8 reasons why Google My Business is important for tour and activity operators

Updated October 2023 – As the tourism and travel industry takes a massive shift online, navigating digital marketing and search engine optimization strategies is key to improving your tour and activity business.

Google My Business (GMB) is a powerful and free tool that can help tour and activity operators increase their visibility, attract more customers, and improve their online reputation. In fact, reports suggest that customers are 2.7x more likely to consider your business reputable and 50% more likely to consider making a booking if you have a complete GMB Profile.

In today’s article, we’ll go through the benefits of having a Google My Business page and show you how to set it up in a few simple steps

8 benefits of Google My Business for tour and activity operators

From boosting your online exposure to perfecting your SEO strategy and search ranking on Google, we’ve listed out the beneficial reasons why setting up a GMB profile is important for tour and activity operators.

1. Better local SEO

GMB is a great tool for local businesses looking to increase their visibility to potential customers in local search results. A Google My Business profile will be a great asset in your marketing strategy by optimizing your Local SEO and helping your tour company stand out on Google. This will help to increase your exposure to travelers searching for tours and activities in your area.

To achieve the best SEO performance, it’s important that all your business information is up-to-date. You should also add relevant keywords to your GMB listing. This will help Google understand the nature of your business and can help it show your listing to people who are searching for tour and activity operators in your area.

2. Increased visibility

In the digital era, prime space on search engines like Google is an important factor for maximum visibility. By creating a Google My Business listing, tour operators can make sure to showcase vital business information, such as:

• address
• phone number and contact information
• business descriptions
• website link
• opening hours of operation
• business location
• and call-to-action buttons to prompt them to your website and/or to book

Another added benefit of having a GMB profile is that all the information listed above will also be reflected on Google Maps and Google Search results. This will help increase the number of people who find and visit your business regardless of whether they’re researching from home or on a smartphone while on the go.

3. Online reviews and ratings

Google My Business allows your clients to leave customer reviews and ratings about your business. 5-star ratings and positive reviews can help build trust and credibility with potential customers, and can also help improve your visibility in local search results. However, it’s important to respond to both positive and negative reviews, as it shows your engagement and willingness to improve.

4. Insights and analytics

Google My Business provides detailed analytics and insights about your tour and travel business. The statistics they provide include the number of views and clicks on your listing, the number of calls and direction requests, and much more. This information can help you understand how people are finding and interacting with your business online, and can help you make data-driven decisions about how to improve your online presence. For example, if you see a spike in views or clicks on your listing, you may want to investigate what is driving that traffic and try to replicate it.

5. Enhanced listing

Google My Business allows you to enhance your listing with high-quality videos and photos of your business. This can help you give Google searchers a glimpse of your tours and activities in a visually appealing way. By showcasing pictures and videos of your tours and activities, your facilities, and your staff, it gives your potential customers a better idea of what they can expect when they book your services.

6. GMB Posts

You can utilize Google My Business to keep your viewers informed on your business’s latest happenings through Google Posts. This is a great way to share updates and promotions about your business with your potential customers. For example, you can use Google Posts to promote special deals or discounts on your tours and activities or inform them of the latest opening hours. This can help drive more bookings and increase revenue for your business.

7. Google Q&A

With Google My Business, you can also answer customer questions directly on your listing. This can help you provide valuable information to potential customers and can also help you improve your visibility in local results. By answering customer questions, you can show that you are knowledgeable about your business and that you are willing to help potential customers.

8. Cost-effective

GMB is a free service that can help you increase your visibility and attract more customers without any cost. This makes it an easy and cost-effective solution for tour and activity business owners who are looking to improve their online presence.

How to set up your Google My Business profile

Setting up a Google My Business account is quick, easy, and has immediate benefits that will help grow your tour business. By providing accurate and complete information about your business, using features such as photos and videos, responding to reviews and customer questions, and promoting special deals and discounts, tour and activity operators can make the most of the opportunities that Google My Business provides. All of this can be achieved at no cost, making it an easy solution for tour and activity operators to improve their online presence and increase their revenue.

Here’s how to set up your very own Google My Business profile:

1. Sign in to your Google Account at the Google Business address or create one. (If you’re creating a new Google Account, you should use your business email domain.)

2. Click ‘Create a Profile’

3. Enter your business name and address in the search bar and select your business from the list if it appears. If your business doesn’t appear in the search results, you can add it by clicking on “Add your business”. Note – if you get a notification that someone else has already verified the business, you can request ownership of the business for yourself

4. Fill out your business details, including your address, phone number, website, and business category.

5. Verify your business by postcard or phone call

Once your business has been verified, you can start to optimize your listing by adding photos, services, and other information. This will help customers find and learn more about your business. By following these steps, you will instantly improve the chances that your business will appear in Google Maps and Google Search results. Thus, improving the chances that customers who find you will be likely to book.

Complete your profile today, and make sure to keep your information up-to-date and engage with reviews into the future to make sure you’re always in the top results when customers are looking to book activities like yours, and ultimately grow your bookings.

Want to learn how you can optimize your Google Ads? Check out this article.

About Rezdy

Rezdy is the world’s leading online booking and distribution platform, powering the experience industry. In operation since 2011 and now in over 130 countries, Rezdy helps tours, activities & attraction providers and resellers get more online bookings.

In addition to its highly-rated Booking Software, Rezdy offers the most progressive Channel Manager distribution platform, with award-winning connectivity to major online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Tripadvisor, GetYourGuide, and Viator, and thousands of additional resellers locally & globally. Access to Rezdy’s Channel Manager and the broadest reach of resellers in the industry is available to any suppliers, regardless of their booking software or the size of their business.

Ready to join the thousands of Rezdy operators that on average grew their bookings by 27% in 2022? Start your FREE 21-day trial or book a demo to find out how Rezdy can fit within your business.

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