This month, Google released their rollout of Google Posts as a feature to help businesses display “fresh content” for people searching them.
This month, Google released their rollout of Google Posts as a feature to help businesses display “fresh content” for people searching them.
The Google Posts feature will now appear when using both Google search and maps, allowing a sneak peek into a company’s day-to-day happenings. Some key points to know about this feature include:
- Not only will searches of participating companies include standard company information and reviews, but also “Instagram-esque” images, text, and video sharing with call-to-action link options available.
- The posts have a high text limit, with an upwards of 14,400 characters available, and will act as links to an additional page which hosts all of the most recent posts by a business.
- Other features of this new service include the ability to schedule the timing and length of posts, create events, and monitor the minute-by-minute numbers regarding the amount of people interacting with the posts.
Origin of Google Posts
Previously, the feature was used during the 2016 presidential race to give users an up-to-date view on the different campaigns in a format which Google dubbed “Candidate Cards.” With the capability to add up to 10 images or videos per post, Google said the cards were created to streamline the dense amount of content and demand for information during political debate season.
Other ways that Google initially experimented with the feature was through a select group of small businesses during its beta phase, who had to join a waiting list to experience the services – a list which was quite lengthy.
Google also let a select group of sports teams, celebrities, movie studios, and other major companies try their hand at the fresh beta feature before making it available to the general public.
A Game Changer?
Glenn Gabe, president of G-Squared Interactive, posted on Facebook recently that “it doesn’t look like local businesses care (or know about) [Google Posts],” and their lack of knowledge on the new feature was “Not good.”
As a huge player in the search community as an active columnist at Search Engine Watch and Search Engine Land, Gabe is encouraging all businesses to take advantage of the new tool.
Some experts are predicting that Google Posts could eventually steal the thunder of, or at least be in more direct competition with, Facebook Promoted Posts considering the format and ease of accessibility.
While a comment section isn’t a direct feature as reviews are separate, the clean straight-to-the-point interface has been projected to be a success by most major outlets. However, with the social aspect of the interface seeming similar to the somewhat unpopular initial rollout of Google+, it will be interesting to see whether Google Posts will live up to its current hype shortly after it’s onset.
The feature is now available on desktop and mobile for Apple and Android.
