Google Business Profile posts — what to publish every week

Google Business Profile lets you publish short posts that appear on your listing. They show up when someone looks you up, and they are one of the clearest signals that a business is active rather than abandoned.

Almost nobody uses them. Which is exactly why they are worth using.

What a post is

A short update with a photo, up to about 1,500 characters (though far shorter is better), an optional button, and sometimes a date range.

There are a few types:

Update — general news, most flexible.
Offer — has start and end dates and can show a coupon code.
Event — for something with a date.
Product — an item with a price.

Most posts expire after about a week, so this is a habit, not a one-off task.

Why bother

It shows you are open and active. A customer comparing you to two competitors sees a post from three days ago on yours and nothing on theirs. That is a small signal that you are still running properly.

It uses space nobody else is using. Your post appears on your listing, where the customer is already deciding.

It gives you somewhere to put offers, which are not allowed in your profile description.

It keeps the profile fresh, which is one of the activity signals Google reads.

A rotation you can run forever

The reason people stop is they run out of ideas by week three. Use a rotation instead.

Week 1 — Show the work. A photograph of something you did last week, with two lines about it. "Finished this bathroom re-tiling in Sector 21 last week — three days, floor to ceiling."

Week 2 — Answer a question. Take a question customers actually ask and answer it. "How long does a root canal take? Usually one or two sittings of about 45 minutes each." You will never run out — you get asked the same eight things constantly.

Week 3 — Something practical. Timings for the coming festival, a new service, a staff addition, new stock, a change in parking. Genuinely useful information.

Week 4 — An offer or a seasonal item. A real one, with real dates.

Then repeat. Four ideas, endlessly renewable.

What makes a post work

A real photo, every time. Posts without images get far less attention. Use your own, not stock.

Front-load the first sentence. Only the first line or so shows before it is cut off. Put the point there.

Keep it short. Two or three sentences. Nobody is reading an essay on a listing.

Add a button — Call, Book, Learn more — pointed at the right page.

Write like a person. "New stock of winter jackets arrived this morning" is better than "We are pleased to announce the arrival of our new winter collection."

What not to post

Anything without a photo.
Text on the image. It shows small and becomes unreadable clutter.
The same offer every week. Customers notice and it stops meaning anything.
Phone numbers in the text. Use the button.
Anything misleading about pricing. "Free" that is not free is a policy problem.

A month of examples for a salon

"Balayage done this weekend — three hours, and the colour was matched to her natural base so it grows out softly. Colour appointments open next week." + photo.
"How long does smoothening last? Usually four to six months depending on your hair and how often you wash it. We use ammonia-free products." + photo.
"We are open on Sunday 12th this week for Karva Chauth bookings, 8am to 9pm. Mehendi slots are filling — call to book." + photo.
"Bridal trial + engagement makeup package, ₹8,500, for weddings booked before 30 November." + photo, Offer type with dates.

Fifteen minutes for the month, if you take the photos as you work.

How to actually keep doing it

The reason this fails is that it never becomes anyone's job.

Fix a slot — Monday morning, ten minutes. Take photos through the week on your phone as things happen, so on Monday you are choosing, not hunting.

If you have staff, give it to one person and check it weekly.

Four posts a month, forever, is a small habit that steadily separates you from the businesses whose listings have not changed since 2023.

Apna.live's Google Business Boost add-on publishes posts to your profile automatically, from your own photos. See how it works.