What is Google Posts?

Welcome to Google Posts! In this article, we are going to discuss what Google Posts are, how to use them, and how they benefit your business. All of this is super easy to do with Thryv!

So, what is Google Posts all about? These posts are an easy way to get a quick message into your Knowledge Panel on your verified Google My Business Profile. Your Knowledge Panel looks like this:

If your customers perform a Google search for your business, your Google Posts will appear as part of your verified Google My Business Listing. Google Posts are replacing Google+, which was decommissioned by Google in April of 2019.

Does Google Posts Help My Business?

With over 70% of internet searches being performed on Google, using Google Posts is a great way to get your message out there to potential customers. Under the umbrella of the Google My Business Network, you will have the ability to publish content which is ranked higher in Google Search and Google Maps. By creating authentic posts at scale, you can place timely content with high rank and visibility in front of your customers as they search for your business. The main purpose of Google Posts is to help local businesses connect with customers in your area. If you're taking full advantage of your Knowledge Panel on Google, chances are, your customers are going to be that much more inclined to make the choice to do business with you over your competition.

Google Posts are also shareable. When a potential lead or customer clicks on your Google Post, they'll have the option to share your content to Facebook, Twitter or Email - they can even copy the link to share it to any other site! This is a fantastic opportunity for you to post promotions or other important business information that you want shared to the masses.

An important note, after one week (7 days), your posts will disappear from the Knowledge Panel, but your potential leads and customers will have the opportunity to see your past content by clicking a link on your Google My Business Profile:

How Can I Benefit from Google Posts?

We want you to get the most out of your social media posts, which is why we make it tremendously easy for Thryv clients to post to five different platforms at once. This takes all the thinking and tedious scheduling out of your marketing strategy.

So, how do you maximize the use of Google Posts? We've got ideas!

We offer a content library of over 500k viral posts for you to use. You can even sort the content by business type. You can also create your own posts with your own images - or even swap out an image from our content library with one of your own. In order to get the best possible results from your Google Posts, we encourage you to always use a high-quality image. It's also important to note that you are limited to 100 characters for the title, and 300 characters for the post, so you'll need to make every word count! 

Connecting Your Google Account

We walk you through all the steps to get started with Google Posts in this article.

Posting Ideas

Not sure what to post? Besides using our posting plans, we want to offer you some other ideas below:

• Share events (Grand Openings, Re-Openings, Sales, Special Days)
• Product or Service Promotions (Deals, Offers or Special Discounts just for your Google Post Followers!)

Google Posts FAQ

1. Are there limitations to Google Posts?
   • Yes. Currently, you will only be able to publish images, links and text to the network. Additionally, posts will expire after seven days, meaning the post will no longer show on the overview tab of your business profile - but it will still show in your feed.
   • Google My Business only allows images of people, food, places, etc. You should avoid using pictures of menus or using any text-based images, as this may cause the post to bounce back.
   • Also, Google does not allow you to add your phone number to your posts. If you include your phone number on a Google post, Google will reject it
2. Does my Google My Business Listing need to be verified before using Google Posts?
   • Yes. Your listing must be verified and linked to Thryv before posting. You can see this link: https://business.google.com/manage to check to see if your location is verified. Should you need help, you can contact us at support@thryv.com for assistance.
3. What access level do I need on my Google My Business Listing in order to utilize Google Posts?
   • You will need to have either Owner or Manager access to enable Google Posts. You can update this via the Google My Business management page, then click on your listing and select "Users" on the left.
4.  How can I find the Google Maps URL?
   • Search for your business in Google and click on the map image within your search engine results page (SERP). Copy the URL. You can also search for your business through Google Maps and copy that URL.
5. What are the specifications for my Google Posts?
   • You can write up to 1,500 characters for the details of your post, but the ideal length is 150-300 characters.
   • Photos must be in the following format: JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, or BMP.
   • Each photo must be smaller than 5MB.
   • Our High-Thryv recommendation is to add photos that are larger than 720x720 pixels and smaller than 3000x3000 pixels.
   • Landscape images look better than portrait images on Google products.
   • The photo should be in focus, well-lit, have no photoshop alterations, and no excessive use of filters. The image should represent reality.
   • For more information about recommended specs from Google, click here.
6. What metrics will be available in Thryv for my Google Posts?
   • Your total page data for the last 7 days will be visible under "Insights."
   • You will also be able to see:
     • a display of the number of posts
     • a display of the views in Maps
     • a display of the views in Search
   • Published content in Google Posts will also contain post views.
   • The maximum range for your metrics will be 18 months and 3 days as data is pulled into Thryv.

We hope this was a helpful guide on using Google Posts, but if you still have questions, we want to invite you to join our Community. Feel free to ask specific questions there! Still not finding what you're looking for? Email us at support@thryv.com