Last week Google introduced a new feature for Google My Business (GMB) that aims to bridge the connection between consumers and a business or brand. Not to be confused with Google+ Posts which we wrote about in a previous article, Google Posts connects your brand to the consumer instantaneously and provides searchers with important information about your business via a local Knowledge Panel.
What Is a Google Post?
A new tab for “Posts” is now featured on the GMB dashboard that allows companies to publish events, products, services, and any other offers in an attempt to capture more audience engagement. These posts are included in a business Knowledge panel which typically appear for branded searches. When a user searches for a particular brand in Google, that business can now display timely content in an effort to increase conversion rates, boost sales, and draw in more customers.
Using Insights, businesses can see engagements on their Posts and use the data to guide further decisions.
How Can Google Posts Benefit My Business?
- Posts provide additional SERP when branded searches occur and your Google My Business listing surfaces.
- They connect consumers directly to your offer/product/service on Google without having to navigate through your website and risk bounce rates.
- By appending UTM tracking parameters to Google Analytics, it can attribute sources of site traffic and insights that are likely to lead to higher click-through rates.
As of now, Google offers click tracking only but it’s difficult to attribute site traffic unless you use a URL builder to append UTM tracking parameters. After doing this you can generate a tracking code to use with Google Analytics (GA) and be able to define the source, medium, campaign, and segment to track more KPI’s for your business.
Additionally, this article at SearchEngineLand reveals that there’s no way to see all of a particular company’s posts because they disappear over time. This is advantageous to featuring exclusive flash content that highlights company news or promotions.
How Do You Create a Google Post?
- Log into Google My Business and click “Posts”
- Upload a high-quality photo with a minimum resolution of 720px tall by 720px wide, in JPG or PNG format.
- Write post description using keywords and keeping it short and sweet. An ideal length is between 150-300 characters.
- Select if the post is an event
- Add a button (call to action): Reserve, Sign Up, Call, Get Offer
All in all, that’s our update on the new Google My Business posting feature and three ways it’s beneficial for your business. Feel free to like and share, or leave a comment in the box down below. We love to get feedback and answer any questions you might have in the world of all things digital!
