Newsletter #58

🚨 Google Posts & Product Updates You Don't Want to Miss Out On

February 27, 2020

February 2020, Whitespark Local Insider Newsletter

Google Posts Updates

There have been a bunch of updates to the Google Posts feature, which is why we've rounded up the changes you need to know about below.

Add Multiple Photos & VideosYou can now add up to 10 photos or videos for What's New, Event, and Offer Posts. Watch out though, the photo order can get jumbled.

Posts with more than one photo or video currently only show up on desktop and mobile search results. This update was rolled out earlier this month and we expect the coverage will expand in the future. If a post has more than one photo, the preview will look like this: The ability to add a collection of photos and videos opens up new opportunities for the feature. Try it today to: Feature team members using group and individual photos. Showcase products and services. Add before and after photos from customer projects. (H/T to Carrie Hill for that idea). Share your office space or storefront and take searchers on a tour of your business. Create how-to images with steps (once the jumbled photo problem is resolved). Share weekly specials. Feature photos from recent events, your involvement in community events, or team-building activities.Product Posts = Products FeatureProduct Posts are now part of the Products feature. This Product post type disappeared back in November and has since been integrated with Products. You can only add one image per Product. When you create a Product Post in the Posts section, the Product is only published in the Products section and not included in the Posts feed. You may not be able to add multiple images to Products, but there are perks to this feature which include: Products never expire. Products have high placement in the Business Profile. Each product has a call-to-action button (order online, buy, learn more, get offer), and a call button that connects to your primary number. You can create custom categories to organize your products. The Products feature was expanded back in June 2019 and is available to most categories, aside from a few verticals for which the feature is disabled. However, many businesses are still finding that they do not have access to this feature as a result of a known bug.

Cheers,Team Whitespark

Reader Mailbag #1

We've launched the Reader Mailbag series and every month will answer your questions on local search, GMB, and other related topics. In this edition we tackled the following reader questions:

Why does Google keep rejecting my Posts?
What is the "view plan" in my GMB dashboard? Do I need to complete the recommendations?
How does the "Located In" feature work?
Should you make new GMB listings for every practitioner in a clinic?

Turn Your Reviews into Social Media Content With Our Latest Reputation Builder Feature

Shine a light on customer experiences and make your brand stand out with our new Social Sharing feature in the Reputation Builder. Share your top reviews to Google Posts and Facebook directly from the platform, then download your creations and post on Instagram and Twitter.

AROUND THE WEB

☎️ Here are 5 call tracking myths busted, so you can get off the fence and get on the phone!
This new local SERP in Europe is displaying branded directory buttons above the map. 👀
🥀 Florist GMB listings are getting hijacked by third-party delivery services.
Learn how to digitize word-of-mouth content 👄 and create a trusted content marketing strategy (podcast).
🛍️ Get more organic traffic on your Shopify website with these SEO tips.
Apple released a new redesigned Maps in the U.S. and while they may still be behind Google Maps in terms of features, they do offer privacy and will not serve up ads in the form of promoted pins. 🍎
👏 Unite as a team and reinforce brand values while having fun together.