How to Add and List Your Hotel on Google and Increase Bookings

Are you looking for cost-effective ways to enhance your online visibility and increase sales without emptying your pockets? Then, look no further at another guide. This blog is the right place to give you insights on how to list hotels on Google.

In this blog, I will uncover the exact steps a hotelier can follow to list the hotel on Google my business, a wide array of benefits you will get from creating a GMB profile, and tips that can help elevate your hotel sales. 

Keep scrolling it till the end.

What is Google My Business? 

Google My Business (GMB), aka Google business profile, is a free listing provided by Google. It allows companies to add various business details, including details of the business, photos, location, and product info.  

GMB proves to be a cost-effective way to increase visibility across Google services including Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping. Additionally, it allows businesses to connect with their customers and list their products/services on the Google directory.

Businesses can create Google business profiles free of cost without paying a single penny. Business owners can effectively expand their online visibility on Google by using this feature.  

For instance – If you are running an offline store and you want to target local customers around you, you can increase foot traffic by creating a google my business profile.  

Adding business to Google provides in-depth information to the searchers about your business. It allows businesses to make the most out of their marketing efforts, increase their local visibility on search engines and maximize their local search results. 

Your business must have a physical store to create a Google My Business account. Generally, customers prefer to search for hotels near them, so finding those relevant terms is possible by listing hotels on Google. 

What are the advantages of adding your hotel to Google My Business? 

If you are a modern hotelier, you would know the benefits of listing your hotel on Google My Business. But, if you have not used this feature so far, it's the right time for you to increase hotel bookings through Google.

Here are the 5 benefits that hoteliers get by adding their hotels to Google My Business: 

1. Hoteliers can make the best out of near-me searches 

Remember! Local Searches are an important factor in getting more business.  

Visitors would like to book a stay in local areas and would likely do local searches. So, if your hotel is listed in google my business, you will most likely pop up on search results. Then, there is a high probability that customers will find you.  

The next time a visitor performs a near-me search on Google, the guests can consider you over others and learn about your business details using google my business.  

2. Increase the visibility of hotel property on the internet

Hotel marketers use Google Business listings, a popular SEO marketing strategy, to increase the online visibility of hotel properties. The prime objective of adding hotels on Google is to drive awareness about the hotel property.

Once you optimize your Google business profile, your hotel will likely appear in search results. Thus, it provides insights to customers to understand your business and its services.  

Because the property is already on google maps, potential customers will likely find you and visit the hotel.  

3. Improves your SEO strategy results  

In addition to increasing your online visibility, Google My Business provides a wholesome range of features affecting your hotel business. No doubt, SEO is a time-consuming task, but with the right tools, such as Google Posts, hotel businesses can rank on top pages of SERP by sharing valuable content out there.

For instance - If your guests might be looking for the best hotels in their area and you have an active Google business listing profile, they are likely to go with you over those who do not list their hotel businesses on Google.  

4. Get insights about price comparison

Another prominent benefit of creating a hotel Google business profile is that your customers can compare prices between hotels. No doubt, your hotel offers exciting discounts to the guests, but how would customers know about it?  

Thus, Google My Business for hotels shows customers price insights, allowing them to compare the prices of hotels with others. And this is how customers enjoy the supremacy of choosing the best hotel deal at an affordable price.

5. Increases conversions through reviews  

Most people intend to book a stay with a hotel by reading a couple of reviews. People are likely to choose your hotel if your hotel has Google star ratings.  

Having a Google my business profile allows the hoteliers to display their reviews on the profile, which is a way to get more hotel bookings.  

Even if the previous guests had a bad experience with your hotel and posted a negative review, and your hotel's team handles it effectively, it could make them feel you are paying attention to such stuff.

Read this guide to know other ways of increasing direct bookings for hotels-

How to add your Hotel to Google My Business? 

Here are the few steps a hotelier can follow to add a hotel to Google My Business-

Create a Google My Business account

If your hotel is a brand-new hotel, then there is a high possibility that you need a Google my business account. First things first, start creating a google my business account.

Hoteliers can create a Google my business account by sparing a few minutes; and providing essential details like the name of the business, business category, geographic location of customers, contact number, operating hours of business, website name, description of business, and photos of the business.  

