Google Business Profile posts for dental practices

Google Business Profile posts are short updates you publish on your practice's profile, with a photo or video, some text and an optional button. They show to people looking at your profile on Google Search and Maps. Posting is free and takes a few minutes. For a dental practice, posts are useful for practical news patients need to see, such as appointment availability, a new service or changed hours, as long as every post follows the same GDC and advertising rules as your website.

What are Google Business posts?

Google describes posts as a way to share announcements, offers, updates and event details directly with your customers on Search and Maps. There are three types:

Posts show on your profile in Google Search and Maps, so they reach people who are already looking at your practice.

How do I make a post on my Google Business Profile?

1. Go to your Business Profile while signed in as an owner or manager.
2. Select Posts, then Add post.
3. Choose Update, Offer or Event.
4. Add the elements you want, such as a photo, text and a button.
5. To publish later, turn on Schedule this post and pick a date and time. You can also set a post to repeat weekly, monthly or on a custom schedule.
6. Select Post. If you manage several profiles, you can choose which ones to share it to.

After you publish, Google reviews the post. Its status will be Live, Pending or Not approved. Google says a pending post does not show on Search or Maps, and that a post stays pending while it uploads or processes, or if your profile is unverified. A post marked Not approved has a question mark next to it showing which policy it broke.

Can you post your business on Google for free?

Yes. The profile itself is free, and Google says you can add or claim your business at no charge. Posts are part of the profile and cost nothing. The only paid way to appear on Google is advertising, which is separate and covered in our guide to Google Ads for dentists.

What is the best size for a Google Business Profile post image?

Google's posts help page does not set separate image sizes, so work to its general requirements for profile photos and videos:

• Photos in JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB.
• Recommended resolution 720 pixels by 720 pixels, minimum 250 by 250.
• In focus and well lit, with no significant alterations or heavy filters.
• Videos up to 30 seconds and 75 MB, at 720p or higher.

Keep the important part of the image near the centre in case it is cropped. Use real photos of your practice and team. Stock photos of smiling models say nothing about you, and clinical photos raise consent and advertising questions covered below.

What Google removes from posts

Google's posts content policy and its tips for posts set out what gets a post refused or taken down.

• Phone numbers and email addresses in the text. Google says it may remove posts with unverified contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses and social media handles. Add the Call now button instead, which uses the verified number on your profile.
• Unprofessional content. Google asks you to avoid misspellings, extra characters, text that adds no value, and auto-generated or distracting content.
• Untrusted links. Links to malware, phishing or similar sites are blocked.
• Regulated products. Google says businesses in regulated industries can use posts but should not include content about the regulated products themselves.

Google lists pharmaceutical products and health and medical devices among those regulated industries, which matters if you offer facial aesthetics. If details in a post change, edit it so it stays accurate.

The GDC and advertising rules that apply to posts

A post is marketing, so the professional and advertising rules apply to it just as they do to your website and social media.

• The ASA covers it. The CAP Code applies to marketing by a business on its own website and in other non-paid-for space online under its control. A post on your own profile is space you control.
• No prescription-only medicines. The ASA says products such as Botox are prescription-only and cannot be advertised to the public. Do not name them in posts or offers.
• Treatment claims. The GDC's guidance on advertising asks you to avoid claims likely to create unjustified expectations about results, and, when promoting treatment on marketing or social networking sites, to make clear it may not be appropriate for every patient and depends on a satisfactory assessment.
• Titles. The GDC says a dentist not on a specialist list must not use titles that imply specialist status, such as Orthodontist or Periodontist.
• Prices and offers. If you quote a price, make sure it is the price a patient will actually be offered. A "from" price should be genuinely available, not a rare exception.

Before and after photos are a separate area with their own rules. If in doubt, leave them out of posts.

Do Google posts help your ranking?

Google does not say they do. Its page on local ranking says results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity, and its tips cover complete information, verification, accurate hours, replying to reviews and adding photos. Posts are not on that list.

That does not make them pointless. A patient comparing three practices in the map sees your posts on your profile, and a recent, useful post shows the practice is active and tells them something they need to know. Treat posts as a way to inform patients who are already looking at you, not as a ranking lever. The things that move map position are covered in our guide to local SEO for dentists.

Google My Business posts examples for a dental practice

Good posts are specific and useful. Some ideas that suit most practices:

• Appointment availability. "Hygienist appointments are available on Tuesday and Thursday evenings this month. Book online or call us." Use the Book or Call now button.
• Changes to opening hours. A post about Christmas hours, alongside special hours set on the profile itself.
• New patients. Whether you are taking on new private or NHS patients, stated plainly and kept up to date.
• A new team member. Their name, role and GDC registration number, with a photo they have agreed to.
• Practical information. Parking changes, step-free access, or a new entrance.
• An event. A charity day or a talk, with a clear start and end time.

Avoid posts that only say "We're open" or repeat the same promotional line every week. Google's tips specifically warn against text that adds no value.

How often should a practice post?

Google does not set a frequency. Post when you have something a patient would want to know. For many practices that is a few times a month. Schedule posts in advance so they go out during busy weeks, and make one person responsible so it does not lapse.

A simple routine that works for a small team:

1. At the start of each month, list two or three things patients should know, such as availability, hours or team changes.
2. Take the photos on a quiet afternoon, with consent from anyone who appears.
3. Write each post in plain language, check it against the GDC and ASA points above, and add the right button.
4. Schedule them across the month.
5. Check a week later that each one is Live, and fix any that were not approved.

Is it worth having a Google Business Profile?

For a dental practice, yes. It is free, it is what appears in the map when patients search for a dentist, and it carries your reviews. Posts are a small part of it. Get the basics right first, such as the name, category, hours, services and reviews. Then use posts to keep the profile current. To see how your reviews compare with the practices holding the map in your town, read how to work out your review target.