When someone looks up your business on Google, they can see your latest news, promotions and events without opening your website. These are Google Business Profile posts, also known as Google Posts: short updates that appear in Google Search and Maps. If you're a freelancer or run a small shop in Valencia, Alicante, Elda or Elche, a well-planned post shows what you do and gives anyone nearby a reason to call you. This guide explains each type of post, how to create and schedule them, what to share and which mistakes to avoid.
What are Google Business Profile posts?
They are short messages that you add to your Google listing: a few lines of text with a photo or a video and, if you wish, a call to action. According to Google's help, posts let you share announcements, offers and event details with your customers directly on your profile.
Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, is a free tool for managing your online presence when someone searches for you; many freelancers simply call it their Google listing. Posts are one of its features, alongside your opening hours, pictures, reviews and services.
Where Google Posts appear
On a phone, posts show up in the "Updates" or "Overview" tabs when someone searches for your name. On a computer, they appear in the "From the owner" section.
Why posts deserve a few minutes a week
Unlike social media, posts sit where searchers are already looking for you, and they're free marketing that you can manage from your mobile. They bring three benefits:
- Engagement: a photo of a finished job or a clear offer encourages potential customers to call, write to you or visit your website.
- Fresh content: holiday opening hours or a new service reach your audience when it matters.
- Trust: recent updates show that you're active and easy to reach.
Types of Google Posts: updates, offers and events
Google Posts come in three types, each with its own fields.
Updates: general news
An update highlights anything without a deadline: a new service or product, a job you've just completed, a change in your team or announcements for your regulars.
Offers: promotions with start and end dates
Offers are for promotions, discounts and special deals. They need a title and start and end dates, and you can also provide a description, an image or video, a coupon code, a link and terms and conditions. The post displays a "View offer" button.
Events: dates for the diary
Events promote something that happens on a specific date, such as an open day, a workshop or a tasting. They need a title and start and end dates and times, and can include a description and images.
You may still read about "product" posts in older guides. There are now only the three types above, and your products and services have their own section, if your category allows it. To decide which type fits best: with no end date, post an update; with a deadline, an offer; for a specific day or visit, an event.
How to create a Google post step by step
Sign in with the account you use to manage your profile. Creating a Google post takes a few minutes, on a computer or a mobile. The official steps are:
- Open your Business Profile.
- Select "Posts", then "Add post".
- Choose the post type.
- Write your text and add a photo.
- Add a button with its link or, for offers, a coupon code.
- To post it later, turn on "Schedule this post" and set the date and time.
- When you're ready, select "Post" at the bottom right.
Then follow these best practices for the text, the photo and the CTA.
Write one clear message
The aim of each post is to drive readers to one next step, so highlight the key point first: what you're offering, where and until when. A plumber in Valencia might write "Boiler servicing in Benimaclet and Russafa this week: book your visit" instead of a long introduction. Name your location as locals would search for it, keep the text to a few hundred characters and check the spelling before posting.
Don't put a phone number in the text: Google may remove posts with unverified contact information. Add a "Call now" button instead; this feature uses your verified number.
Choose a sharp image
A clear, well-lit photo of your own work says more than stock images, whatever the size of your company: a before-and-after picture of a bathroom renovation makes the result easy to see. For other pictures, see what photos and videos to upload.
Point your CTA somewhere useful
It should lead to the part of your website where visitors can take action: book, order online or learn more. Ideally, that's a section with your phone number and a form, not just your home page; see which elements a professional website needs.
Post ideas for local businesses in Spain
Think about what someone wants to know before hiring you. A few ideas by type of business:
- a plumber in Valencia: a finished repair, shown before and after;
- a hairdresser in central Alicante: new opening hours;
- a locksmith in Elda: a practical security tip;
- a florist in Elche: a post that highlights a seasonal product;
- any trade: a promotion with clear terms, your next events or something new in your shop or your team.
Updates and announcements through the year
The calendar gives you plenty of updates to share: special opening hours during Fallas in Valencia or the Hogueras in Alicante, an August closure, a new service for the season. A few lines with the dates save everyone a wasted trip.
Promotions with a deadline
A clear end date is a reason to act now: an air-conditioning check before summer, a boiler service before winter, a discount on a first visit. Spell out the conditions in the terms so there are no surprises.
Events at your shop or studio
If you have a shop, a studio or a workshop, events help you promote open days, talks, tastings or your stand at a town fair. Provide the start and end times so visitors know exactly when to come.
Whatever you share, use a friendly tone that reflects your brand, and name your service and town with the local keywords your customers use.
How often should you post?
There's no official frequency. As a general rule, start with a rhythm you can keep, for example one post a week on the days that suit you best, and stick to it: consistency is more important than volume.
