How and Why to Claim Your Hotel’s Google My Business Page

There’s a reason Google My Business is considered the online storefront for your hotel. It’s the first thing travel shoppers will see when they search for your property with Google.

Managed properly, Google My Business can drive significant traffic to your website – and lead to more direct bookings. Managed incorrectly and your potential traffic could be directed to a third party site, or even a competitor’s website. Setting up and maintaining your Google My Business listing is a key part of driving more direct bookings for your property.

Why Does Google My Business Matter?

A lot of research has gone into where our eyes go when we look at a website. Putting this research into action, Google has placed their ‘knowledge panel’ on the right hand corner of the Search Engine Results Page. This featured panel includes photos of the property, contact information, a list of amenities, and guest reviews. All of this information can be viewed before the user even clicks on your website on Google Search and Maps!

Your hotel’s website is a major factor in driving direct bookings, of course. But if you aren’t paying enough attention to your Google My Business account, you are likely limiting the chances of travel shoppers landing on your website and making a direct booking.

Best of all? Google My Business is FREE.

When you verify your Google My Business page, you’re able to make edits to your hotel’s information in the knowledge panel. Without claiming your page, Google will automatically fill in information for your hotel that may not be flattering.

Here’s How to Claim Your Account

1. Visit ‘Google My Business’: https://www.google.com/intl/en/business/
2. Click Start Now
3. Add your hotel including your name, location details, contact number, and type of business.
4. Verify your property via your choice of phone, email, or regular mail
5. Start using it!

FAQ’s About Google My Business for Hotels

Can I use Google My Business if I don’t have a hotel website yet?

Yes you can! Even if your website is still getting built or undergoing maintenance, you can add your hotel details to Google My Business. Once your website is ready, it’s easy to add it to your account.

Will I be able to see who clicked on my Google My Business page?

You sure can. Google My Business offers hoteliers a lot of valuable information about the customer journey. Insights lets you review clicks, calls, listing views, and more. You can monitor that data during a specific time-frame and identify key trends for users who made bookings and those who abandoned their booking.

What if someone else has already claimed my Google My Business page?

If you add a hotel property and there is already an existing account for the same address, your hotel won’t appear on Google Maps. Instead, it will show as a “Duplicate location”.

You have a few options for claiming an existing account:

If you know or have a contact email for the person who currently owns the listing (perhaps a previous owner or employee) you can just request they transfer ownership by following these steps.

If you’re not able to request the page from the previous owner, you can request ownership directly from Google. This can take a few weeks, so don’t delay! To begin the process, start here.

What Can Hoteliers Do with Google My Business?

Using the tool you can:

• List your hotel’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on the Search Engine Results page.
• Have a geo-marker on Google maps to highlight your location.
• Display unique hotel photos.
• Display guest reviews.
• Provide any additional details relevant to travelers looking for information.
• Include a button to link directly to your website.
• Display an east “click-to-call” option for searches done on smartphones.

If you have a Google My Business account for your hotel, your Success Coach may ask for access. Learn how to add your Coach as an admin.