TL;DR
- Google Business Profile posts are short updates, offers, and events that appear on your profile in Search and Maps. Google’s help page says posts older than 6 months are archived unless a date range is set.
- Posts don’t directly lift rankings. A Sterling Sky test found “Google Posts do not directly affect local search ranking,” and post frequency ranked #148 of 187 factors in the 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors.
- They still help customers decide. In Sterling Sky’s study of over 1,000 posts, posts without stock photos got 5.6 times more clicks.
- Post about once a week, and plan ahead. Google now lets you schedule posts and publish to several locations at once.
- You can finally measure them. Google added view counts for each post in September 2026.
What Are Google Business Profile Posts?
Google Business Profile posts are short pieces of content, such as news, offers, and events, that a business publishes directly on its profile so people see them in Google Search and Maps. On mobile they appear in the “Updates” or “Overview” tabs, and on desktop in the “From the owner” section, according to Google’s help page.
Google offers three post types today:
| Post type | Google’s description | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Update | “Share info about your business” | A description, plus an optional photo, video, and button |
| Offer | “Provide promotional sales or deals from your business” | A title, dates, and time; a “View Offer” button is added automatically |
| Event | “Promote an event at your business” | A title, start and end dates, and times |
All three come from the same Google help page. Older types, such as COVID-19 posts, are gone from the regular post menu.
Two recent changes make posts more visible. In January 2026, Whitespark reported that Offer posts now also appear under a new “Deals” tab on mobile browsers. In October 2026, Search Engine Roundtable noticed that Google had moved the posts section higher up on the local panel.
Do Google Business Profile Posts Help Rankings?
Google Business Profile posts don’t directly improve your local rankings, but they can help people who find your profile decide to call, visit, or book. A Sterling Sky test of three listings that posted weekly for nine weeks, tracking 441 keywords each, concluded that “Google Posts do not directly affect local search ranking.”
Local SEO experts agree. In the 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey of 47 experts, post factors ranked near the bottom of 187 Map Pack factors:
| Factor | Rank |
|---|---|
| Frequency of Google Posts/Updates | #148 |
| Keywords in Google Posts/Updates | #160 |
| Quantity of Google Posts/Updates | #168 |
The same survey lists “Keyword Stuffing Google Posts/Updates Content” as a negative factor with a suspension risk. So stuffing city names and service keywords into posts can hurt you.
As an SEO strategist since 2022, I treat posts as a conversion tool rather than a ranking tool. They’re one of the few places on your profile where you control the message, and they now sit higher on the panel. A profile with fresh, real updates tells a searcher the business is active, which reviews and photos alone don’t always show.
How Often Should You Post on Google Business Profile?
Post at least once a week, and more often if your business changes daily, such as a restaurant with specials. Weekly is also the baseline Google’s own AI Overview gives when you search this question. Because posts archive after 6 months, regular posting keeps the section from looking empty.
Here’s the rhythm I suggest by business type. These are my recommendations, not Google rules:
| Business type | Posts per week | Good post topics |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and cafes | 2 to 3 | Specials, new menu items, events |
| Home services | 1 to 2 | Finished jobs, seasonal tips, offers |
| Law firms | 1 | Process explainers, office news, community events |
| Clinics and dental practices | 1 | Service explainers, hours, staff introductions |
| Multi-location businesses | 1 per location | Location-specific news, not one copy for all |
Planning beats posting on the spot. For my own LinkedIn content, I work from a weekly rhythm and a 14-day log so topics don’t repeat, and I apply the same habit to Business Profiles. For Immigration Lawyers USA, a Miami immigration law firm, the strategy I presented included a 30-post Google Business Profile campaign, planned in advance so each post had a clear purpose.
Google makes this easier now. It added scheduling and multi-location publishing for posts, and its help page says you can set posts to repeat “weekly, monthly, or a custom schedule.”
What Should You Post on Google Business Profile?
Post things a customer would want to know before choosing you: what you just did, what’s new, what’s on offer, and what’s coming up, with your own photos. Real images and clear titles make the biggest difference.
Sterling Sky’s study of over 1,000 posts found:
- Posts without stock photos got 5.6 times more clicks.
- Images with text on them got almost 4 times the clicks.
- Posts with titles got almost twice the clicks.
- Offer posts averaged 3.06 clicks, while update posts averaged 0.76.
Ideas that work for most local businesses:
- A finished job or recent case type, described in general terms, with your own photo.
- A short answer to a question customers ask, linked to the full page on your website.
- An offer or event, with clear dates and terms.
- A team introduction, so customers know who will show up or answer the phone.
- A seasonal reminder, such as hours over a holiday.
For City Turf & Cafe, a cafe in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, I built out the profile with the menu and real photos, then set up a regular routine for posts and review responses. A cafe has something new to show every week, and the routine is what keeps the profile from going quiet.
How Do You Create and Schedule a Google Business Profile Post?
