Google Business Profile Posts: Types, How to Post and What Works
In short. Google Business Profile posts come in three types: updates, offers and events. You create them from your profile under "Posts" and "Add post," you can schedule them and set them to repeat, and Google reviews each one before it goes live. Customers see them in the "Updates" and "Overview" tabs on mobile and in the "From the owner" section on desktop. A post with no date range is archived after 6 months. Google does not list posts among its local ranking signals, so do not post to climb Google Maps; post to convince the customer who is already looking at your profile. Below: the rules that get posts rejected, a one-month calendar and seven templates.
Posts stay "Pending" on an unverified profile, so check the basics first with our free Google Business Profile audit.
What posts are and where customers see them
Google describes posts as a way to "share announcements, offers, updates, and event details directly with your customers on Search and Maps." They "can show text, photos, or videos," and customers find them in:
- "The 'Updates' or 'Overview' tabs of the Business Profile on mobile on Search and Maps."
- "The 'From the owner' section of the Business Profile on your computer on Search and Maps."
- "Featured posts that are added directly to your Business Profile on mobile."
Featured posts deserve a note for US businesses. Google says that "posts about events, deals, or specials may automatically show on your Business Profile on mobile," pulled "from your social media channels, like Facebook and Instagram, or from posts you've created." The feature "is currently available in English for single-location food and drink businesses in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand," and "when featured posts are available, customers find them in place of reviews on your Business Profile on mobile." A single-location restaurant in the US should assume its Instagram posts can end up on its Google profile.
The three post types
| Type | What Google says | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Updates | "Share info about your business. You can add a description, photo, video, and an action button with a link." | A new product, a change of hours, a tip, a team story |
| Offers | "Provide promotional sales or deals from your business. It requires a title, dates, and time. This automatically includes a 'View Offer' button." Can also include "coupon code, link, and terms and conditions." | Any promotion with an end date |
| Events | "Promote an event at your business. Add a title, start and end dates, and times." Without a time, "the event shows as lasting 24 hours on the event dates." | Tastings, workshops, open days, classes |
The action button on an update "should direct customers to a website where they can complete the action, like make a booking, order online, or learn more."
How to create a post, step by step
Google's steps, read on October 14, 2026:
- "Go to your Business Profile."
- "Select Posts" then "Add post."
- "Select the post type": update, offer or event.
- "Select the elements you want to add to your post," such as "Button or Coupon code."
- "Add info for your post."
- To publish later: "turn on Schedule this post, then select the date and time you want the post to publish."
- To repeat it: "from the 'Repeats' dropdown menu, select how often you want your post to show up, such as weekly, monthly, or a custom schedule."
- "At the bottom right, select Post."
For several locations: "To post across multiple Business Profiles, select the profiles where you want to share it, then select Post." To change a post later: "Select Posts," then "More" and "Edit" or "Delete."
Post status and why a post gets rejected
"After you publish your post, Google reviews it to make sure it meets our posts content policy." Three statuses:
| Status | Google's definition |
|---|---|
| Live | "The post is public and shows on Search and Maps." |
| Pending | "It's either in the upload stage, the processing stage, or your profile is unverified." |
| Not approved | "The question mark next to the status indicates which content policy the post violates." |
The rejection causes Google spells out:
- A phone number in the text. "Posts that include a phone number in the post description might get rejected if they cannot be verified as being connected to the business on which they are posted." Use the button instead.
- Regulated goods. "You can use posts if you offer products or services in a regulated industry, but do not include content about the products." Google lists "adult services, alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceutical products, recreational drugs, health and medical devices, gambling services, fireworks, weapons, and financial services."
- Sloppy text. "Avoid misspelled words, extra characters, text that adds no value, and auto-generated or distracting content."
- Unsafe links. "The system doesn't allow links that lead to malware, viruses, phishing, or pornographic material."
- Explicit content. "Do not post sexually suggestive or explicit content."
And the expiry rule: "Posts older than 6 months are archived unless a date range is set."
What posts do and do not do
Google's page "Tips to improve your local ranking on Google" lists what helps a profile show up: verify the business, keep information complete, respond to reviews, add photos and videos, add in-store products. Posts are not on that list. Local results "are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity," and on popularity: "More reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking."
