Your Google profile is often the first thing customers see when they search for “restaurant”, “plumber” or “holiday cottage” near them. Reviews and photos obviously play a major part. Another tool, much less used, lets you show that your business is alive: Google posts, the short publications displayed directly on your profile, in Google Search as in Google Maps.
This guide covers what these posts are, what they really bring, what to publish, how often, and the mistakes that get a post rejected by Google.
What is a Google post?
A post is a short publication attached to your business profile: a text, a photo and, most often, an action button (“Book”, “Order”, “Learn more”, “Call”). Google offers three main formats, described in its official help on creating and managing posts:
- the update: something new, a tip, practical information, behind the scenes of your business;
- the event: a title, a start and end date and time (evening, open day, workshop, trade fair);
- the offer: a promotion with its validity dates, possibly a promo code and terms.
Posts appear in the “Updates” section of your profile. The most recent ones are highlighted, and users can scroll through the previous ones.
Why publish: what posts really bring
Let’s be honest: a post will not send your profile to the top of the results overnight. Google itself explains in its tips to improve local ranking that relevance, distance and prominence come first. Yet posts act on several concrete levers.
1. They reassure. A profile whose last sign of life dates back two years gives the impression of a closed or neglected business. A recent post, on the contrary, proves that someone is looking after it.
2. They convert. The action button turns reading into a call, a booking or a visit to your website. It is a valuable shortcut on mobile, where most local searches happen.
3. They inform at the right moment. A seasonal menu, extended holiday opening hours, an event this weekend: customers find the information where they are looking for it, without going through your website.
4. They strengthen your presence on the right searches. A post about your “Sunday brunch” or your “holiday cottage with a pool” reinforces the association between your business and those topics. Combined with your insights and search keywords, it is a simple way to work on rising searches.
What to publish? Ideas by type of business
The hardest part is not publishing, it is finding something to say. A few ideas that work in most sectors:
- something new: product, dish, service, equipment;
- an expert tip related to your trade (maintenance, season, prevention);
- behind the scenes: the team, how things are made, preparing a job;
- an event: evening, workshop, tasting, open day, trade fair;
- practical information: holiday opening hours, summer closure, new car park;
- an answer to a question your customers often ask;
- a thank-you to your customers after a milestone (anniversary, hundredth review).
For a restaurant: the dish of the moment, the seasonal menu, the themed evening, local producers. For a tradesperson: a finished job (with the client’s consent), a seasonal tip, a new certification. For accommodation: local activities, opening dates, a new amenity (spa, charging point). For a healthcare professional: practical and prevention information, in line with your professional code of ethics.
How often should you publish?
One post a week or every two weeks, kept up over time, is better than a burst of ten posts followed by six months of silence. Regularity matters more than volume. For a local shop, a weekly pace is a good goal; for a more seasonal business, two posts a month are plenty.
Also think about the calendar: prepare posts for key periods (holidays, vacations, back to school, tourist season) a few days in advance, and schedule them.
The rules to follow to avoid rejection
Google reviews every post before displaying it, and rejects a number of them. Its policies on photos, videos and posts detail what is forbidden. The most common reasons for rejection:
- a phone number or a link in the text: that is what the action button is for;
- off-topic, misleading content or content unrelated to the business;
- excessive capital letters, decorative characters, pure advertising copy;
- a poor-quality or blurry photo, or one that does not show your business;
- for an offer or an event, inconsistent or past dates.
Stay factual, useful and local: naturally mentioning your town or neighbourhood once helps customers place you, without falling into keyword stuffing.
Writing a good post: the structure that works
A good post is 80 to 220 words long. Beyond that, it is truncated; below, it lacks substance. A simple structure:
- A catchy first sentence that says the essentials (it is often the only one read);
- The useful details: what it is, for whom, when, where;
- A clear invitation, consistent with the button: “Book your table”, “Discover the menu”.
For the photo, favour a real, sharp image, in landscape format, without overlaid text. A photo of your business, your products or your team is worth more than a generic image.
How Replik saves you time
With post publishing in Replik, you answer a few questions once (what you want to highlight, your customers, your strengths, what must never be written). Then:
- Replik suggests topic ideas suited to your business and the season;
- AI researches the topic on the web and writes the post in your tone, following Google’s rules (no link or phone number in the text);
- you choose a photo from your profile, upload one from your computer or have AI create a visual;
- you review, edit if needed, then publish right away or schedule the publication;
- you can receive a post suggestion every week or every month, by email and notification, always subject to your approval.
Replik also retrieves the posts already published on your profile, so you keep an overview and can edit them. Writing is free; only the published post is charged, and it is refunded if Google rejects it (see pricing).
In short
Google posts replace neither reviews nor a complete profile, but they are the simplest way to show that your business is active and to prompt customers to act. Publish regularly, stay useful and local, follow Google’s rules, and rely on your insights to choose your topics.
To go further, discover how to manage your whole Google profile or, to get started, run the free audit of your profile.