Google is the go-to website whenever people need something. Are they looking for a place to stay in San Francisco, California? Google. Are they looking for a spa so they can relax and unwind after a grueling, long week? Google. Are they looking to gorge themselves on a fancy buffet? Google!
That’s why every business in the service industry should have a Google Business Profile to be visible on Google. This will let searchers know these businesses can fulfill their every need. And if you work in the hotel industry, this is even more important as your potential customers will probably not even be from the area you service. They’ll be from different cities or even countries and would rely on Google, not word of mouth. So, you need to look good both offline and online! You can do this by working on your Google Business profile.
Why is Google Business Profile So Important?
Google My Business (GMB) is a crucial tool for businesses because it helps them increase their visibility and reach on Google. When a business is listed on GMB, it appears in Google Maps and the local pack of Google search results. This makes it easier for customers to find the business and its contact information.
Additionally, GMB allows businesses to manage their online presence by providing them with a platform to update their information, respond to reviews, and post updates. Having a complete and optimized GMB listing can lead to increased website traffic, phone calls, and store visits.
Overall, GMB helps businesses increase their online visibility and reach potential customers more effectively. Obviously, for a hotel, the success of your business largely depends on how many customers want to check into your hotel or use at least use its amenities. That’s why those in the hotel industry always need to update their GMB so customers can learn more about their businesses.
How Do I Improve Our Hotel’s Google My Business Profile?
There are many ways to improve your Google My Business profile for your hotel, and here they are:
- Make sure your business information is complete and accurate. This includes your business hours, contact information, and location.
- Use high-quality photos of your hotel, including rooms, common areas, and any amenities you offer. Are you advertising yourself as a 5-star hotel? Make sure your photos are of 5-star quality as well!
- Encourage customers to leave reviews of your hotel on your Google Business Profile. Positive reviews can greatly improve your visibility and credibility. You may do this by sending a follow-up email encouraging them to leave a review.
- Respond to both positive and negative reviews in a timely and professional manner. This makes you seem responsive to feedback.
- Utilize the ‘Posts’ feature to keep customers updated on events, promotions, or changes at your hotel. Have a convention or a special deal going on? Rave about it online!
- Use Google My Business Insights to track your profile’s performance and make adjustments as needed.
- Use Google’s ‘Q&A’ section to provide answers to frequently asked questions about your hotel.
- Use relevant categories to describe your hotel, such as ‘hotel,’ ‘lodging,’ and ‘accommodations.’
- Include information about any special services or amenities your hotel offers, such as a spa or restaurant. As we mentioned earlier, sometimes people don’t want to check into a hotel and would rather take advantage of its fancy amenities.
- Use keywords in your business description that are relevant to your hotel and the services it offers.
What Else Can I Do?
In addition to the tips above, it’s also important to regularly update your Google Business Profile and keep your information accurate and up-to-date. Ever planned a trip to a new place and researched hotels and accommodations? Didn’t hotels that had up-to-date information and answered questions look more appealing than hotels with virtually no information?
Your profile is an important representation of your business, so take the time to make it look as professional and appealing as possible. As you optimize your profile, you can take advantage of the many features that Google My Business offers to help your hotel reach more customers. This will not only make you look good but will appeal to new customers!