Every hotelier wants more direct bookings. And the smartest hoteliers I work with make sure they broaden their distribution so they can capture prospective guests on whichever channel those guests are investigating, whether that be an OTA, metasearch or wholesaler.

However, it seems many hoteliers overlook Google My Business – only one of the most powerful, and free, ways to gain guests who are looking at your hotel's brand name and location as they browse through the world's largest search engine.

As an example, I just performed a Google search for hotels in Krabi, a popular beach destination in Thailand, and to my amazement not a single hotel is listed under Google My Business. What an opportunity for any hotel in Krabi! And all they'd have to do is go to www.google.co.th/business and follow the easy setup process. (They would also need a high-converting booking engine integrated into their hotel's website but that is another discussion for another time.)

Common errors or oversights, such as not editing your hotel's photos or listing an incorrect address, can cost your hotel dearly. A team member of mine pointed this out with the example of a famous hotel in Sydney, which is located opposite one of the city's most beautiful beaches. Until recently, the picture for this hotel on Google My Business could not have done the property any less justice; it displayed an awkward shot of the hotel's roof with no beach in sight. These days, however, with the help of my team, the hotel's photo has become far more inviting and, in fact, traffic to the hotel's website has jumped significantly.

Does your hotel need a photo refresh in Google My Business ?

If you're like that hotel in Sydney, you may need a new photo to create a great first impression on guests who see your property on Google My Business. Here are the six steps you need to follow:

  1. Sign in to your Google My Business account, or register for one, at google.com/business.
  2. Click 'Edit' in the 'Actions' column on your Google My Business
  3. Click 'Remove' beneath your picture to remove the picture as your profile image.
  4. Click 'Add Photo', find the image you want to replace your previous profile image with using the 'File Upload' box, and then click 'OK'. (Note: Try to find an image that is not only striking, but matches the look and feel of your hotel's website branding. By doing this, you create a more seamless booking journey for your)
  5. Click 'Add Photo' to upload the image as your profile picture.
  6. Click 'Submit' at the bottom of the 'Edit'.

How do you manage reviews on Google My Business ?

Many hotels today have great strategies on how to encourage positive reviews online and these strategies should extend to Google My Business, which recently introduced the ability for hotels to manage and respond to reviews of their hotel on Google.

This means responding to reviews on Google is now as simple as updating your photo:

  1. Sign in to your Google My Business account, or register for one, at google.com/business.
  2. Your dashboard will display all of your Google My Business Select the property you would like to manage the reviews for.
  3. Click on 'Reviews'. This will open your reviews page.
  4. Click 'Respond Publicly as the Owner' and type in your response.
  5. Once you're done, click 'Publish' to submit your response and display it on your Google My Business page.

Of course, you can do much more to optimise your hotel's visibility on the world's largest search engine, but claiming your Business on Google is a terrific start.

About SiteMinder

SiteMinder Limited (ASX:SDR) is the name behind SiteMinder, the only software platform that unlocks the full revenue potential of hotels, and Little Hotelier, an all-in-one hotel management software that makes the lives of small accommodation providers easier. The global company is headquartered in Sydney with offices in Bangalore, Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Dallas, Galway, London and Manila. Through its technology and the largest partner ecosystem in the global hotel industry, SiteMinder generates more than 115 million reservations worth over US$45 billion in revenue for its hotel customers each year. For more information, visit siteminder.com.

Maria Cricchiola
Director of Brand Communications & PR
+61 2 9056 7415
SiteMinder