GMP
Step-by-Step Setup 10-15 minutes

GMB Posting Setup

Social & Content Intermediate
Need more detail? Read the full guide for config deep-dives and best practices.

Setting Up GMB Posting

Google Business Profile posting keeps your local listing fresh, improves search visibility, and gives customers reasons to engage with your business. This guide walks you through connecting your GBP, accessing the post scheduler, and creating your first automated posts.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A verified Google Business Profile listing that is active and not suspended
  • Owner or manager access to the Google Business Profile you want to connect
  • Login credentials for the Google account that manages the business profile
  • At least one connected social account in the Social Planner (the GBP connection process happens through Social Planner)
  • AI credits available if you plan to use Content AI for generating post copy and images (optional)

Connect Your Google Business Profile

The GBP connection process is a one-time OAuth authorization that enables posting, review management, and listing optimization from the platform.

Navigate to Marketing > Social Planner in your sub-account dashboard. Click the Settings gear icon in the upper-right area and select Connect Social from the menu. The list of available social platforms appears, showing Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, and others.

Click Connect GBP to begin the Google authorization flow. A new window opens prompting you to log in to your Google account. Use the Google account that owns or manages the business profile you want to connect. If you manage multiple business profiles under one Google account, the system fetches all of them and lets you choose which one to link.

Select the correct location from the list of available profiles and click Add. The authorization window closes and you return to the Social Planner. Your Google Business Profile now appears in the connected accounts list with an active status indicator. Close the Settings panel and return to the main Social Planner view.

If you manage multiple locations, repeat this process for each one. Agencies handling many client locations can connect them all under the appropriate sub-accounts, giving you centralized control over GBP posting for every location you manage.

Access the GBP Post Scheduler

While you can create GBP posts directly from the Social Planner, the dedicated GBP Post Scheduler inside the GBP Optimization workspace gives you a focused view of all scheduled and published GBP content.

From the left-hand menu, click Reputation at the top of the navigation. Select GBP Optimization to open the workspace. The GBP Optimization dashboard displays an overview of your connected profiles with metrics, review summaries, and listing health indicators.

Click the Scheduled Posts tab on the left side of the screen. This view shows all upcoming GBP posts with content previews, attached images, and scheduled publish dates. The Updates panel on the right displays how scheduled or published posts appear directly on your Google Business Profile, giving you a live preview of what customers see.

You can create, edit, reschedule, duplicate, or delete posts directly from this interface. Posts scheduled through Social Planner also appear here, since both modules share the same underlying posting system.

Create Your First GBP Update Post

Google Business Profile supports three post types: Updates, Offers, and Events. Start with an Update post, which is the most versatile format for general news, tips, and announcements.

From the GBP Optimization workspace, click New Post in the top-right corner. Select Create New Post to open the post composer in Social Planner. The composer opens with the channel selector at the top.

Click the Post to dropdown to view all connected social profiles. Find your Google Business Profile location in the list and select it. If you manage multiple locations and want to post the same content to all of them, select multiple GBP profiles at once. This bulk publishing capability saves time when managing multi-location businesses.

Write your post content in the text editor. Google Business Profile posts support up to 1,500 characters, so you have plenty of space for detailed announcements or descriptions. Use formatting tools to enhance readability: bold text for emphasis, relevant keywords for local SEO signals, and hashtags for discoverability. Include a compelling opening line that grabs attention, since only the first 100 characters appear before the “See more” link on mobile devices.

Click the image upload icon to add a photo. Google requires images to be at least 250 x 250 pixels and no larger than 5 MB. JPEG and PNG formats are supported. High-quality images improve engagement, so use original photos of your team, products, or location whenever possible. If you need an image quickly, click Generate Image with AI to create a custom visual using Content AI.

Scroll down to the Google Business Profile options section. Select Update as the post type. Optionally add a call-to-action button by clicking the CTA dropdown and choosing from options like Book, Order Online, Learn More, Sign Up, Call Now, or Get Offer. Each button links to the corresponding URL or action configured in your GBP settings.

Choose your publishing option: Schedule Post to set a specific date and time, Post Now to publish immediately, or Send Post for Approval to route it through your team’s review workflow. Select Schedule Post, choose a date and time, and click Schedule. The post appears in the Scheduled Posts tab within the GBP Optimization workspace.

Create an Offer Post

Offer posts are time-bound promotions that appear prominently on your Google Business Profile with a dedicated “View offer” call-to-action. Use these for sales, discounts, limited-time deals, or seasonal promotions.

Follow the same process as creating an update post, but select Offer as the post type in the Google Business Profile options section. Two additional fields appear: Offer Start Date and Offer End Date. Set the start date to the day your promotion begins and the end date to when it expires.

Write your post content to clearly describe the offer, including any terms, conditions, or discount codes. Add an eye-catching image that highlights the promotion. Choose Get Offer as the call-to-action button to drive conversions. Schedule the post to publish on or before the offer start date.

Google automatically displays the offer on your profile during the active date range and removes it after the end date. This ensures your listing always shows current, relevant promotions without requiring manual cleanup.

Create an Event Post

Event posts highlight upcoming activities like workshops, open houses, webinars, grand openings, or community events. These posts include start and end dates and times, making them perfect for time-specific happenings.

Create a new post and select Event as the post type. Fill in the event title, description, and image. Set the Event Start Date and Time and Event End Date and Time fields to match your event schedule. Add a call-to-action button like Learn More or Sign Up to drive registrations or ticket sales.

Event posts appear in a dedicated section of your Google Business Profile and are automatically removed after the event ends. This keeps your listing clean and focused on current and upcoming activities.

Set Up Bulk Publishing Across Locations

If you manage multiple locations and want to publish the same content to all of them, the bulk publishing feature saves significant time.

When creating a post, open the Post to dropdown and select multiple Google Business Profile locations. You can choose as many as you need. The post content, image, and schedule apply to all selected locations.

While posting identical content across locations is permitted by Google, adding location-specific details increases relevance and engagement. Consider using the Customize Each Post option to personalize the content for each location. Mention the neighborhood name, local landmarks, or city-specific offers to make each post feel tailored to its audience.

Test Your Setup

Verify that your GBP posting is configured correctly by checking these items:

  • Your Google Business Profile shows as connected in the Social Planner Settings panel with an active status indicator
  • You can access the Reputation > GBP Optimization > Scheduled Posts tab and see your scheduled content
  • A test post appears in both the GBP Optimization workspace and the Social Planner calendar
  • The Updates panel in GBP Optimization shows a live preview of how the post appears on your Google Business Profile
  • If you scheduled posts to multiple locations, each location shows the scheduled post in its respective view

If your connected GBP shows a disconnected status or “Action Required” warning, reconnect it by going to Marketing > Social Planner > Settings > Connect Social and reauthorizing with your Google account.

Next Steps

Now that your GMB posting is set up, explore these advanced features:

  • Use Content AI to generate keyword-rich post copy and royalty-free images optimized for local search
  • Learn about post performance monitoring and engagement metrics in the GMB Posting guide
  • Set up the Social Planner to schedule GBP posts alongside your other social media content in a unified calendar
  • Configure Social RSS to automatically share new blog posts to your Google Business Profile
  • Organize your images and media files in the Media Library for quick access when creating GBP posts
Back to GHL Features Table Read Full Guide

Stay sharp. New guides and playbooks as they drop.