Unclaimed #19: The Accounting Firm's Guide to Google Posts — What to Publish, How Often, and Why Every Week You Skip Costs You Clients

24 Jun, 2026

After 300+ audits, I can count on one hand the number of accounting firms that publish regular Google Posts.

The rest — the overwhelming majority — have never published a single one. Not one. Ever.

This is not a minor oversight. Google's own data says regularly updated profiles get 5x more views. Half of all customers look for promotions when searching for a business online. A major home decor retailer saw a 31% increase in Google Map Views just by adding Posts. And yet accounting firms — who spend thousands on websites, LinkedIn, and networking events — ignore the one free marketing channel that appears directly in Google Search and Maps results.

This guide covers everything: what Google Posts are, why they matter, the 4 types that actually work for accounting firms, exactly what to write (templates included), and how to build a simple weekly rhythm that takes 5 minutes and puts you ahead of 95% of your competitors.

First, what are Google Posts?

Google Posts are short updates that appear directly on your Google Business Profile in Search and Maps. They sit below your description and above your reviews. When a prospect searches your firm name or finds you in the local 3-pack, your Posts are among the first things they see.

Google officially supports three post types:

Updates — General announcements, tips, news, or content. This is the workhorse category.
Events — Time-bound happenings with a start and end date. Webinars, seminars, open days.
Offers — Promotions or discounts with a title, start date, end date, and optional coupon code.

Each post can include text, an image or video, and a call-to-action button (Learn More, Book, Order Online, Buy, Sign Up, Call Now).

Posts are not permanent. They expire after six months. This is by design — Google wants fresh content, not a static archive. When a post expires, it disappears from your profile. If you haven't published anything new, your profile goes silent.

What Google's own data says about Posts

Google publishes a playbook for Business Profiles. It's free. It's official. It's step-by-step. The section on Posts contains data that should make every accounting firm stop and pay attention:

5x more views for regularly updated Business Profiles. This is Google's own number. Not a third-party estimate. Not a marketing agency's claim. Google's internal data. A profile that posts regularly gets five times more views than one that doesn't.

50% of customers look for promotions or discounts when searching for a business online. Half of all prospects are actively looking for offers. If you've never posted an Offer, you're invisible to half the people searching.

Public case study: major retailer +31% Google Map Views. A well-known home decor brand added Google Posts to their GBP and saw a 31% increase in Google Map Views and a 6% increase in Google Search Views. They also reported increased foot traffic into stores and higher conversions based on Post promotions. This is a public case study published by Google.

2 billion+ direct connections every month. In 2024, Google drove more than 2 billion direct connections — phone calls, requests for directions, messages, bookings, and reviews — for 19 million+ businesses. Posts are one of the free tools that help you capture your share of those connections.

Google's own best practices for Posts, quoted directly from their playbook:

Include keywords (e.g., "tax deadline," "VAT return")
Include a great visual, description, and date
Post at least once a week
Use all three post types: Updates, Events, and Offers

What I see in 300+ accounting firm audits

Google's playbook is clear. The data is compelling. The feature is free. And yet, across 300+ accounting and bookkeeping firm audits, here's what I actually find:

Zero posts. On almost every profile.

Not "few posts." Not "outdated posts." Zero. The Post section on most accounting firm GBPs is either completely empty or contains a single Christmas message from three years ago that expired 30 months ago and is still sitting there as a ghost.

In the rare cases where I do find Posts, the pattern is always the same: someone at the firm got enthusiastic during lockdown, published three or four updates, and then stopped. The most recent post is from 2020. It's still visible because expired posts sometimes linger as artifacts, but the timestamp tells prospects everything they need to know: this firm hasn't communicated anything in years.

Why this happens:

Most firm owners don't know Google Posts exist. They set up their profile, verified it, and never opened the dashboard again.
Those who do know about Posts assume they need a social media strategy, a content calendar, and a dedicated marketing person. They don't. One post per week. Five minutes.
The GBP dashboard isn't intuitive. The "Add Post" button is visible, but if you're not looking for it, you don't see it.
Nobody's job description includes "publish Google Posts." It falls through the same accountability gap as everything else on the profile.

The result: 95% of accounting firms have zero active Posts. A firm that posts once a week immediately distinguishes itself from almost every competitor in its local market.

