Google Posts That Actually Get Seen. A Guide for Tradespeople

Most Google Posts Get Ignored. Here Is Why

Google Posts let you publish short updates directly on your Business Profile. They appear in search results and on Google Maps when someone views your listing. In theory, they are a free marketing tool that keeps your profile active and tells Google your business is alive and well.

In practice, most Google Posts get almost no views. Tradespeople write a few lines about being available for work, hit publish, and wonder why nobody reads it. The post sits there for seven days, expires, and gets buried in the "Updates" tab where almost nobody looks.

The problem is not the feature itself. Google Posts work. But they only work when you understand what makes a post visible, what makes someone stop scrolling long enough to read it, and what makes them actually do something about it.

What Makes a Post Visible vs Buried

Google decides which posts to show prominently and which to tuck away. Several factors influence this:

Recency matters most. Update posts expire after seven days. During those seven days, the post appears on your listing. After that, it drops into the "Updates" archive. If you post once a month, your listing has no visible post for three out of every four weeks. Posting weekly means you always have something live.

Posts with photos get more display space. A text-only post is smaller and less noticeable on your listing. A post with a photo takes up significantly more visual real estate. Google gives preference to posts that include an image because they make the search results page more visually engaging.

Posts with call-to-action buttons get prioritised. Adding a CTA, "Call now," "Learn more," "Book", signals to Google that the post has commercial intent. Google wants to connect searchers with businesses that are ready to serve them, so posts with CTAs tend to get slightly better placement.

Relevance to the search query. Google reads the text of your post. If someone searches "boiler repair Rhyl" and your most recent post mentions boiler repairs in the Rhyl area, that post is more likely to display prominently than a generic "We're open for business" post.

Photo Requirements and Getting Them Right

The photo on your Google Post is the single biggest factor in whether someone stops to read it. Here are the specifics:

Minimum size: 400 x 300 pixels. But aim larger. 1200 x 900 works well and looks sharp on all devices.

Aspect ratio: Google displays post photos at roughly 4:3. If you upload a square or tall photo, it will be cropped. Keep important content in the centre of the image.

File type: JPG or PNG. Keep file size under 5MB.

What to photograph: Real work. A freshly fitted bathroom. A new boiler installation. A before-and-after of a garden you landscaped. A roof you just finished. These photos do double duty. they make your post engaging and they add to your overall photo gallery, which contributes to your profile's photo presence.

What not to use: Stock photos, low-resolution images, photos with heavy text overlays, or the same photo every week. People notice repetition, and Google may flag heavily edited or text-heavy images.

Take a photo at the end of every job. Make it a habit. Even a quick phone shot of a completed kitchen, a fitted consumer unit, or a tiled bathroom floor gives you a library of content to use in your posts week after week.

How Long Should Your Post Be?

Google Posts have a 1,500-character limit, but that does not mean you should use it all. The visible preview, the text someone sees without tapping "Read more", is roughly 80 to 100 characters. That is about one sentence.

This means your opening line is everything. It needs to grab attention immediately.

Good opening lines:

• "Just finished a full bathroom refit in Prestatyn. here's the result"
• "Emergency boiler breakdown in Colwyn Bay? We have same-day availability this week"
• "Before and after: Victorian terrace rewire in Wrexham"

Bad opening lines:

• "We are a local plumbing company offering a range of services"
• "Hello! Just wanted to share a quick update about our business"
• "Did you know we offer discounts on certain services?"

After the opening line, keep the total post to 150-300 characters for best engagement. Say what the job was and include a CTA. That is enough. Longer posts are fine occasionally, for instance, if you are announcing a new service or sharing seasonal tips, but for regular weekly posts, brevity wins.

CTA Buttons. Which to Use and When

Every post should have a call-to-action button. Google gives you several options:

"Call now". Best for emergency or time-sensitive trades. Plumbers, locksmiths, heating engineers. If someone is reading your post because they need help today, make it easy for them to call with one tap.

"Learn more". Links to a page on your website. Good for posts about specific services. If you write a post about EV charger installation, link to your EV charger page. This drives traffic to your site and creates a connection between your GBP and your website that helps both rank.

"Book". If you have an online booking system, use this. Most tradespeople do not, but if you do, it reduces friction for the customer.

