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5 Ways To Create a Great Google Business Listing And Get More Reviews
Guest reviews do a lot more than tell you what customers thought of their vacation rental home. They’re a potent marketing tool that can enhance your company’s online reputation, direct potential guests to your business and help you get more reviews. And they don’t cost a cent.
But guest reviews need to be seen to work their magic.
Posting reviews on your website’s property pages is a fine way to let potential guests know what others thought about their experience. But the best way to get noticed and reach potential guests is on a respected public platform with a massive audience. Google reviews fits the bill.
Guests looking for a vacation rental home want detailed, unbiased information from previous guests, whom they feel they can trust. As a popular feature on one of the world’s biggest search engines, Google reviews show up readily when people hunt for vacation rental properties, are easy to read thanks to their 5-star rating system and are widely considered to be independent and trustworthy.
Travelers read customer reviews voraciously. According to a study commissioned by Tripadvisor:
- 83 percent of respondents said reviews help them pick the right hotel
- 80 percent read 6 to 12 reviews before booking
- 53 percent said they won’t book until they’ve read reviews
Google reviews also lead to direct bookings. Guests who discover your vacation rental business during a Google search are more likely to visit your website and book directly than to use a third party aggregator.
The best way to get your vacation rental business noticed on Google is to amass as many reviews as possible. The more reviews a company collects, the higher placement it gets when guests search Google for vacation rentals. A steady stream of new guest ratings means that potential guests will see recent reviews, the sign of a flourishing business.
An abundance of 5-star reviews can also help crowd out the occasional bad review, blunting the impact and underscoring your company’s overall good rating. Always respond to bad reviews promptly and politely so readers see that you care about your guests and are eager to remedy problems. A recent Brightlocal survey found that 89 percent of consumers are “highly” or “fairly” likely to use a business that responds to all of their online reviews while 57 percent say they would be “not very” or “not at all” likely to use a business that doesn't respond to reviews at all.
That said, the odds that your guests will leave upbeat reviews are good. Brightlocal reported that 67 percent of consumers will consider giving a review for a positive experience, while 40 percent will consider leaving a review for a negative experience.
5-star Google reviews start with an effective, eye-catching Google business listing. Here are 5 ways to create a listing that will increase your Google reviews, help guests discover your vacation rental business and enhance your company’s online reputation.
1) Claim your Google business listing
Google has a huge stockpile of business listings, so chances are good they have yours. Use their Business Profile page to claim your company’s free listing or set one up with Google if they don’t have it.
2) Create a great-looking listing and keep it up to date
Your Google listing introduces your business to a vast community of potential guests. Follow the setup prompts to provide basic information: company name, logo, website, hours, maps, directions and Google reviews. Captivate guests with eye-catching, high-resolution photos and short videos that tell a visual story about your properties and the area. Add a clear, concise sentence or two about your business and an enticing business description — what makes it special, services you offer your guests, why you started your company. Use your listing to share company updates and respond promptly to reviews.
3) Let guests know at arrival that you’d like them to review their stay
Use your welcome letter or arrival follow-up to tell guests that you’d appreciate a review after they depart. Stress that your business strives to do everything possible to provide an enjoyable experience. Encourage guests to get in touch if any problems come up during their stay so that they can be remedied as quickly as possible.
4) Make it easy for guests to post a review on Google after they depart
Ask guests to rate their stay on Google after they check out and send a link to facilitate the process. A good way to do this is to ask guests how they liked their stay in an automated text message that arrives one hour after checkout, available from guest communication platforms with Text Automations. Depending on how guests reply, follow up with a link to write a Google review or with a survey to learn why their stay was not all that they expected. You’ll find out why guests gave a less than ideal rating before their reviews post and learn what needs to be improved to score more stars.
Don’t hesitate to ask guests for reviews. Research by Brightlocal shows that 68 percent of consumers left a business review when asked. Research also showed that most customers won’t send a review unless it’s requested.
5) Post your Google reviews in a prominent place on your website
Don’t make potential guest hunt for your Google reviews. A link to your Google rating situated prominently on your homepage lets potential guests know instantly that you run an established, trustworthy business. Consider placing Google reviews in the upper right corner of your website, below your logo or contact information, or highlighted in an information box at the foot of your page.
Accompany your reviews with Google-approved stickers or the Google G icon to underscore their importance and your company’s credibility. Visit the Google resource center for your Google stickers and icon.
It’s hard to imagine a marketing tool that's as effective, efficient, informative, easy to use and inexpensive as Google reviews. If you haven’t accessed your Google business listing — or made the most of everything that Google reviews can do — there’s never been a better time to discover what this service can offer your vacation rental home business.