The 4 types of Google Posts that work for accounting firms

Google officially supports three post types: Updates, Events, and Offers. But for accounting firms specifically, I've found that four content categories work best. Three fit within Google's "Update" format. One is an Offer. Events are useful for webinars and seminars but are less frequently needed for most firms.

Here are the four types, with real examples you can adapt for your firm.

Type 1: The Deadline Reminder

What it is: A timely alert about an upcoming tax or compliance deadline. Short. Specific. Actionable.

Why it works: A business owner searching "when is the self-assessment deadline" or "VAT deadline January" finds your post in search results. Before they even click through to your website, they see your firm being helpful, knowledgeable, and proactive. You've answered their question before they asked it.

When to post: These are seasonal. Map them to the tax calendar.

Real examples you can adapt:

"The 31 January Self-Assessment deadline is 4 weeks away. If you haven't started gathering your records, now is the time. Need help? We can file for you. [Link]"
"Payment on Account is due 31 July. If your tax bill was over £1,000 last year, HMRC expects a payment on account towards next year's bill. This catches a lot of people out. Here's what to expect. [Link]"
"VAT return deadline: 7 February. If you're on quarterly filing, your return covering October-December is due. Don't leave it until the last weekend. [Link]"
"The 5 October deadline to register for Self-Assessment applies if you became self-employed or started receiving rental income in the last tax year. If you haven't registered yet, do it now — the penalty for late registration is £100. [Link]"
"Corporation Tax payment deadline: 9 months and 1 day after your year-end. If your company year-end is 31 March, your payment is due 1 January. Yes, during the Christmas break. Plan ahead. [Link]"

Best for: January (SA filing), July (Payment on Account), October (SA registration, paper filing deadline), December (Christmas payroll, Corp Tax for March year-ends), any month with a VAT deadline for quarterly filers.

Image idea: A simple calendar graphic with the date circled in red. Or a screenshot of the HMRC deadline page. Or a countdown-style image. Canva template, 2 minutes.

Type 2: The Regulatory Update

What it is: A brief summary of a regulatory or legislative change that affects businesses or individuals. You're not writing a dissertation. You're flagging something important and offering to help.

Why it works: Regulation changes constantly. MTD. VAT thresholds. Employment law. Mileage rates. Dividend tax. Capital allowances. Business owners know they should keep up but don't have time. When your Post appears in their search results with a clear, simple explanation of what changed and what to do about it, you become the expert they call.

Real examples you can adapt:

"HMRC has increased the Approved Mileage Allowance from 45p to 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles — the first increase in 15 years. If you use your own vehicle for work or reimburse employees for business mileage, here's what you need to update. [Link]"
"Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: the phased rollout starts April 2026 for self-employed individuals and landlords with income over £50,000. That means quarterly digital submissions instead of one annual return. Here's what you need to do to prepare. [Link]"
"Employment law update: From April 2026, employers must keep detailed holiday pay and leave records for six years. Failure to comply could result in enforcement action and unlimited fines. Most businesses already hold this information — but now is the time to check your systems. [Link]"
"The VAT registration threshold remains at £90,000. If your turnover is approaching this figure, you must register. If you're already registered, the deregistration threshold is £88,000. HMRC is actively reviewing businesses that may have crossed the threshold without registering. [Link]"
"Corporation Tax rate reminder: The main rate remains at 25% for profits over £250,000. The small profits rate of 19% applies to profits under £50,000. Between £50,000 and £250,000, marginal relief applies. If you're not sure which rate applies to your business, we can help. [Link]"

Best for: Budget announcements, new tax year (April), MTD updates, employment law changes, HMRC consultations, any regulatory change that affects your client base.

Image idea: A screenshot of the relevant HMRC or government announcement. Or a simple text graphic with the key number highlighted. "55p" in large font for the mileage rate change. Canva, 2 minutes.

Type 3: The Practical Tip

What it is: A short, genuinely useful piece of advice for business owners or individuals. Not promotional. Not salesy. Just helpful.

Why it works: This is the content people share. A business owner sees your tip, thinks "that's useful," and mentions it to a colleague. Or saves it. Or remembers your firm next time they need an accountant. Practical tips position you as helpful and generous — exactly the qualities people want in a financial adviser.

