How to Add Social Media to Google My Business

Adding your social media profiles to your Google Business Profile isn't as simple as pasting a link anymore, but getting it right is more valuable than ever. While Google removed the dedicated field for social media links years ago, there are powerful, modern ways to integrate your social presence directly into your local search results. This guide will walk you through the essential strategies for syncing your social media marketing with your Google Business Profile to attract, engage, and convert more customers.

Why Can't I Just Add a Link Anymore?

Back in the day, Google Business Profile (then called Google My Business) had a specific section where you could simply drop in your links to Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and other platforms. Google removed this feature to improve the quality and authenticity of the information it displays. Instead of letting businesses self-report their links - which could lead to spam or outdated profiles - Google now relies on its algorithm to discover and display the social profiles it determines are most authoritative and relevant to that business.

While this feels like a loss of control, it’s actually an opportunity. By showing Google you have a strong, consistent, and authoritative online presence, you not only increase your chances of having those social links appear automatically, but you also build a stronger overall digital brand. Here’s how to do it.

Method 1: The Essential Foundation - Optimize Your Website

Google’s algorithm is essentially a validation engine. It cross-references information across the web to confirm that your business is who it says it is. Your website is the most important source of truth it uses, so this is where your efforts must begin. This is the primary method Google uses to automatically find and associate your social profiles.

1. Add Social Media Links to Your Website’s Header or Footer

This is the simplest and most vital step. Place the links to your active social media profiles in a prominent, sitewide location like your website’s header or footer. This makes them easy for both human visitors and Google’s crawlers to find on every single page.

Action Step: Check your website right now. Are your social media icons visible, correct, and working? If you have outdated links (like a Google+ profile), remove them immediately.

2. Use Schema Markup to Explicitly Connect Your Profiles

If placing links on your website is like putting up a sign, using schema markup is like handing Google your official business registration. Schema is a type of microdata that you add to your website's HTML to give search engines more context about your content. Specifically, the SameAs property tells Google that your website and social media profiles are all owned and operated by the same entity.

This might sound technical, but it’s straightforward to implement, especially with tools like Google's Structured Data Markup Helper. You would add a small snippet of JSON-LD code to the <,head>, section of your homepage.

Example Schema Markup:

Here’s what it can look like. You would just copy this structure and replace the example details with your own.

<,script type="application/ld+json">,
{
"@context": "http://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Your Brand Name",
"url": "https://www.yourwebsite.com",
"logo": "https://www.yourwebsite.com/your-logo.png",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/yourprofile",
"https://www.instagram.com/yourhandle",
"https://twitter.com/yourhandle",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourcompany",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhandle",
"https://www.youtube.com/yourchannel"
]
}
<,/script>,

This small piece of code hands Google every one of your official profiles on a silver platter, making the connection unmistakable.

3. Maintain NAP Consistency

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. Google looks for identical NAP information across your website, your Google Business Profile, and all of your social media profiles. If your Facebook page lists a different phone number than your GBP, it can cause confusion for the algorithm and hurt its trust in your entity.

Action Step: Audit your main social profiles. Does the business name, address, and phone number listed there match exactly what’s on your Google Business Profile? Even small differences can cause problems.

Method 2: Bring Your Social Content to the Forefront with Google Posts

Beyond getting your profile links to appear, the best way to leverage your social presence is through Google Posts. Posts are mini social updates that appear directly on your Business Profile in search and maps. They let you share news, promote offers, and highlight content - and they can link directly to your social media.

While an Instagram Story disappears after 24 hours and a tweet gets buried in the feed, a Google Post gives your social content prime real estate right when potential customers are searching for you or your services.

How to Repurpose Social Content for a Google Post (Step-by-Step):

1. Log in to your Google Business Profile Manager: Navigate to your profile dashboard.
2. Create a Post: Look for the "Add update," "Add offer," or "Add event" buttons. Most of the time, "Add update" is the best choice for sharing social content.
3. Write a short description: Craft a compelling caption (up to 1,500 characters) that summarizes your social media post. For example, "Check out our latest Instagram Reel to see a behind-the-scenes look at how our products are made!"
4. Add a photo or video: Use the same eye-catching visual from your original social post. Brand consistency reinforces your identity and makes the user experience smoother.
5. Add a Call-to-Action (CTA) Button: This is the most potent feature. Use the button to link directly to your content.
   • Choose a button like "Learn More," "Sign Up," or "Watch Now."
   • In the link field, paste the direct URL to your specific Instagram post, Facebook video, TikTok, or LinkedIn article.
6. Publish: Hit publish, and your social content is now live on your Google Business Profile!

Ideas for Content to Repurpose:

• Viral Videos: Have a Reel or TikTok that performed exceptionally well? Feature it in a Google Post with a "Watch Now" button linking directly to it.
• Customer Testimonials: If a customer leaves a fantastic comment on a Facebook post, take a screenshot of it (with permission!), upload it as the image, and link the Post back to your Facebook page.
• Blog or Article Promotions: If you promoted a new article on LinkedIn, create a Google Post with a snippet from the article and a "Read More" button linking to your LinkedIn post.
• Event Promotions: Hosting a giveaway on Instagram? Create a Google Post with the "Sign Up" or "Learn More" button linking directly to the Instagram post explaining the rules.

Method 3: Turn Your GBP into a Social Media Showcase

Think of your Google Business Profile not as a static directory listing but as a content channel. All the visual assets you create for your primary social media platforms can and should be uploaded to your GBP as well.

Leverage Your Photos and Videos

Your social media channels are filled with high-quality, engaging photos and short-form videos. Don't let them just sit there. Regularly upload this content to your GBP’s photo section. This builds a rich, visual library that tells your brand’s story at a glance.

Action Step: Organize your uploads. Create albums in your GBP for different types of content, just like you would on Facebook.

• Our Team: Post the "Meet the Team" photos from your Instagram.
• Behind the Scenes: Share the raw, candid clips you post to your Stories.
• Our Work: Highlight finished projects from your portfolio on Facebook or LinkedIn.
• Customer Submissions: Repost user-generated content from your social feeds to your GBP, giving your social proof another source of exposure.

Use the Q&A for Social Engagement

The "Questions & Answers" section of your profile is a prime spot for engagement. You can proactively answer common questions that you often get in your DMs or comments on social media. Frame your answers in a friendly, helpful, and brand-consistent voice that aligns with your social tone.

For example, if a popular question on Instagram is, "Do you offer shipping to Canada?", you can post that question and answer on your Google Business Profile. This shows you're engaged with your community and anticipates customer needs.

By blending your content generation strategies, you maintain a consistent brand story across every customer touchpoint, from social discovery to local search.

Final Thoughts

Connecting your social media profiles to your Google Business Profile is a game of alignment, not just linking. It is accomplished through on-site optimizations like Schema markup and consistent NAP, which allows Google's algorithm to automatically make the connection. More actively, you can transform your GBP into a dynamic extension of your social channels by repurposing your top-performing content, engaging customers via photos and Q&A, and using Google Posts to spotlight your best social updates.

Consistently creating, planning, and repurposing content across an ever-growing list of platforms is tough, and social strategy is a huge part of signaling your brand's relevance to Google. To help manage this across all channels, we built a visual calendar into Postbase that lets you see your entire content plan at a glance, making it incredibly simple to spot your best-performing content and schedule it as a Google Post. Pulling everything together with a tool built for modern social media helps you stay consistent and get more value out of the content you're already creating.