"Get offer", Works well for promotional posts. "10% off boiler services this month, get offer." Links to a contact form or booking page.

"Sign up". Rarely useful for trades. Skip this one unless you are building a mailing list.

For most tradespeople, rotating between "Call now" and "Learn more" covers the majority of posts. Match the CTA to the intent of the post.

Post Examples That Work for Different Trades

Here are real examples of posts that perform well for tradespeople:

For a roofer in Llandudno:
"Flat roof replacement completed in Llandudno this week. Old felt roof was leaking into the bedroom. replaced with a GRP fibreglass system with a 25-year guarantee. If your flat roof is showing its age, get in touch for a free inspection."
Photo: Wide shot of the finished roof.
CTA: Call now.

For an electrician in Wrexham:
"Full house rewire completed on a 1930s semi in Wrexham. Upgraded from old rubber-sheathed wiring to modern 18th Edition standard with a new consumer unit and smoke alarm system."
Photo: New consumer unit fitted and labelled.
CTA: Learn more (link to rewire page).

For a landscaper:
"Garden transformation in Denbigh. new patio and artificial lawn. Total project time: four days. The customer wanted a low-maintenance garden they could enjoy year-round."
Photo: Before-and-after side by side.
CTA: Get offer.

For a painter and decorator:
"Full exterior repaint on a three-storey townhouse in Conwy. Scaffolding up Monday, finished by Friday. Dulux Weathershield in heritage cream to keep the conservation area happy."
Photo: The painted house from across the street.
CTA: Call now.

Notice what these have in common: a specific job, a specific location, real detail about what was done, and a photo of the result. This is what separates posts that get engagement from posts that get ignored.

How to Measure Post Performance

Google provides basic analytics for your posts within the GBP dashboard. You can see:

• Views: How many times the post was displayed on your listing.
• Clicks: How many people tapped the CTA button.

These numbers will be modest. Google Posts are not Instagram. you are not going to get hundreds of likes. A post that gets 50-100 views and 3-5 clicks is performing well for a local tradesperson. The value is cumulative: posting consistently week after week keeps your profile active, which is a ranking signal Google takes seriously.

You can also check your GBP Insights to see if your overall profile views and actions increase during periods when you are posting regularly versus when you are not. Most tradespeople who start posting weekly see a noticeable lift in profile views within four to six weeks.

A Posting Schedule That Works

For most tradespeople, here is a realistic schedule:

Monday morning: Post a photo of a completed job from the previous week. Write two to three sentences about what the job involved and where it was. Add a CTA.

That is it. One post per week, every Monday. It takes five minutes. Set a recurring reminder on your phone if you need to.

If you want to do more, add a second post on Thursday or Friday. maybe a seasonal tip, a before-and-after, or a quick mention of availability for the coming week. But consistency matters more than volume. One post every week beats three posts one week and then nothing for a month.

Common Mistakes That Kill Post Visibility

Posting without a photo. Text-only posts get significantly less display space and fewer views. Always include an image.

Using the same photo repeatedly. Google may reduce visibility of posts that reuse images. Take fresh photos regularly.

Writing generic content. "We are open for business and ready to help" tells the reader nothing. Be specific about what you do and where you do it.

Ignoring the CTA. Every post should have a call-to-action button. Without one, you are giving people information but not making it easy for them to act on it.

Posting inconsistently. One post a month is barely better than none. Google rewards regular activity. Commit to weekly posts and stick with it.

Not mentioning locations. Include the town or area where the work was done. This helps Google associate your post with local searches. Mentioning Prestatyn, Bangor, or Chester in your posts strengthens your relevance for searches in those areas.

Posts Are Part of a Bigger Picture

Google Posts alone will not transform your business. But as part of a well-maintained profile, with complete categories, strong reviews, accurate hours, and quality photos, regular posts signal to Google that your business is active and engaged. That signal contributes to your overall ranking.

Think of posts as the heartbeat of your profile. Everything else, reviews, photos, categories, is the body. The heartbeat keeps it alive and tells Google to pay attention.

Want to know if your profile is in good shape? Get a free Google Business Profile audit from Local Markers. We check your posting activity, photo count, review strength and every other factor that affects your local ranking. It takes five minutes and costs nothing.