7 minute read
Google for Glampers: Get that business profile working for you
BY ANNIE BUCK/THINK RESERVATIONS
You’ve got the property, the fabulous structures, your website and processes all in place. Now where are the customers? Glamping is an exciting new entrant into the lodging industry, and as such, search engines haven’t quite caught up with it. Google is the most-used search engine in the world, with more than 90% of the search share.
With that understanding, you will see why it’s so important to appear in Google for search queries related to lodging-camping-glamping.
Google search results for lodging related queries are broken into 3 basic sections: Local/ Travel, Text Results (also known as search results or organic listings), and Ads:
To appear in the text/organic listings, you will need to have a website. The website should meet certain minimum standards (fast load page, easy navigate, clear call to actions to book, etc.), offer an excellent user experience, and should be optimized for the search queries most used to find businesses like yours in your local area. This is best determined by an SEO professional.
Ads are pretty self-explanatory - you pay Google to run ads for you. But not all ads are created equal - here is an example of a Google Ad for Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. It includes beautiful imagery, an inviting snippet, sitelinks, and a call-to-action (Book Your Stay Online Today!). The “Sponsored” label identifies the listing as a paid placement:
When it comes to Google Local results, Travel is very different from other types of business search results. As you can see from the Travel/ Local section, or the 3-pack, pricing appears in the results:
This is coming in from partners who feed availability and pricing to Google, and is based upon availability for the default date, which is a one-night stay. If you use a booking partner who works with Google, you would still need to have availability on the default date and not have any two (or more) night minimums. This piece is often dominated by OTAs (online travel agencies) like Booking.com and Expedia, unless the property works with a partner and uses free booking links or Google Hotel Ads. These appear as “little green beds” with the ”Official Site” label:
You’ll also notice that my query was “Best Glamping in Colorado” - due to that, Google has automatically activated the “Top-Rated” qualifier: All that said, it’s important to make sure you have some control over the way that your business is presented in Google travel results. You will need to set up a Google Business Profile for your property, and then fill it out as completely. Google gives specific guidelines for business entities on Google, and it’s imperative to abide by the rules so you don’t get suspended, and then not appear in the results.
Keep all of your information clean - for example, don’t add anything extra to the property name, like taglines or location. You may or may not be able to add a business description, depending on which Categories you’ve chosen. Most lodging businesses are not allowed to add their own business descriptions. Instead, Google will generate a description based on the information you have provided, as well as information from “various sources”, which include directories, articles, reviews, and other online sources.
Speaking of categories, when you are faced with choosing the best categories for your business, it can be confusing and a bit frustrating. Google currently doesn’t have a category for Glamping, so you have to work around it. The closest categories available now are Campground, Camping Cabin, RV Park, and if available to you, Vacation Rental (other) or Holiday Rental (these two are location dependent). Of course, if your property includes lodges, cabins, cottages or other accommodations, add those categories as well. One category that may be tempting is Tent Rental Service - but don’t use it, as it has nothing to do with accommodation.
Photos are incredibly important! Add many high-quality photos, and encourage your guests to add photos with reviews (more on that later). Photos are eye-candy - people want to see where they are staying, and they want multiple views. This will also allow your local listing to show images in a carousel, and become results in Google Image Search.
Most lodging businesses have a special section called Hotel Details. In this section, you can add your amenities and features, such as parking and payment options, accessibility, activities, dining, and more. Completing this section helps Google understand your business model to rank it for qualifiers and long-tail search queries.
Reviews - always ask for reviews! Review score is a local ranking factor. It also helps your potential customers see what others have to say about you. A recent study showed that most people will take the word of complete strangers on the internet as seriously as recommendations from friends and family. Even bad reviews can be a chance to influence people to stay with you, if you respond to them appropriately and fairly. Asking for reviews can be as simple as a followup email sent after the stay, with a link to your Google Business Profile reviews. Many property management systems provide automations that help property owners get more reviews. Companies like ThinkReservations integrate review workflows into their ThinkMessenger guest communications suite.
Google Business Profile has other features, including a Q&A section in which the public can ask questions about your business, which you can then answer. Those Q&As stay live so that future viewers can see them, and they also help inform your business description. Another great feature is the Updates section. Add photos and videos with information about your business, local things to do and new happenings at your property.
Once you’ve got your profile all filled out, have added photos, and are asking for reviews, make sure you check it weekly for changes that may have been made by Google, to respond to reviews, add new photos, and check for questions that need answers.
Keeping your information correct in Google is an excellent way to promote your business, and it’s no cost, other than the time you invest to make it informative and helpful to your customers and Google. Don’t let this valuable resource go - use your business knowledge and get more customers!
If you’ll be heading to beautiful Colorado for the Glamping Show Americas, stop by the ThinkReservations blue house to visit with us!
About Annie Buck & ThinkReservations
Annie Buck has spent over 15 years transforming the online presence of lodging properties. Since 2008, she’s helped hundreds of clients leverage websites, Google Business Profiles, and social media to turn lookers into loyal guests. Annie’s passion is empowering lodging professionals to become masters of online hospitality, showcasing their unique properties and generating excitement for potential guests.
ThinkReservations provides an intuitive, professional, and comprehensive platform for your property. ThinkReservations software includes a property management system, online booking engine, channel manager and guest communications suite, all in one platform. With a unique ecosystem of proven business management solutions, integrated payment processing, world-class support, and direct connectivity with channels such as Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor, and Airbnb, ThinkReservations is ready to unify, automate and make every part of your business more profitable and productive. Our expertise includes hospitality websites and marketing with our latest offering, ThinkWeb and ThinkMarketing. Save time. Increase revenue. Be a Thinker.
