What to Post on Your Google Business Profile (and How Often)

Most businesses set up their Google Business Profile once and never touch it again. That’s a missed opportunity. Posts are free, they show up right on your listing in Google Search and Maps, and an active profile tells both Google and customers that you’re open and paying attention.

The short version: post once a week, keep it short, always add a real photo and a button, and make each post about one specific thing.

What a profile post actually is

A post is a short update, up to 1,500 characters, with an optional photo and a button like “Call now”, “Book” or “Learn more”. It appears in the “Updates” section of your profile and sometimes directly in search results when someone looks you up. Think of it as a mini ad that costs nothing.

Posts don’t directly push you to the top of Google Maps. What they do is keep the profile fresh, answer questions before people call, and give searchers one more reason to pick you over the listing next to yours.

Five types of post that work

1. A recent job or project

A photo of real work with two or three lines: what the problem was, what you did, and where. “Replaced a failed sump pump in a Richmond Hill basement before the weekend storm.” This is the most useful post for trades and service businesses because it’s proof, not a claim.

2. A service spotlight

Pick one service a month and explain it in plain terms: who it’s for, what’s included, how long it takes. Link the button to that service’s page on your website.

3. A seasonal reminder

Furnace tune-ups in October, patio season in April, tax deadlines in March. Seasonal posts are timely, easy to write, and prompt people who were meaning to call anyway.

4. An answer to a question you get all the time

If customers keep asking the same thing on the phone, answer it in a post. “Do you charge for estimates?” “How far do you travel?” “Can we book the patio for 12?” It saves you time and shows up for people who haven’t called yet.

5. A link to something useful you’ve written

If you have a blog or a helpful page on your site, share it. It sends people to your website, where they can see more of your work.

How often to post

Once a week is the sweet spot for most small businesses. Posts gradually move out of the main view after about a week, so a weekly rhythm keeps something current on the profile at all times. More than a few a week rarely adds anything; less than once a month and the profile starts to look quiet.

Put it in your calendar. Ten minutes on a Monday morning is enough: pick a photo from last week’s jobs, write three sentences, add a button.

Photos matter more than words

• Use real photos from your business, not stock images. Customers can tell, and so can Google.
• Landscape, at least 1200 pixels wide, well lit.
• Avoid images with lots of text on them. They get cropped on phones and are hard to read.
• Before-and-after shots work especially well for trades.

What to skip

• Phone numbers and links in the text. Google may reject posts with phone numbers in the body. Use the button instead.
• Keyword stuffing. “Best plumber Toronto plumbing services plumber near me” reads badly and doesn’t help.
• Anything you can’t back up. “Voted #1” or “guaranteed lowest price” invites complaints and can get posts removed.
• Posting and disappearing. If people comment or ask questions, reply the same day.

Posts are one piece of the profile

Posts help most when the rest of the profile is solid: the right categories, accurate hours, a steady flow of reviews and replies, and a website that matches. If you haven’t checked those in a while, our Google Business Profile checklist covers them all.

If you’d rather not think about any of this, weekly posts are part of our local SEO plans.