Google Business Profile posts: schedule them and get them right
Google Business Profile posts appear on your listing in Search and Maps, right where a nearby customer decides whether to call, visit or book. They follow different rules from social posts, and a post that breaks them can be rejected or held.
UniPostudio schedules Google Business Profile posts from the same composer as your other channels, and checks Google’s rules before the post is queued. Here is what you need to know.
The three post types
| Type | Fields | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Update | Text, optional photo, optional button | News, new stock, opening hours for a holiday |
| Offer | Title, start and end date, optional coupon code, redeem link, terms | Discounts and promotions with a clear end |
| Event | Title, start and end with times | Workshops, tastings, launches, open days |
Every type allows up to 1,500 characters and at most one photo. Google’s API does not take video for these posts.
Buttons
An Update can carry one button. Book, Order, Shop, Learn more and Sign up each need a link. Call needs no link: it rings the phone number on your listing.
Rules that catch people out
- No phone numbers in the post text. Google’s policy rejects them. UniPostudio spots a phone number before scheduling and suggests the Call button instead. Prices, dates and opening hours are left alone.
- Hashtags do nothing on Google. Leave them out, or set a separate caption for this channel in the composer.
- Google sometimes holds a post for review before it appears. Schedule time-sensitive offers a little early.
- Event times are the business’s local time, so a chain with branches in different time zones should check each event.
- Keep the first line useful. On a listing, the opening words do most of the work.
One composer, every location
Chains and agencies choose which location each connection posts to. Connect each branch you manage, then pick the ones a post is for. The same composer adapts the post for your other channels, so a weekend offer can go to Instagram, Facebook and your Google listing at once, each in its own format. See all channels on integrations.
Replying to Google reviews
- Reviews arrive in the social inbox every 10 minutes; the first sync looks back 30 days.
- You reply publicly, as the business.
- A review has one reply. Answering again replaces the earlier one.
- The AI drafts replies in your brand’s voice. It replies by itself only with the owner’s consent for that location, only to 4- and 5-star reviews, and only once per review. A person answers lower ratings.
- Reviews are deleted from UniPostudio after 30 days, as Google’s storage rules require. Your replies stay on Google.
Availability
Posting and review replies need Google to approve the Business Profile API for our project. All ten channels are built into UniPostudio. Some open in your account as each platform completes its app review; the Channels screen shows which ones you can connect today.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a Google Business Profile post be?
Up to 1,500 characters, with at most one photo. Video is not available through the API.
Why was my Google post rejected?
A common reason is a phone number in the text, which Google’s policy does not allow. Use the Call button instead. Google may also hold a post for review before it goes live.
Do hashtags help on Google Business Profile?
No. They have no effect on Google. Use a channel-specific caption without them.
Can I schedule posts for several locations?
Yes. Each connection is tied to a location you choose, so a chain or an agency can post to each branch. Agencies managing many client brands should look at the Agency plan.
Can the AI reply to Google reviews automatically?
Only if the owner consents for that location, and only for 4- and 5-star reviews, once per review. Lower ratings wait for a person.
Which plan includes Google Business Profile?
Every plan, from Classic at €9 a month. All ten channels are on every plan. See pricing.
Related pages
Keep your Google listing fresh
30 days free, no card. Schedule your first update, offer or event today.