Google My Business (GMB, formerly known as Google Places for Business) offers companies a free opportunity to increase its visibility in Google search results and customers quick and efficient information. As an additional platform of communication, a Google My Business listing should be approached with the same importance as a social media channel.
Here are three reasons why you should include a Google My Business listing in your marketing strategy:
Get benefited by price insights
You might have the best price for a stay or daily delegate rate (DDR), but how do you display that to know that your property is currently offering special offers?
This is where GMB comes into the picture. When someone makes a google search regarding a hotel or venue, it shows “price insights”, where people can compare properties and see which one is giving the best rates in the area or within their specific search terms.
To make the most of this facility, you should include and update your prices regularly and consistently with what you are displaying on your website.
Boost conversions through reviews
A huge number of people make a booking decision based on reviews, so it is vital that GMB listings include up-to-date feedback from visitors that has been responded too.
Similar to TripAdvisor, GMB allows visitors to leave reviews on businesses and provides teams to respond to each review posted. As a large number of people include recent reviews within their booking considerations, it is vital that feedback left on a GMB is responded too and up-to-date.
Boost SEO through google posts
SEO is time-consuming, however, with tools like Google Posts, your business can get an additional push. Google Posts allow businesses to share content directly into the search engine results pages alongside a GMB listing, which can support you in building a strong brand reputation and reach a greater audience.
Another function that GMB listings support is ‘Near me’ searches, which show the most relevant businesses with GMB listings within the searchers area and all of the key information from the profile. In a recent report Google announced that the number of ‘near me’ searches made on the search engine have increased by 900%+ over the last two years.
So, considering the prevalence of the ‘near me’ searches, it is important that hotels and venues have a GMB listing as part of their communications plan.
To find out about how Custard can develop your marketing and communications strategy, including Google My Business, contact our team.
