You can do so much more with your Google Business Page than use it as a digital business card! When done correctly, it’s a chance for you to show your customers who you are, what you offer, and why they should choose you. Today we’re going to talk about one of the easiest ways to do this!
Have you ever noticed that Google has a place for you to add photos and posts to your page? By doing this regularly you communicate to Google that you are an active, relevant business. These posts can help your business stand out, improve your search visibility, and even drive traffic to your website. Below I’ll share a few quick tips to make the most of your photos and business update posts.
This blog is for small business owners who have already claimed their Google Business Page. If you haven’t set-up your page yet, I offer professional setup services to help you make sure it’s done right from the start! Contact me today if you’d like to get started.
1. What Types of Photos Should You Post on Google?
In addition to posting your business logo and cover photo to your Google Business Page, you can also post photos that customers will see when they view you on Google or Google Maps.
Here are a few tips to make these photos work for you:
- Choose photos that show your storefront, products, services, team, or behind-the-scenes moments.
- Avoid generic stock photos—customers want to see your real business. Now, if you’re just starting out, that can be difficult. And if you’re a consultant or business advisor with nothing to show (like me), it may be unavoidable. If that’s the case, still take the time to make them as creative as possible! Do your best to stay on brand, making it something familiar that customers will grow to expect.
- Make sure photos are geotagged to your location. You can do this in more than one way–the easiest is to turn on location services on your phone. However, if you’re like me, you may have that feature turned off. Never fear! I use a website called “GeoImgr” to tag photo locations. The free version allows you to add a description and tags; it only limits the number of photos you can tag each day. Just make sure you save your photos as JPG and not PNG.
Important Tip: Posting 3-5 new photos each week can make a big difference in engagement and search rankings.
2. What Are Google Posts?
In addition to posting photos, you can also make posts–similar to a social media post on Facebook or Instagram. When you click the Posts button, you’ll see options for updates, offers, or events. If you’re just getting started, I suggest that you stick with updates for now. There are a lot more rules and steps for offers and events. Each post will include a photo, a short description, and an optional button for a Call to Action (CTA).
3. How Often Should You Post a Google Update?
If you’re just getting started, do your best to post at least once per week. If you manage your own social media, I understand it can feel time consuming–but trust me, it is worth it! Consistency shows Google that your business is active and it will help improve your visibility over time.
4. What Kinds of Posts Should You Make on Google?
While I’ve seen people hesitate to post anything that looks “too social,” I encourage you to think outside the box. Yes, this is a great place to post special offers or discounts. But don’t stop there!
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Specials and Promotions: Do you own a cookie shop with rotating weekly flavors? Make a post every Monday sharing what this week’s specials are. Or even better–get a jump start by sharing next week’s special on Friday. Get your customers’ mouths watering so they’ll plan to stop by next week!
- Optional Button: Link them to your specials page or your business hours, so they know when to stop by.
- Products or Services: Don’t make the mistake of believing that everyone already knows what you do or what you sell. Many don’t! This is a great opportunity to make sure Google knows what you do, too.
- Optional Button: Link to your appointment page, your services, or your products page.
- Do you have a specific landing page on your website for a service or product? Write a post, and a photo, and add the link directly to that landing page!
- Blog Posts and Helpful Tips: Do you have a blog on your website? Sharing your blog on Google is an opportunity to get more people to click over to your blog. Write a short summary of your blog, just enough details to grab their attention and know if they want to learn more.
- Optional Button: Use the “Learn More” button to link directly to your blog.
- And More: Try not to box yourself in. It’s important to think like someone who has never met you. Ask yourself, “What do I want potential customers to know about my business?” Do you have a special event coming up? An employee who is awesome that you’d like to spotlight? Maybe it’s someone’s birthday or anniversary. Behind the scenes moments are a great way to tell your story!
5. Do You Always Link Google Posts to Your Website?
The answer is yes and no. If you want my best advice, I think you should always use a link to your website. However, that may not always work for you! It’s also possible to use the call to action (CTA) for them to call you. But let me give you a few reasons why I think links work best:
- Not everyone is ready to make a call. Think of every post on every social media post (including Google) as a funnel to get the sale. Some people need more information before they’re ready to call you, some people are still browsing. By linking them to a page with more information you may get more clicks.
- Two words: Tracking links. Do you use Google Analytics? If you don’t, you should be. It’s important to understand what’s working and what’s not working, that way you can continue to improve. If you get one click on one post and ten on another, you can try and replicate that post structure again in the future. You may be able to use that data to find out what customers are actually attracted to or what they’re looking for the most!
6. What Are Tracking Links?
In a nutshell: Tracking links are just what they sound like–links that allow you to track where your website traffic is coming from. Explaining this would take an entire step-by-step tutorial, which I’ll cover in a future blog! For now let’s look at a simplified answer.
- When creating each link, you add your normal website URL and add details like the source (example: Google), the medium (example: Post), and a campaign name (example: CookieSpecial). This tells Google Analytics exactly where the customer came from.
- When you view your Google Analytics later, you’ll be able to see which posts are generating the most clicks. This can help you understand what content your audience connects with or finds the most interesting.
- Tracking links aren’t limited to Google posts. You can also use them for Facebook, Instagram, email campaigns, QR codes on flyers, or even on billboards.
Once you understand how to create tracking links and how to read the data, you will unlock a powerful way to measure and improve your marketing efforts.
Your Google Business Page can do so much more than just list your hours—it can be a dynamic hub that helps customers find and trust your business. Simple, consistent efforts like posting real photos, keeping content fresh, and linking to your website can have a big impact over time.
In my next marketing blog: I’ll share the steps to using and creating tracking links for your website. But don’t wait to start posting on Google! Sometimes it’s important to start small, master those steps, and add more details later. Let’s get started today!
If you’d like help setting up your website analytics, Google Business Page, or creating a marketing strategy, I’d love to work with you. Let’s build a system that supports your specific business goals and growth!