Also Read: How to Promote Hotel Online?

Engage with customer reviews

If you have a large hotel, then you must have a listing on Google. In that case, you already have many customer reviews. Ensure you engage with your customers at every level and respond to their positive and negative reviews.  

Dealing with positive reviews is a good take, but ignoring negative reviews about your hotel business could tarnish the reputation of hotels.  

Add hotel information 

Refrain from testing the patience level of your customers. They need more time to browse multiple websites and find in-depth information about your hotel business. 

Hence, it's a golden opportunity for you to update your Google my business profile and add relevant information about your hotel business and other amenities, which includes -  

• Prices 
• Availability  
• Hours  
• Internet  
• Food and drinking  
• Health and safety guidelines 
• Parking and transportation 
• Rooms and bathrooms 

Tips to optimize your hotel’s Google My Business profile and drive bookings 

Creating a Google my business profile is separate; optimizing it to hit the sweet spot is another thing (getting conversions) is another thing. So, here are 5 profitable ways for hoteliers and hotel marketing managers to optimize their google my business profile for listing- 

1. Provide correct information 

To build a strong reputation for a hotel, refrain from acting smartly by providing false information, as it can ruin your hotel business, and you end up losing the trust of customers.  

GMB is a virtual storefront for any business, communicating important yet accurate information to the searchers. So, listing your hotel on Google makes it easy for visitors to surf the Internet to find the best accommodation and finally click on book hotel.  

Here are a few tips you should follow in optimizing your GMB profile for a hotel-  

• Mention the contact details so that it becomes easy for searchers to contact you.  
• List the amenities your hotel provides guests with and provide information about whether the extras are free or offered on specific days.  
• What additional services does your hotel provide, such as breakfast, room service, etc.?  

2. Leverage “Near Me” searches. 

Several online studies highlight the importance of getting benefits from Near Me searches, and the guests searching for hotels chose a hotel near their location. So, if you have an optimized Google my business profile, there are high chances for you to convert your potential guest into a customer.  

Hence, an optimized GMB profile helps nearby customers find your hotel when they type such search queries on Google - "Hotels Near Me." 

3. Don’t ignore the importance of reviews

Having reviews on Google Business profiles is yet another cost-effective way to lure potential customers. In addition, google review sits below your property name and helps your property stand out. 

Having positive reviews on your site impacts your Google My Business listing. Before entering the lobby, your customers decide whether to choose your hotel or not.

Showing positive reviews on Google builds your hotel's credibility and shows an appreciation for guests. So, use the power of positive reviews, and answer your negative reviews promptly.

4. Add quality photos/videos

As a hotelier, your utmost priority is to present your hotel with eye-catching visuals so customers can get an insider view of the hotel.  

Showing the visual side of things (hotel rooms, hotel exterior, common areas, meetings, and event place) captures the attention of guests, and they are always interested in choosing a hotel that provides the best accommodation along with sharing visual insights on amenities. 

Hence, doing such things makes your hotel visually attractive.  

5. Use the Q&A section wisely

Remember to interact with your existing and potential customers. For that, you can utilize the Q/A function of Google my business. Providing relevant and timely responses to customers lets them make informed decisions.

Generally, hotel managers do not pay more attention to questions that potential customers might be searching for. For instance, a guest wants to find a disabled room at your hotel but has specific queries about amenities and other kinds of stuff. 

The guest raised a query in the Q&A section, but you did not answer. Then, the guest ends up booking a stay at someone else's hotel because their responses satisfy them.  

In this way, you lose your potential customer whose query remains unanswered and, at the same time, leaves a question mark for those guests who saw the query.  

A pro tip:

• Refrain from responding with yes or no.
• Provide relevant answers to your guests that can solve their queries.

End Notes... 

Now, you might understand the steps to add your hotel on Google My Business. Creating and listing your hotel on Google My Business profile gives you numerous advantages, and at the same time, you will see a massive increase in your online bookings. 

So, follow these steps to start your hotel and see instant gratification in results. 

At BOTSHOT, we are here to streamline your hotel journey by automating manual processes ranging from check-in to check-out and maximizing the satisfaction of your guests using our innovative solution eFront Desk.