Social media, posts and your business profile: what Google officially says

Some contractors sell “posts for the map” and claim that Facebook or Instagram posts move a business up in Google Maps results. We looked at what Google itself says — and what of it applies in Czechia.

How Google ranks businesses on the map

Google names three main factors: relevance (how well a profile matches what someone searches for), distance and prominence — based among other things on the number of reviews and of links to the business’s website. Its tips: verify your business, keep your information up to date, respond to reviews, add photos and videos.

Posts and social media are not mentioned in that overview. And it says outright that there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Anyone who claims otherwise should show the source.

Social media links in your profile

• You can add one link each to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, X and YouTube.
• But the feature is only available in select regions — in Czechia you may not see it in your profile.
• Google may also add links itself. It doesn’t show click statistics for them.

If you have the option, add the links: customers will find you elsewhere more easily. There is just no basis for expecting a better position from them.

Social media posts shown right in the profile

Google can automatically show posts about events and deals from Facebook or Instagram in a mobile business profile. According to the help page, this applies only to English-language, single-location food and drink businesses in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Czechia isn’t among them.

Posts in your business profile

• There are three types: updates, offers and events. You can schedule them ahead and repeat them.
• Posts older than 6 months are archived unless you set a date range.
• Google’s help page gives no recommended frequency and says nothing about ranking.

So write them for customers, not for an algorithm: when you have an event, a new service or changed holiday hours. An empty post “for activity” helps nobody.

Chat and messages

• Google ended Business Profile chat on 31 July 2024.
• Instead, a verified profile can show a WhatsApp link or an SMS number — again only in select regions. If you fill in both, customers only see SMS.
• Viber and Telegram are not among the official options.

Menus (for restaurants and cafés)

Food and drink businesses can keep their menu in the editor right in the profile. Google is also testing creating a menu automatically from a photo or PDF; for now as an experiment and only for one-page menus.

What follows from this

• Put effort into what Google itself names: complete, up-to-date information, a verified profile, replies to reviews, real photos.
• Run social media for your customers. It’s worth it on its own terms — just don’t expect it to move your map profile — Google promises no such thing.
• When someone sells you posts “for the algorithm”, ask for the source. We haven’t found an official one.

What we don’t promise: that Google will never change these features in Czechia. It changes them often — which is why every claim here links to its help page, where you can check the current state yourself.