How Google Posts Can Increase Your Insurance Agency’s Online Visibility
When Google Posts was launched in 2016, a lot of people thought the idea would be a total flop. Many guessed that Google would get rid of the option within a year. But now, Google Posts is a robust feature that is here to stay in the world of digital marketing. For many businesses, including insurance agents, Google Posts can help you get the online visibility you want for your agency. Google’s new algorithm also places emphasis on posts. So what exactly are these posts, how do they work, and what can they do for your business? We’ll explore the ins and outs in more detail below.
What is Google Posts?
Google Posts is a feature within Google Business that places content on your business listing. The posts are meant to be very short and concise. You can also include either a relevant image or a video.
The goal of Google Posts is to help your insurance agency get increased visibility on Google. Businesses can use posts to highlight sales events, promotions, or related articles to their industry. Use posts to attract new clients, or upsell existing services while at the same time, increasing your online presence with the biggest search engine in the world. One major thing businesses need to keep in mind though is that all posts expire within seven days.
In essence, Google Posts encourages insurance agencies to produce new content on a steady basis. Posting new content regularly is one of the most effective strategies for increasing your online visibility. Google Posts also allows you to include CTAs on your posts. You can also view Google Posts “insights” to see how the posts are performing on search engines and Google Maps.
Where can users view your posts?
When someone looks at your Google My Business Listing, they can find your posts within the overview of your account, or knowledge panel. Viewers can scroll both left and right, and look at up to ten posts your agency has recently made. You can also view them in the “posts” tab. The great thing about Google Posts is it is an unsaturated feature that you can use to get the competitive edge in your local market.
What do you need to know about recent Google Post changes?
Google Posts is an excellent tool that insurance agents can leverage to increase their online visibility. For local businesses, Google Posts has been invaluable when it comes to sharing updates, making important announcements, or sharing other content that speaks to their ideal customers.
Google Post content appears within an insurance agency’s knowledge panel on the GMB, and they make it easy for you to add dynamic content to your agency’s listing. For example, if you have to change your agency’s hours, use a post to get the word out. But there is one significant change that has occurred with Google Posts that business owners need to understand.
Initially, posts appeared at the top of the knowledge panel. But Google has changed this. The posts can now appear either at the bottom of the knowledge panel for desktop searches or become detached from the knowledge panel for mobile viewing. While there are rumors that Google will eventually move the posts back to their original spot at the top of the knowledge panel, that remains to be seen. For now, posts appear at the bottom. Why?
Google can be mysterious, and the way its algorithm operates is subject to many different theories. Many speculate that Google has moved the posts to the bottom of the knowledge panel in a bid to push businesses into paying for advertising to build their online visibility. After all, Google is in direct competition with the Amazon juggernaut when it comes to advertising power. Suffice it to say, no one truly knows the answer or can pinpoint whether or not Google will change the positioning of the posts.
It’s also important to understand that Google Posts is still young in the grand scheme of things and was only rolled out in 2016. With a feature that new, it’s natural that Google would test, tweak, and change things around at least a few times. No matter what, though, insurance agents need to be aware of these changes so they can fully understand the feature and leverage the power of posts.
Why does Google Posts increase online visibility?
GMB listings have become more and more prominent and influential over the last few years. Google Posts, no matter where they display on the knowledge panel, are an integral part of your GMB account. To make the most of the free GMB account for your insurance agency, you’ll want to utilize all parts of it. Plus, GMB listings are being featured more heavily in local search results – which are critical for insurance agents looking to use the internet to grow their business offline.
Year-over-year, GMB listings have grown in prominence by 32%. When it comes to ranking locally, GMB is one of your most significant ranking factors. When you post new content to your Google My Business Listing, you’ll generate increased visibility on Google search.
Critical for High-value Purchases
Your agency depends on you and your agents being able to sell policies, which are a high-value item. For insurance agents, establishing a long-term relationship with clients is a crucial part of their business model, as well. Google Posts can help you accomplish both of these things when you can create short, compelling posts that keep clients and potential customers updated on your business. Looking for ideas? Consider using these types of posts for your insurance agency’s GMB listing:
- Use Google Posts to let your clients know about any holiday or emergency closures, or new office hours
- Let your customers know if you’re opening a new office or moving to a different location
- Give clients important claim information for emergencies
- Let your viewers know about the latest blogs and articles you’ve published on your website
- If you use an online booking program, let your customers know where and how they can make an appointment with you
- Let your clients know about upcoming seminars and events you’re hosting
- Use Google Posts to announce new insurance products or coverage options
- Announce new cross-selling opportunities like discounts for bundling home and auto
- Ask viewers to join your webinar or sign up for your agency newsletter
Using Google Posts is like having your very own online soapbox and bullhorn. Not only will using Google Posts drive increased visibility for you on Google search, but it also offers you some unique selling opportunities you might not get with a regular blog article or email. With that said, what are some best practices to keep in mind when making posts for your insurance agency?
- Don’t overthink it.
Chances are, you’ve already got different types of content you’re posting across social media, on your website, or via your email newsletter. Instead of overthinking things and becoming overwhelmed with creating new content, go easy on yourself. Leverage what you already have. You’ll save time, energy, and avoid frustration when you repurpose your existing content for posts. Another benefit of using this cheap and easy technique is your brand will stay consistent across multiple content publishing channels. Clients appreciate brand consistency.
- Remember to use a compelling CTA.
Your posts should be highly leveraged and optimized. Don’t let your GMB potential go to waste by forgetting to add a call-to-action on the post. A strong CTA, complete with relevant URLs, will help drive increased business for your agency while also improving your visibility online.
- Don’t forget about tracking features.
Testing and optimizing is a major part of any successful digital marketing strategy. You can’t know if your Google Posts are performing the way you want them to if you don’t take advantage of tracking features. By monitoring the performance of your Google Posts, you’ll know exactly which types of content your audience (and the search engine) most appreciate. You can add UTM codes to Google Post URLs, allowing you to see if the post is increasing website traffic or not. Google Posts lets you see how many times the content was viewed, and if a viewer clicked on your link.
- Be accurate and leverage every part of the post.
Google Posts are supposed to complement your holistic digital marketing strategy and be an auxiliary for your Google My Business listing. But your GMB should be fully optimized in order to get the most out of your Google Posts strategy. Make sure that your agency GMB listing has accurate, complete information. Be sure to include an address and phone number, along with customer reviews. The entire knowledge panel should be complete, accurate, and designed for brand consistency.
- Remember the expiration date.
Google wants to encourage business owners to post fresh, new content continuously. Each post will expire within seven days unless you replace it. When it expires, it is removed from the search results page.
Google may be experimenting with where it wants Google Posts to display. But regardless, Google Posts aren’t going anywhere. If you want to increase your online visibility and attract new clients to your insurance agency, optimize your GMB listing with a steady stream of relevant, compelling posts.
Do you want to take your insurance agency’s digital marketing efforts from “okay” to “awesome”? If you’re looking to increase your online visibility and sales numbers, but aren’t sure where to start, contact us today at Lift Local and let’s start the conversation.