Real examples you can adapt:

"If you work from home, you can claim £6/week in tax relief without keeping receipts. It's not a lot, but it takes 30 seconds to claim on your tax return. Most people don't bother. That's exactly why you should. [Link]"
"If you're married or in a civil partnership and one of you is a basic rate taxpayer while the other is higher rate, you can transfer 10% of your personal allowance to save up to £252/year. The Marriage Allowance is free to claim and can be backdated up to 4 years. That's potentially £1,258 back from HMRC. [Link]"
"Pension contributions are one of the most tax-efficient ways to extract profit from your business. Contributions are deductible against corporation tax, and the funds grow free of income tax and capital gains tax. The annual allowance is £60,000. If you haven't used it, you can carry forward unused allowance from the previous three years. [Link]"
"If you employ your spouse or children in your business, their salaries are deductible against your profits — provided the work is genuine and the pay is reasonable. It's a legitimate way to use personal allowances within the family. But HMRC does check. The salary must be justifiable. [Link]"
"Claiming the Christmas party? You can spend up to £150 per head (including VAT) on an annual event for your employees and claim it as a tax-deductible expense. The key word is 'annual.' If you have a summer BBQ too, only one event qualifies unless both combined are under £150 per head. [Link]"

Best for: Any time. These are evergreen. One per month keeps your profile consistently helpful.

Image idea: A simple text graphic with the key number. "£6/week" for the home office claim. "£1,258 back" for the marriage allowance. Or a relevant stock-free photo — a home office desk, a family, a pension statement. Canva, 2 minutes.

Type 4: The Firm Update

What it is: News about your firm. New hires. Awards. Office openings. Charity events. Work anniversaries. Community involvement.

Why it works: Prospects want to know you're a real, active, engaged business. A profile with firm updates looks alive. It shows you're growing, you're involved in your community, and you're proud of your team. It's also the easiest content to create — you already have this news. You just haven't posted it on Google.

Real examples you can adapt:

"We're delighted to welcome a new Senior Manager to our audit team. She joins us from a Top 20 firm and brings 12 years of experience working with owner-managed businesses across the region. Welcome to the team! [Photo]"
"We're proud to have been named in the Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2026 — up from 94th to 56th. A huge thank you to our incredible team who make this firm what it is. [Link]"
"Last weekend, our team walked 8 miles to raise funds for our local hospice. Together we raised over £1,200 for an incredible cause. Thank you to everyone who supported us! [Photo]"
"Congratulations to our Senior Tax Manager, who was named Rising Star at this year's national taxation awards. She's helped double the size of our tax portfolio and built specialist expertise in a complex advisory area. An incredible achievement! [Photo]"
"We're excited to announce the opening of our new office in the city centre. This expansion allows us to better serve our growing client base across the region. Come say hello! [Photo]"

Best for: Awards, new partners, new hires, charity events, office openings, work anniversaries, community sponsorships, conference attendance, CPD achievements.

Image idea: A photo of the person, event, or office. Real photos. Not stock. If it's an award, a photo of the certificate or trophy. If it's a charity walk, a team photo. Authenticity beats polish.

Bonus: Events and Offers

Google's two other official post types are worth using when the opportunity arises:

Events: If you're hosting a webinar, seminar, or open day, create an Event post with the date, time, and registration link. Example: "Join our free MTD for Income Tax webinar on Wednesday 15 July at 10:00 AM. We'll cover what's changing, who's affected, and what you need to do to prepare. Register here: [Link]"

Offers: If you're running a promotion — a free initial consultation, a discounted service for new clients, a fixed-fee package — create an Offer post with a title, start date, end date, and optional coupon code. Example: "Free initial consultation for new business clients this month. Book before 31 August. [Link]"

How to actually create a Google Post

The process is simple. Here's the step-by-step, directly from Google's documentation:

Go to your Business Profile on Google Search or Google Maps
Select "Add Post" (or "Add update" on some interfaces)
Choose your post type: Update, Offer, or Event
Add your content:
- Text (1,500 characters maximum, but shorter is better — aim for 80-150 words)
- An image or video (minimum 400x300 pixels, 10MB max for photos, 100MB max for videos)
- A call-to-action button if appropriate (Learn More, Book, Order Online, Buy, Sign Up, Call Now)
Select "Publish"

That's it. Five minutes. Free. Your post is now live on your profile and visible in Search and Maps.

Google's best practices, quoted from their playbook:

Include keywords — If you're posting about a tax deadline, use the words people search for: "Self-Assessment deadline," "VAT return," "Corporation Tax payment." This helps your post appear in relevant searches.
Include a great visual — Posts with images get more engagement than text-only posts. Use a real photo or a simple Canva graphic. Not stock images. Something that looks like it came from a real firm.
Include a description and date — Context matters. Tell people what the post is about and when it's relevant.
Post at least once a week — Consistency signals to Google that your profile is active. A profile that posts weekly gets 5x more views than one that doesn't.
Use all three post types — Updates for regular content, Events for webinars and seminars, Offers for promotions. Variety keeps your profile interesting.

