Six things companies need to know about Google Posts
When internet users search for a company on Google, Google’s so-called “Knowledge Card” is appearing more and more frequently in the search results. It aggregates information about the company from various sources. Michael Hartwig of Yext explains how companies can effectively manage these listings.
In addition to the business address, opening hours and ratings, the Knowledge Card also displays the latest news about the company. All companies can publish these news items themselves, regardless of the number of locations. This works via the Google My Business account with the "Google Posts" function. Michael Hartwig, Managing Partner Central Europe at Yext, a provider of digital knowledge management, explains how companies can use Google Posts effectively.
1. what can be promoted?
Google Posts can be used to publish articles about products, services, promotions or events. Promote seasonal or localized offers in your stores.
2. what should the post look like?
Use high-quality image material that matches your corporate design and image. The post can include an image, video or animated GIF. A text field is also available. The following applies: Important information should be placed at the front, as the text is cut off after 90 characters on the desktop PC and after around 40 characters on mobile devices in the Knowledge Card.
3. what calls-to-action are there?
Link your post with a predefined call-to-action from Google and your landing page so that your customers can take the desired action with one click. The following calls to action are available: "More information", "Book", "Register", "Buy" and "View offer". This allows you to easily redirect users to book an appointment, make a reservation, order a product, sign up for the newsletter, etc.
4. where do the posts appear?
Google Posts are displayed directly in Google Search and Google Maps. In Google Search, they appear within the Knowledge Card when interested parties search for the company. Knowledge Cards are already displayed in many Google search results and are always clearly visible. On mobile devices they appear at the top of the search results, on desktop PCs they are displayed on the right-hand side.
5. how do posts become successful?
Coordinate the content of your Google Posts with your other local communication channels, such as your website, store pages or local social media pages. This allows you to offer consumers a consistent brand experience. Test, analyze and optimize your local posting strategy by looking at the data from Google My Business analytics on post views, photo views and customer actions. Ideally, you should use an analytics tool that gives you an overview of all your interactions with consumers online.
6. can the time spent on Google Posts be reduced?
The more locations your company has, the more time-consuming it will be to manually maintain your company entries on Google My Business pages and other online services. It is then easier to manage your company information on all relevant sites centrally via a technology platform. Such tools often offer advanced features, such as automatic posting at a pre-set time or easy posting of unique content for each individual branch.
"More than three quarters of Germans are most likely to search for information about companies via Google or other search engines. We recently discovered this in a survey. Companies should therefore definitely test Google Posts. If companies develop a good strategy, they will benefit from more traffic and a short path from search to conversion," advises Michael Hartwig.
