Google has introduced a new tab in its local search results dedicated to posts from Google My Business (GMB).
This feature will appear only for businesses that have published posts through GMB.
Since not all businesses with a GMB page use the posts feature, the ‘Posts’ tab will not be visible in all local business searches.
The increased visibility in Google search results may encourage more businesses to start using the GMB posts feature.
Here’s an example of this feature for a local restaurant in Toronto:
When users tap on the tab, they can vertically scroll through the posts, while a carousel of images at the top can be scrolled through horizontally.
I have also tested this feature with businesses in various other verticals, suggesting that the ‘Posts’ tab will likely appear for any business using GMB posts.
One possible exception may be hotels, as the ‘Prices’ tab seems to take the place of the ‘Posts’ tab for these businesses.
During numerous searches for hotels, I could not find any evidence of the ‘Posts’ tab being displayed.
This update is the second related to posts on Google My Business in less than a month. It appears Google is encouraging the adoption of the posts feature.
Earlier this month, Google began offering insights for Google My Business posts. These insights display the number of views, clicks, and how these metrics change over time.
Businesses that publish GMB posts should check their insights to see if the new tab in the search results has had a noticeable impact on views and clicks.