Google recently announced the launch of Google Posts for all businesses listed in Google My Business.
Google Posts appear alongside your business listing in search results and can be used to promote special events and offers, particular content and products, and encourage people to sign up to your newsletter.
Google Posts offers B2B companies a great way to claim some extra search real estate, and offers a new marketing channel that doesn’t rely on advertising to be visible.
What is a Google Post?
A Google Post is a short piece of content published directly through Google My Business (GMB). A Google Post can feature a title, image, and up to 1500 characters of content – although Google would prefer only 150-300 – along with event details and a Call to Action.
Google Posts are kept separate from Google Plus. GMB manages Google Posts, which are designed to represent the brand or business, while Google Plus is a social media network.
Google Posts was originally launched back in 2016, but only political candidates could use it. The availability of the service has expanded since being launched, and it can now be used by local businesses, museums, movies, sports teams, and musicians.
How the Google Posts appear varies on the device and service being used. They will appear in the knowledge panel with a basic desktop search, with results being displayed in a carousel format if there are multiple posts available.
If you search on mobile however – and the business is listed on Google Maps – then the posts show up below the map results. If the business isn’t listed on Google Maps, then Google Posts show up in general search results on mobile.
Why B2Bs Should use Google Posts
A lot of the buzz for Google Posts is about local and small businesses, but history has proven time and time again that B2B marketers should get in on the action. Log on to your Google My Business account to see if you can make use of Google Posts. If you can, then you should see a “Posts” tab in your navigation menu.
It’s very likely that your business can use Google Posts already, but if it can’t you should still consider putting together a strategy for using Google Posts for marketing. Remember that Google Posts show up during branded searches. Such searches typically imply the person making the search is at the bottom of the funnel and ready to make a purchase. Ensure that your Google Post content is fit for this audience:
- Promote an Upcoming Event
- If you’ve got a big industry event planned coming up, then make sure to promote it with Google Posts including event dates and times. Throw in a brief description of the event and a CTA that sends people to the evet details page on your own personal website. Don’t forget to promote webinars.
- Promote Sales and Specials
- If you’re offering discount tickets to events or special rates on products or services, then use Google Posts to inform the masses. You could also use it to encourage potential customers to enlist themselves in a free trial.
- Promote Important Content Such as Newsletters
- If you’re looking to increase your email subscribers or promote a particularly important piece of published content, then Google Posts allows you to do just that within your search results without having to pay for the advertising. Google Posts can be used to increase leads by pointing to gated content as well.
- Share Case Studies
- AS a marketer you likely know already that customers like seeing case studies – especially when coming to the end of their journey. When someone searches for your specific brand, they know your brand already. Now you need to show them what you can do and seal the deal.
As Google Posts are a new thing for many businesses, you will likely have to spend time testing different post types and put together B2B best practices. For now though, we recommend approaching Google Posts in a similar manner to approaching marketing emails:
- Keep content focused and brief
- Write compelling headlines
- Use original and eye catching graphics
- Write content in an upside-down pyramid structure; lead with the most important information
You should also ensure the most important posts are the most recent posts, as this ensures they show up early in results without users having to move the carousel and see them.
The Future of B2B Search Results
Google Posts afford an excellent chance to claim more real estate on a search results page and promote your events, special offers, case studies, and even content without having to spend a penny on advertising. Google Posts offer an advantage to similar avenues, such as Twitter carousels, sitelinks, and event schema, in that they have more room, are easier to add, and offer a greater amount of control in terms of content.
Even though everyone is focusing on what Google Posts can do for small businesses, we can see the potential for larger businesses. B2B marketers must understand how Google Posts will quickly become another important step in getting the most out of Google.
Log in to your Google My Business account and see if you can start using Google Posts. If you can, then get started by creating something; even if it’s just a gated content promotion or a newsletter. Don’t forget to add the tracking URL to monitor the results. If you can’t use Google Posts yet, then start brainstorming potential ideas. It’ll almost definitely be available for you soon and you want to get started right to give yourself the edge over the competition.
Most companies use Account-Based Marketing, and those that don’t yet soon will. ABM is becoming an integral part of the marketing mix, and you can’t afford to be left behind. Download the Argyle ABM Report to see how marketing professionals are optimizing their Account-Based Marketing.
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