Add a good-quality photo or video (landscape format recommended, at least 720 x 540 pixels).
4. Write a short, clear text, 150 to 300 characters, with a concrete benefit and a call to action.
5. Select an action button and paste the destination link (booking page, product page, contact).
6. Preview, then publish. The post usually appears within a few minutes.

Tip: prepare your visuals in advance in a folder. This avoids rushing the publication and using blurry photos that hurt your image.

Best practices for posts that convert

Publishing is not enough: your posts also need to make people want to click. Here are the rules that make the difference.

• Polish the first sentence. Google truncates the text after a line or two. Put the offer or benefit up front.
• Use real photos. Images of your premises, your dishes, your job sites, or your team reassure far more than generic stock images.
• Be geo-targeted. Mention your city or neighborhood ("in central Strasbourg", "delivery across Nice"). It boosts your local relevance.
• Add a date or urgency. "Until Sunday", "limited spots": scarcity drives action.
• One message per post. Do not mix a promo, a job offer, and a new opening time. One goal, one button.
• Check the link. A button leading to a generic homepage loses the customer. Point to the exact page.

What to absolutely avoid

Google moderates posts. Avoid purely aggressive sales language, phone numbers in the text (use the Call button), content unrelated to your activity, and spelling mistakes. A rejected or poorly perceived post hurts your credibility.

What impact on your local SEO?

Google Posts are not an official direct ranking factor, but they influence several signals that do matter. An active profile, updated often, sends Google a signal of freshness and reliability. Above all, posts generate interactions (clicks, calls, directions requests) that are valuable engagement signals for the local pack, that block of three businesses shown at the top of local searches.

In practice, a business that publishes regularly stands out from a competitor whose profile has been static for months. It is groundwork that fits into a broader strategy. To understand how to dominate the map, read our article on ranking first on Google Maps.

Posts also complement other essential levers: customer reviews, photo quality, the consistency of your information. No lever works alone, but together they build a solid local presence. If you would like an expert to handle all this machinery, you can talk to a Lenobot expert to check what can be improved on your profile.

How often should you publish?

The simple rule: at least one publication per week. Since "What's new" posts expire after about 7 days, a weekly cadence keeps your profile always fresh. Very active businesses (restaurants, beauty salons) can publish 2 to 3 times a week without saturating.

The best approach is to plan a small monthly calendar: an offer at the start of the month, a piece of news mid-month, an event or a tip at the end. A few minutes a week is enough to maintain a real edge over your local competitors.

Frequently asked questions

Are Google Posts free?

Yes, completely. Publishing on your Google Business Profile costs nothing, unlike Google Ads. It is one of the most cost-effective local SEO levers: the only "expense" is the time spent writing and choosing a good photo.

How long does a Google Post stay visible?

It depends on the type. "What's new" posts disappear after about 7 days. Offers and events stay visible until the end date you set. "Products" posts stay displayed until you remove them.

Do I need a photo for every post?

It is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended. A post with a sharp image attracts the eye far more and gets more clicks than a text-only post. Use real photos of your business.

Do Google Posts improve my ranking on Google?

They are not an official direct ranking factor, but they boost your profile's activity and interactions, which indirectly helps your visibility in the local pack. A lively profile almost always performs better than a forgotten one.

Can I schedule my Google Posts in advance?

The native Google Business Profile interface does not offer reliable built-in scheduling, but third-party profile management tools allow it. Otherwise, the simplest approach is to block 10 minutes each week to publish manually.

Conclusion

Google Posts are a simple, free, and too often overlooked tool to attract more local customers. By regularly publishing offers, news, and events with a nice photo and an action button, you take up space, you reassure, and you trigger contacts at the right moment. It is a small weekly effort with lasting returns. No time to handle all this yourself? At Lenobot, we take care of your Google profile, your website, and your SEO from A to Z, with a 100% financed setup. Check if your sector is still available in your city and let us attract more customers for you.