Part Eight: Guidelines for posting to Google My Business to Improve Ranking Within Search Results

By Hâfi Martinsdóttir

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes | 823 words

This article is part EIGHT of an 8-part course titled “How to get your hospitality business found locally online”.

As we already know that Google tends to favour businesses that regularly use their products (such as a Google My Business), many businesses have seen improved ranking and results from posting once per day on their GMB listing. In this article we will show you how to post and guide you in making the most out of each post, photo and video you share on your listing.

Creating Posts

To create a post, access your Google My Business account (https://business.google.com/) and select “Posts” from the list on the left.

As you can see in this image below, it’s always a good idea to keep checking back and seeing whether Google has added any updates. The more your listing utilises the variety of options available to you the better your property will rank as this will be viewed as a well-rounded and optimised listing.

Next you can choose which type of post you would like to create from the carousel at the top (shown in screenshot below). You can choose from the following post options:

Offer that runs for a set amount of time
What’s New to keep your audience updated on the latest news
Event to showcase an upcoming event and provide a link for people to book tickets
Product to showcase images and information regarding your products along with a link for them to purchase
You can also create a COVID-19 Update post to keep your audience updated on any changes or disruptions to your services throughout the coronavirus crisis.

Make sure you share at least one high-quality image, compelling text containing relevant keywords and a Call to Action (CTA) to encourage viewers to take the next step. You can choose from the following CTAs:

Book
Order online
Buy
Learn more
Sign up

Make sure you enter the relevant link so that when people click on your CTA button they are taken to the correct place.

And finally, you can simply opt to “Preview” or “Publish” your post.

Photos

It is widely thought that the quantity of photos connected to a Google My Business profile will directly affect the listing’s search performance. Take a look at this article containing data showing just how strong the link is between the number of images on a GMB listing verses the number of website clicks, calls and interactions that listing receives: New research shows strong link between Google My Business photo quantity and search performance

“Listings with photos are twice as likely to be considered reputable and get 35% more clicks.” (Source: Neil Patel)

We would highly recommend encouraging your guests to share their own photos when they post a review of their stay on Google. Virtual tours and videos are also an excellent way to engage with users and give them a better indication of what they can expect during a stay.

A few things to keep in mind when posting photos

Here are a few things to consider when sharing photos and videos on your Hotel Business listing:

Always post high-quality, well-lit and wide-angle images, even if this means hiring a professional photographer for the day it will be worth it.
Ensure your photos showcase any unique features that your hotel has in order to differentiate it from other properties nearby.
Do include images of your team members smiling, helping guests and looking presentable.
Include exterior and interior shots of your property showcasing rooms and amenities.
Avoid closely cropping your images
Keep all images relevant to your hotel
It’s important that you optimise your images for SEO to get your pictures seen more within Google Image searches. This means naming your files something relevant to your hotel and ensuring that each image has relevant alt text (ie. instead of using the following alt text for a room interior: “Spa hotel Byron Bay”, try to describe the room – remember that alt text is intended to assist visually impaired users – for example “spacious, minimalist room with double bed and large windows overlooking the ocean”).
Avoid keyword stuffing your image file names or alt tags as Google will likely penalise you for this
Don’t use your logo as your preferred photo, although it is not guaranteed that Google will use the preferred photo you selected.
Regularly check on your listing and the photos or videos shared there. Remember that anyone can post photos to your listing so if you find that someone has posted an image that you feel harms your brand’s reputation you can swiftly report the image to Google.
Check each image and video for quality and relevance before posting.

To do list:

Begin creating regular posts and updates from within your Google My Business dashboard – each post expires from the main listing within 7 days so you’ll want to post every 7 days at a minimum (the posts that have expired are still available to view when users click on the “view previous updates on Google” link within the GMB listing).
Treat your GMB listing as you would your other social media platforms – stay active and have a strategy.
Hire a professional photographer to capture your property, amenities and team in their best possible light.

Share this post

BONUS...

… as a bonus we have one more article up our sleeves to share with you, a collection of informative and helpful tips and advice on getting your business found locally. Keep your eyes on your inbox for the final bonus installment of our “How to get your hospitality business found locally online” course.

About Magpie Creative Co.

Magpie Creative Co. is a digital marketing and design consultancy with a worldwide client base. We provide branding, web design and online marketing for businesses that offer luxury guest experiences and require an efficient online booking system.