Regular posting also keeps your profile current. Google archives posts after six months unless you have set a date range, and a listing with no recent updates can look abandoned. In a team, decide who posts and when.
Schedule posts in advance
There's no need to publish on the day: when creating a post, turn on "Schedule this post" and set the date and time. The scheduling feature also has a "Repeats" menu (weekly, monthly or a custom schedule), handy for reminders such as your Saturday opening hours. A practical strategy is to prepare multiple posts in one sitting, and scheduling can help you stay consistent.
A four-week content plan you can repeat
- Week one: a recent job, with before-and-after images.
- Week two: a useful tip or a product you recommend.
- Week three: a promotion with a deadline.
- Week four: upcoming events, a seasonal reminder or something new in your shop.
Adapt the cycle to the season: summer on the Costa Blanca means something very different to a pool company and to a heating engineer.
Do Google Posts improve your visibility in local search?
Not directly, judging by what Google says: its ranking tips don't mention posts, and local results are mainly based on relevance, distance (how far your location is from the person searching) and prominence.
Posts still help your visibility: they inform those who have already found you, encourage engagement such as calls and clicks to your website, and regular updates show that you're active. Don't expect posts to boost your ranking on their own: use them to make the most of the visits you already get.
What the official advice says
Google's help lists these steps to improve your ranking, the basis of local SEO: verify your business, keep your opening hours and other key data up to date, respond to reviews, add photos and videos and, if you have a shop, add your in-store products.
It also says that businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local search results, and that there's no way to request or pay for a better ranking.
Complete the rest of your profile
Anyone who sees your posts may look at everything else before deciding:
- Basics: check your name, address and opening hours, and describe what you sell if your category allows it. Our tips to optimise your Google Business Profile go through each field.
- Reviews: replying to reviews, happy or not, shows you care, and you can see how to get more reviews.
- Questions: Google is changing its Questions and Answers section: searchers now ask directly and get an instant reply drawn from your answers and reviews, so your website should cover those questions too; read what changes and what to do.
For visibility beyond your posts, read our guide to the Google Map Pack.
Content policy: mistakes that get posts rejected
Google checks posts against its content policy, and a post that breaks it can be rejected or removed. Other habits break no rule but make posts far less effective.
Content that can be rejected
- text with spelling mistakes, unnecessary characters or nothing useful to say;
- links to websites that aren't trustworthy;
- personal data about a customer: respect their privacy;
- a phone number in the text, unless it's verified as yours;
- content about regulated goods, such as pharmaceuticals;
- off-topic messages unrelated to your trade.
Habits that make posts less useful
- posting without images;
- long texts that hide the key message;
- a CTA that leads only to your home page, or none at all;
- posting only when you remember, then nothing for months;
- generic text instead of specific details about your town, neighbourhood or service.
For example, a locksmith in Elche who posts every Monday, even if it's just a photo of a recent job, keeps the listing updated week after week.
How to measure the results of your Google Posts
Open the Performance section of your profile to see the engagement you get, and compare a period before you started posting with the period after. This data is only available for verified profiles.
On a computer, click "Performance", select a time period and click "Apply". On a mobile, open the Google Maps app, tap "Business" at the bottom right and, next to "Performance", tap "See more".
Which numbers to watch
Look at calls, requests for directions, website clicks, messages and, if you use them, bookings. Check them every few weeks to see how they evolve: the figures help you understand how searchers find you and what they do next.
Follow the traffic to your website
If you use a tool that measures visits to your website, add UTM parameters to the link in your post: you'll see how much traffic your posts drive and how many visits turn into conversions, such as a customer enquiry through your website form. In marketing, conversions count more than views.
Where posts fit in your local marketing
Google Posts are one part of your online marketing, not all of it. They complement your website, your social media and your local SEO. You can reuse the same content on multiple channels and adapt the text to each one.
Sharing access without sharing your password
If someone else will manage your listing, there's no need to give them your password: the owner can invite other users as managers, and they can create updates on your behalf. If you ever change your mind, you can remove their access from the same menu.
Agencies that manage many profiles often work through the official API, which lets their software create updates for each location. There are also official rules for third parties who manage profiles for others: be honest about who they are, act only with the owner's consent and tell customers that the profile itself costs nothing extra. Before you hand over access, it's worth checking that whoever proposes to manage it follows them.
Do it yourself or delegate?
Like the rest of your marketing, posts need consistency more than talent. If you can set aside a few minutes a week, you can handle them yourself. If you'd rather not, WebAutonomos can also manage your profile for you, posts included (see the FAQ below).
To get the most from your Google Posts, pick the type that fits, send readers somewhere useful and keep a steady rhythm.