How to Measure the Impact of Google Posts

Case studies have shown that Google Posts have a mild impact on local search rankings, especially for brands in certain industries. The uptick in rankings that brands can see after publishing Google Posts is sustained for weeks or months, which makes this a low-effort strategy for brands looking to solidify their position in local search. For more than three years, businesses have been using Google Posts to post text and photos directly to Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). Google Posts appear in the Updates or Overview tab of your Business Profile on mobile devices and in the “From the Owner” section of your profile on desktop. on the local panel and on Maps. Google Posts can increase website traffic and boost sales;, however, they have historically been underutilized by brands because many agencies are unsure of how to quantify or measure their impact.

At SOCi, we recommend that brands use these strategies to measure the impact of Google Posts:

Tracking views
Tracking clicks
Using UTM parameters
Tracking revenue resulting from clicks on Posts

SOCi’s own data shows that click-through rates from Post campaigns average an impressive 1.44%, higher than the typical rates for online promotions. Brands that closely monitor website clicks and views from Posts may discover that certain topics or themes generate more engagement or conversions than others. This is all valuable information that can lead to stronger ROI across all digital marketing initiatives. While views and clicks can easily be tracked using Google Business Profile Insights, brands should also use UTM parameters to measure website traffic that originates from Google Posts. UTM parameters are pre-defined text codes that are added to URLs to track data about visitors and traffic sources. UTM parameters work with most analytics programs to give brands a clearer picture of their digital marketing ROI. When you are measuring the impact of Google Posts, it’s a good idea to use UTM parameters to keep track of visits to your website and subsequent actions. If you're struggling with managing Google Posts for multiple locations, SOCi can help.