Customers finding your business on Google through Search or Maps means that they can see any offers, news, or events that you've announced through posts. Posts are a great way to tell customers about:

• Offers such as sales or discounts
• Product updates such as new menu options
• Announcements about "Grand Re-Opening" or "Special guests this week!"
• Events such as a jazz brunch or an in-store session
• Providing critical and timely information to customers

Google posts should be brief, detailed and encourage action, and the photo/video should be well-lit and in-focus. Here is an example of a fast food restaurant promoting one of their seasonal menu items:

Remember, not only can your GMB listing help improve local search rankings, but it's also one of the most useful methods to connect online with potential customers. Posts being a part of that and as such, are a great way to leverage local search and increase foot traffic.

Tip: Having a location specific holiday promotion is the perfect way to increase the likelihood of users visiting your store if they know the offer is only available that same day or through the weekend.

To make sense of the best ways to take advantage of posts, we've listed 5 best practices for Google posts:

1. First thing to ask is, what do you want to accomplish with your post? Do you want your customers to visit your store, are you selling something, or do you have news to share? Posts are a great way to announce Events, Offers, New Releases or Top Products.
   
   Posts are your opportunity to talk directly to your customers, so use a natural, conversational tone in your post.
   
   
2. Photos can be used to immediately hook people and help your post stand out. Make sure your images are high-quality, and that they meet Google's image requirements:      
   
   400 pixel width X 300 pixel height absolute minimum      
   (Recommended 720 X 540)      
   Minimum file size of 10KB
   Either JPG or PNG format
   See https://support.google.com/business/answer/7390603
   
   
3. Your title is arguably one of the most important elements here, and as such requires the most care – Your title needs to be concise, actionable, and attention-grabbing. Describe your event in 4-5 words (you only have 58 characters for your title).
   
   
4. Don't stop at just a title, include details. You have the space to attract people to click and learn more about what you're offering, use it.   You have up to 1,500 characters for the details of your post, but the ideal length is 150-300 characters, but keep in mind that only the first 80 characters (including title) are visible initially.
   
   Following best practices, make sure to put keywords and the most important message towards the front of your post. It's important to have a short, concise message that can be scanned instead of read.
   

5. A Call-to-Action is a great way to maximize the limited space available with posts and encourage customers to take next steps. Depending on what you're looking to announce with your post, your CTA can be "Book", "Sign Up", or "Learn More"

Make sure the landing page is sending visitors to a page that matches the content of the post and meets their expectations.

Aside from following these 5 steps, posting often can also help your appearance in search. Google standard posts are only visible for 7 days, so to fully reap the benefits of posts, consistency is important.

Worried about not representing your brand correctly? Well, here's what NOT to do when creating a post:

• Don’t use commercial slang: “BOGO: 50% off men’s sneakers.”
• Don’t use excessive exclamation marks or all caps: “Crazy SALE today!!!”
• Don’t include more than one theme or offer in one communication: “Half price coffee and tea from 3-6 PM on Fridays, and buy 6, get one free donut on weekdays.”
• Don’t craft a deal with too many exclusions: “10% off new seasonal sandwiches. Not valid on lunch specials.”

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