The GBP Feature 90% of Local Businesses Ignore
Google Business Profile posts let you share updates directly on your listing. Most businesses have no idea this feature exists, which means using it gives you an immediate advantage.
Posts appear right on your profile before customers even click through to your website. They’re free advertising space that most of your competitors are wasting.
What Are Google Business Profile Posts?
Think of GBP posts like social media updates that live on your Google listing. You can share news, offers, events, or products. They show up when people search for your business or find you in local results.
A hardware store in Centurion started posting their weekend specials every Friday. Customers mentioned the posts when they came in. “Saw you have paint on special, so I drove over.”
Why Nobody Uses These Google Business Updates
Most business owners don’t know the feature exists. Google doesn’t exactly make it obvious. You have to dig into your profile settings to find it.
Others tried it once, saw no immediate results, and gave up. But Google Business Profile posts work differently to social media. The benefit builds over time.
How GBP Posts Help Your Visibility
Google favours active profiles. Businesses that post regularly show up more often in search results. I can’t prove Google has said this officially, but every business owner I’ve chatted with who posts weekly has noticed better visibility.
There’s a physiotherapist in Cape Town who started posting health tips twice a week. Her profile views increased by 60% over three months. She didn’t change anything else about her listing.
What to Post on Your Google Business Profile
You’ve got three post types: offers, updates, and events. Use whatever fits your business.
Weekly Updates Work Best
Post something every week. It doesn’t need to be fancy. “We’re open this long weekend” or “New stock arrived this week” or “Reminder: we close early on Fridays.”
Consistency matters more than perfection. A butchery in Bloemfontein posts every Monday morning. Just a simple update about what’s fresh that week. Their regular customers check the post before they visit.
Share What Customers Actually Ask About
If customers always phone to ask something specific, post about it. “Yes, we have wheelchair access and a ramp at the front entrance.”
A restaurant in Johannesburg posts their daily specials every morning. Saves them answering the same question twenty times on the phone.
Behind the Scenes Content
Show customers what they don’t normally see. A mechanic posted a photo of a tricky repair he completed. Simple caption: “Fixed this gearbox today. Took six hours but she’s running smooth now.”
That post got more engagement than all his other posts combined. People love seeing the actual work.
How to Create Google Business Profile Posts
Open your Business Profile app or log in on desktop. Look for the “Posts” button. It’s usually in the main menu or dashboard.
Write your post. Add a photo if you have one (photos get way more views). Choose your post type. Hit publish. Takes two minutes.
Posts Move to Archive After Seven Days
Your newest post shows prominently on your profile for seven days. After that, it moves behind a “View previous updates on Google” link. Customers can still see your old posts if they look, but most people only see what’s current.
This is actually good news. Your old posts stay visible for anyone who wants to dig deeper. But fresh posts get the spotlight, which encourages you to keep updating.
What Makes a Good Post
Keep it short. One or two sentences max. Add a photo. Include a call to action like “Call to book” or “Visit us this weekend.”
Don’t overthink it. A salon in Durban posts appointment availability: “Quiet day tomorrow. Book a cut and blow dry, we’ve got slots open.” Simple and useful.
Google Business Updates That Get Results
Posts with photos get clicked more than text-only posts. Not even close. A photo makes your post visible in the feed.
Questions work really well. “Need a last-minute gift? We’re open until 6pm today.” Gets people thinking and acting.
Seasonal content performs brilliantly. A coffee shop in Pretoria posts about their winter menu in June and their iced drinks in December. Timely and relevant beats generic every time.
Track What Works in Your GBP Posts
Google shows you how many people viewed each post. Check your insights monthly. If nobody’s looking at your posts, try different content.
A plumber found that emergency service posts got three times more views than his maintenance tips. So he posts more about emergency callouts now. Let the data tell you what customers want.
Start Posting This Week
Don’t wait until you’ve got the perfect content strategy. Just start. Post something today. Anything. You’ll figure out what works as you go.
Set a reminder on your phone. Every Monday morning, post something. Make it a habit before you worry about making it perfect.
Most of your competitors aren’t posting at all. You don’t need to be amazing. You just need to show up consistently and you’re already ahead.
Automate Your Google Business Profile Posts
If posting every week feels like too much work, you can automate it. Tools like Metricool let you schedule your GBP posts weeks in advance. You sit down once a month, create all your posts, and schedule them to go out automatically.
Metricool also handles your social media scheduling, gives you analytics across all platforms, and can let you manage multiple business profiles from one dashboard.
The free plan is very generous and covers most small business needs. It’s particularly useful if you’re running social media alongside your Google Business Profile.
Full disclosure: that’s an affiliate link, which means we get a small commission if you sign up to a paid plan. But honestly, automating your posts is the only way most busy business owners keep up with regular posting.
