Google My Business is a powerful tool for hotels.
It allows you to control your presence on Google Maps and in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
This blog post will discuss 6 ways to optimize your hotel’s SEO using Google My Business.
I will also provide some advanced techniques for getting ahead of your competition.
1. Keep your hotel information up-to-date:
Your hotel’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) should always be accurate and consistent across all channels.
By channels, I mean online directories, hotel listings, and social media profiles.
This will ensure your hotel ranks higher in search engine rankings for local searches.
Keeping your hotel’s NAP(name, address, phone) up-to-date helps customers find your hotel online.
If your hotel information is not current, it can confuse customers and hurt your SEO.
2. Add photos of your hotel:
Photos are a great way to show off the best features of your hotel, from the lobby to the pool area.
Adding high-quality images ensures that potential customers will get an accurate visual representation of what they can expect when they stay at your hotel.
In addition to the above, remember to update hotel photos and listings as hotel amenities regularly; features may change over time.
Here are some specific tips for image files that you need to remember:
• Use the hotel name or hotel logo as the image file name
• Include hotel address and contact details in captions, photo descriptions, and ALT text
• Make sure photos are of high-resolution
• Upload photos from different angles to show off hotel amenities
3. Utilize reviews and ratings:
Reviews are one of the most critical factors in hotel SEO because they can help boost your hotel’s rankings in the SERPs.
Encourage guests to leave reviews on your hotel’s Google My Business page and respond promptly to any negative feedback you receive.
Here is a sample text message you can send after a client has checked out:
“We hope you had a great stay at our hotel.
Please take a few minutes to rate us and leave a review on Google My Business.”
The above can also be used in email format.
A great technology being used across all service industries right now is QR codes.
QR codes are the perfect solution for hotels wanting to make the review process even more accessible.
3rd party reviews
In addition to guest reviews, obtaining excellent reviews from 3rd party sources is almost as important.
Positive reviews from sites like Tripadvisor or even Google can significantly impact ranking and higher click-through rates.
Here is a good email template you can use when asking a guest for a 3rd party review:
“Hi {Name},
We hope you had a great experience at our hotel.
We were wondering if you would be willing to take a few minutes and leave us a review on {3rd Party Site Name}.
We would greatly appreciate it!
Thank you for your time.”
4. Create a unique hotel description:
Your hotel’s Google My Business profile should include more than just basic information like NAP; it should also have a unique description of what makes staying at your hotel special.
Include amenities, recreational activities, and other features that make your hotel stand out from the competition.
If your hotel is located in Florida, for example, a suitable description would be something like this:
“Our hotel is in sunny Florida with easy access to the beach and numerous outdoor activities.”
Here are some short-tail keywords you should aim to rank for:
Hotel, Hotel near me, Hotel in Florida.
Here are some Long-tail keywords you should aim to rank for:
hotel with a Pool in Florida, and a Hotel near Beach in Florida.
5. Take advantage of local SEO tips for hotels:
Make sure keywords related to “hotel” or “location” are included in all relevant content on your hotel’s website and GMB page so that it is easy for search engines to find and rank your hotel’s pages.
Additionally, you should consider optimizing for local search terms such as “hotel near me” or “best hotel in (your city).”
Another way to do this is by creating content related to events and attractions in the area or inside your hotel.
This will help you attract customers from outside your hotel’s immediate vicinity.
6. Stay active on Google My Business:
Your hotel’s GMB page is a great way to keep potential customers up-to-date with special offers and events that are taking place at your hotel.
Regularly post updates, respond to customer reviews, and add any new photos so that customers always have an accurate representation of what your hotel has to offer.
When responding to customer reviews, remember to be professional and courteous.
An example of a customer review response would be:
“Thank you for your review!
We strive to provide the best hotel experience possible and are glad you enjoyed our hotel.
Come back soon!”
Advanced tips
Integrate the hotel booking engine into the hotel website
This allows customers to book directly from your hotel’s website, which is a significant SEO boost for hotels.
Remember to ensure your website is as fast as possible, as this is a substantial factor in hotel SEO.
Analyze competitor data
Monitor competitors’ GMB pages, hotel websites, and reviews to gain insights about what works for them and use this knowledge to inform your hotel’s SEO strategy.
Moreover, don’t forget to monitor hotel SEO trends that could assist you in surpassing the competition.
Utilize hotel booking services
Working with hotel booking services like Expedia or Booking.com can help boost hotel rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Another significant benefit of using hotel booking services is that they will provide hotel listings on their own websites, further increasing the hotel’s online visibility.
Show visitors to your website how you have already solved problems
Address common hotel complaints such as hotel room cleanliness and Wi-Fi speed in the hotel’s website content.
This way, potential customers can research your hotel and better understand how you have addressed hotel issues before they even arrive.
Utilize SEO services
For hotel SEO to be truly effective, it must be done correctly.
Consider hiring an SEO agency specializing in hotel SEO to ensure you get the most out of your hotel SEO efforts.
The right SEO services provider will help you optimize your hotel’s website and Google My Business page, drive more online bookings, and stay ahead of the competition.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I optimize my hotel’s SEO with Google My Business?
Keep your hotel information up-to-date, add photos of your hotel, utilize reviews and ratings, create a unique hotel description, take advantage of local SEO tips for hotels, and stay active on Google My Business.
2. What are some important keywords to include in hotel SEO?
Important keywords to include in hotel SEO are “hotel,” “location,” “hotel near me,” and “best hotel in (your city).”
It would also help if you considered including location-specific keywords such as the name of your city or region.
3. How can I optimize my hotel’s GMB page?
Optimizing your hotel’s GMB page involves updating your hotel information, adding photos, utilizing reviews and ratings, creating a unique hotel description, taking advantage of local SEO tips for hotels, and staying active on Google My Business.
All these steps will help you improve your hotel’s visibility in the SERPs.
I hope this blog post has helped outline 6 ways to optimize hotel SEO using Google My Business.
Happy optimizing!
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Each sounds like a good tip to me Pablo. Google My Business offers your venture great exposure, especially in the world of Google domination combined with peer reviews. I review ample businesses via Google Maps on a weekly basis and have almost reach 3 million views on my reviews and review photos. Talk about serious exposure for your business via a simple to work medium, eh?