We have no measurement of our own either: our observatory of 1,800 Google Business Profiles did not record posts. What we can say is where posts sit: in the first screen of a mobile profile, next to the rating, for a customer who has already found you and is deciding. That is a conversion job, not a ranking job. If you have one hour a week, spend it on review collection first: see how to get more Google reviews.
A one-month posting calendar
Google's advice is short: "Keep it professional," "Add complete and relevant details: Include a descriptive title, event start and end times, and offer info." Here is the rhythm we recommend to clients so they never run out of ideas:
| Week | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Update | "Fall menu starts Monday: butternut risotto and roasted mushrooms." Photo of the dish, "Book" button |
| 2 | Update | "How we make our sourdough: 18 hours of fermentation." Photo of the bakery, "Learn more" button |
| 3 | Offer | "October: free eye exam with any pair of prescription glasses." Dates, "View Offer" button, terms |
| 4 | Event | "Saturday the 7th, open class from 10 to 11 a.m., no commitment." Date, times, "Sign up" button |
| Monthly | Update | Next month's holiday hours, before customers ask |
| When it happens | Update | A customer review quoted with permission, with a photo of the team |
Three rules we apply: one real photo per post, never stock; one action per post; and when you run several locations, one version per location, not one generic text copied to twenty profiles.
Seven templates to adapt
- New product or dish. "[Name] is on the menu from [date]. Made with [ingredient] from [supplier or region]. Come try it this week." Button: Order online.
- Behind the scenes. "This is how [team member first name] prepares [product] every morning at [time]." Button: Learn more.
- Seasonal offer. "[Discount or bundle] until [date]. Show this post in store or use code [CODE]." Terms in the dedicated field.
- Event. "[Event name], [day] from [start] to [end]. [What happens]. [How to join]." Button: Sign up.
- Hours change. "Holiday hours: [dates and hours]. Regular hours resume [date]."
- Customer story. "'[Short quote from a review].' Thank you, [first name]. [One line on what you did about it]."
- Hiring. "We are looking for a [role], [full time or part time], starting [date]. [How to apply]." Button: Learn more.
Posting on Google and social media at once
The hard part is not writing a post, it is keeping the rhythm for months and across locations. The content you already publish on Instagram or Facebook works almost as is on Google: the dish photo, Saturday's event, the monthly offer.
GMB Club is the all-in-one marketing platform for local businesses. Its Social Agent prepares posts from your photos and schedules them on Google, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn from one calendar, with a version per location when you manage several. Reviews, local rank tracking and your website are handled from the same screen. See pricing.
Limits of this guide
The steps and quotes come from Google's English help pages read on October 14, 2026; the interface changes without notice, and featured posts availability depends on country, language and category. We have no measurement of the effect of posts on ranking or visits: our observatory of 1,800 profiles did not record them, and Google publishes no figure. The calendar and templates are a method, not a measured result.
Guide written by Adam Abdelmoumen, co-founder of GMB Club. Sources checked on October 14, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Google Business Profile post stay visible?
It depends on the type. Google states that "posts older than 6 months are archived unless a date range is set." Offers and events carry dates and end with them.
Why is my post pending or not approved?
Google reviews every post. "Pending" means it is "in the upload stage, the processing stage, or your profile is unverified." "Not approved" means it violates the posts content policy; "the question mark next to the status indicates which content policy the post violates."
Can I put my phone number in a post?
Better not. Google warns that "posts that include a phone number in the post description might get rejected if they cannot be verified as being connected to the business." Use the action button instead.
Can I schedule posts or repeat them weekly?
Yes. When creating a post, "turn on Schedule this post, then select the date and time," and from the "Repeats" dropdown "select how often you want your post to show up, such as weekly, monthly, or a custom schedule."
Do posts improve my Google Maps ranking?
Google's page on local ranking lists verifying the business, complete info, replying to reviews, photos and in-store products. It does not mention posts, and we have no measurement of our own. Posts work on the customer who is already looking at your profile.
What are featured posts?
Posts about events, deals or specials that Google may show automatically on mobile, pulled from your social channels or your own posts. Google says this feature "is currently available in English for single-location food and drink businesses in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand."