Using ‘Google My Business’ for hotels
Google plays a central role in any business’s success or failure and the influence of search engines means hotels are more visible than ever. Use this to your advantage by using the resources made available by Google, such as Google My Business. Playing the Google game can bring benefits, even for the smallest hotel.
Ready for the benefits?
Setting up your Google My Business Account: here’s how!
My Business helps your guests easily find, review, and/or rate your hotel via any of Google’s applications.
Here are the four steps for creating your account:
- Go to this ‘Google My Business’: https://www.google.com/intl/en/business/
- Click, start now
- Add your business including your name, location details, main number, and type of business – they even include a range of different types of hotels from boutique to budget, to conference, and so much more.
- Verify your business via your choice of: phone, email, or regular mail
- Start using it!
What can I do within Google My Business?
The information that you add in the Google My Business page will be directly shown in the Google Search results and in Google Maps. You add your company’s opening hours, phone number, website URL, pictures, and any additional details you want to make easily accessible to guests. Probably the most important aspect of your Google My Business account is the ability for your guest reviews to appear directly in Maps or Search results.
Within Google My Business, you can see extensive analytics on people’s interactions with your hotel via Google. Whether a person tries to find you on Google Maps, views your Google Listing from Search, clicks on your phone number from Search, or visits your website – you can see it from the Dashboard. Check out the Google My Business page for details on the benefits!
How does this help my hotel?
Well, having a Google My Business account makes your hotel website more easily accessible by appearing within Google Search listings. Potential guests can easily click “visit website” or “call” straight from Search. This increases the likelihood of these guests to not only view the reviews you’ve incorporated into your website, but also book directly with you instead of through a commissioned OTA.
For more on how Google My Business helps your hotel, read our article on Google Reviews here.
Information gathered from Google My Business Benefits page.