You create a post from your Business Profile on Google Search or Maps by picking a post type, adding text, a photo or video, and a button, then publishing or scheduling it. Google reviews each post before it goes live.
The steps, based on Google’s help page:
- Open your Business Profile on Google Search or Maps.
- Choose to add an update, offer, or event.
- Write a short description, and add a title for offers and events.
- Add your own photo or a short video.
- Add a button, such as Book, Call, or Learn more.
- Turn on “Schedule this post” if you want it to publish later or repeat.
- Select the profiles to post to, if you manage several, then select Post.
Media has to meet Google’s specifications:
| Media | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Photos | JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB, recommended 720 x 720 pixels, minimum 250 x 250 |
| Videos | Up to 30 seconds, up to 75 MB, 720p or higher |
Why Do Google Business Profile Posts Get Rejected?
Posts get rejected most often for including phone numbers or other contact details in the text, for links Google doesn’t trust, or for content covered by Google’s restricted-industry rules. Google’s help page says “Posts that include a phone number in the post description might get rejected if they cannot be verified.”
The posts content policy adds more detail:
- Contact details: posts with unverified “phone numbers, email addresses, and social media handles” may be removed. Google suggests you “attach a Call now button” instead.
- Hotels: hotels can’t create Offer posts or posts that mention deals or discounts.
- Regulated products: businesses in areas such as alcohol, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, gambling, and financial services can post, but not about the regulated products themselves.
Sterling Sky has also reported that Google rejects posts containing the word “sex,” which can trip up a firm describing sexual harassment cases. The stakes go beyond one post: Google’s policy overview says that if a merchant’s account is restricted, every profile on that account will be suspended.
What Should Lawyers and Healthcare Providers Post?
Lawyers and healthcare providers should post accurate, general information and avoid anything that promises results or reveals client or patient details. Advertising and privacy rules apply to posts the same way they apply to a website.
For lawyers, state versions of the professional conduct rules say, as DC’s Rule 7.1 does, that “A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services.” The Florida Bar’s checklist for websites and social media flags “references to past results that are not objectively verifiable.” For any offer, the FTC says a needed disclosure “must be clear and conspicuous”.
In my work, the same rules shape every post. Immigration Lawyers USA never uses “free consultation” framing, so a post invites people to schedule a strategy session instead, and my strategy for the firm included compliance-aware rewrites of its service pages. During the year I worked as an SEO expert for doctorsfaculty.com, a healthcare education platform, every claim had to hold up before it went live, and posts deserve the same review. I cover the legal side in Legal SEO 101.
How Do You Measure Whether Your Posts Are Working?
Measure posts by their views and by the calls, website clicks, and bookings your profile gets, and tag post links so your analytics can tell post traffic apart. Google added a view count for each post in September 2026, combining Search and Maps, though it isn’t in the API yet.
Your profile’s performance report shows interactions, searches, directions, calls, website clicks, messages, and bookings. Watch those numbers month to month alongside your post schedule.
A simple routine:
- Add UTM tags to the links in your post buttons, so post visits show up separately in Google Analytics.
- Compare post views between post types, and do more of what gets seen.
- Check monthly whether calls and bookings move when you post consistently.
Do Google Business Profile Posts Show Up in AI Answers?
There’s no evidence that Google’s AI features use Business Profile posts in their answers today; reviews and core profile details carry far more weight. Google’s Ask Maps announcement (March 2026) says it draws on information from over 300 million places and reviews from more than 500 million contributors, and doesn’t mention posts.
Reviews are the stronger signal. Whitespark’s guide to AI Mode (May 2026) says “Reviews have emerged as one of the key sources of information Google AI Mode is returning.” Google has also replaced the old Q&A section with an AI “Ask” feature that answers from owner answers and reviews, as PPC Land reported in December 2025.
So post for people, and put your energy into reviews for AI. I explain how to earn and answer reviews in online reviews for local SEO, and how AI tools pick local businesses in how AI assistants answer “best service near me” questions.
If you’d like a second look at your profile, my free local SEO audit checks your posts, photos, reviews, and listings by hand. You can also see my local business SEO services or book a strategy call.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I post on Google Business Profile?
At least once a week is a good baseline for most businesses. Google’s help page archives posts older than 6 months unless a date range is set.
Do Google Business Profile posts help rankings?
Not directly. A Sterling Sky test found posts “do not directly affect local search ranking,” though they can help people choose your business.
How long do Google Business Profile posts stay up?
Up to 6 months. Google’s help page says posts older than 6 months are archived unless a date range is set, as with offers and events.
Can I schedule Google Business Profile posts?
Yes. Google’s help page lets you turn on “Schedule this post” and repeat posts weekly, monthly, or on a custom schedule.
Can I put a phone number in a Google post?
It’s risky. Google’s help page says posts with a phone number in the description might get rejected if it can’t be verified, so use a Call button instead.
Do Google Business Profile posts show in Google Maps?
Yes. Google’s help page says live posts show on Search and Maps, in the Updates or Overview tabs on mobile and “From the owner” on desktop.