What NOT to do:

Don't stuff keywords unnaturally. Write for humans first.
Don't use stock photos that look like stock photos. Real images of real people and real offices perform better.
Don't post and ghost. If you're going to start posting, commit to at least one per week. A profile with three posts from 2020 looks worse than a profile with zero posts.
Don't make every post a sales pitch. The Practical Tip and Regulatory Update posts are valuable without asking for anything. They build trust. Trust builds clients.

A simple posting rhythm for accounting firms

Here's a sustainable rhythm that takes 5 minutes per week:

Week	Post Type	Example
Week 1	Practical Tip	"Claim £6/week for working from home"
Week 2	Regulatory Update	"Mileage rate increased to 55p/mile"
Week 3	Firm Update	"Welcome to our new audit senior"
Week 4	Deadline Reminder	"Self-Assessment deadline 4 weeks away"

Total time commitment: 20 minutes per month. That's less time than a single networking breakfast — and the post works 24/7 for six months until it expires.

Tools you need:

Access to your GBP dashboard (if you don't have it, fix that first — see Lesson 11)
Canva (free) for creating simple graphics — use a template, swap the text, export, upload
A calendar reminder for the first Monday of every month to plan the month's posts

For multi-office firms: Each office should post independently. A post about the Bath office's charity walk doesn't belong on the Swindon office's profile. Local content for local profiles. The rhythm is the same for each location.

What happens when you stop posting

Posts expire after six months. If you publish four posts during an optimization push and then stop, those posts disappear one by one over the following six months. Your profile goes silent. A prospect checking your profile sees nothing. No updates. No news. No evidence you're still in business.

Meanwhile, a competitor who posts weekly has fresh content appearing regularly. Their profile looks active. Yours looks abandoned.

This is the post-optimization decay I documented in detail in Unclaimed #17: What Happens After GBP Optimization. Google Posts are one of the five things that break first when you stop maintaining your profile.

The fix is not complicated. One post per week. Four per month. Set a recurring calendar reminder. It takes less time than scrolling LinkedIn.

The competitive reality

After 300+ audits, here's what I know about accounting firms and Google Posts:

~95% have never published a single post.
~3% published a few posts during lockdown and never again.
~2% post regularly.

If you publish one post per week, you are in the top 2% of accounting firms on Google. The bar is that low. Your competitors are not posting. They're not even aware the feature exists. One post per week puts you ahead of almost every other firm in your local market.

Google's own data confirms what happens next: 5x more views. More engagement. More prospects seeing your name attached to helpful, timely, relevant content. A major retailer proved it works with a 31% increase in Map Views. The only question is whether you'll actually do it.

The self-assessment: is your profile posting?

Answer these honestly:

When was your last Google Post published? More than 6 months ago? More than a year? Never?
If you have multiple offices, does every location post regularly?
Do you have a calendar reminder to post weekly?
Is there one named person responsible for publishing Posts?
Have you used all three post types (Update, Event, Offer)?

If you answered "no" or "I don't know" to any of these: your profile is invisible to the 50% of customers looking for promotions and updates. You're missing 5x the views you could be getting. And you're letting competitors who do post look more active and engaged than you.

This is Unclaimed #19 — the definitive guide to Google Posts for accounting and bookkeeping firms. Built from Google's official playbook, real case studies, and 300+ firm audits. No theory. No generic advice. Exact steps. Real examples.

Unclaimed is written by the founder of VindMyBusiness. I audit Google Business Profiles for accounting and bookkeeping firms. I find the gap between excellent reputations and invisible Google profiles — and write about what I discover. No firm names. Just patterns.

Want me to personally audit your profile and show you exactly what's missing? Get a free GBP Scorecard — I'll review your Google Business Profile and send you a personalized report. No cost. No pitch. No obligation.

Prefer to fix everything yourself? I built a free 19-lesson GBP Masterclass from 300+ real audits — step-by-step, no generic advice, everything I know made public. → Free GBP Masterclass

📺 Watch the video version on YouTube — new case study every Monday. → Subscribe to VindMyBusiness on YouTube

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