Where guests look for you before they book

People looking for somewhere to stay usually search by place and type, such as "campsite near L'Escala" or "holiday cottage in the Garrotxa". Others search for the name of a property they saw on a booking platform. In the first case local search and Google Maps matter most. In the second, you want your own website to show up and take the booking without detours.

So before you think about a blog, make sure Google understands what you are and where you are, that your website answers what guests ask, and that booking direct is easy to find and to finish on a phone.

Your Google Business Profile and the rules for lodging

Your Google Business Profile is what appears on Maps and next to the search results, and it is often the first thing a guest sees. Google's guidelines say the name must reflect your real-world name and do not allow unnecessary information. Use the name on your sign, without the town or "with pool" tacked on.

Two rules apply directly to lodging. Google says hotels and motels should not list opening hours. And if there is a restaurant or bar inside the hotel, it should have its own profile, and the hotel should not add "restaurant" as a category. Our Business Profile guide explains how to create and verify one.

Can I put "hotel in Roses" in my Google Business Profile name?

Only if that is what your business is called on your sign and website. Google does not allow unnecessary information in the name, such as location or services. The town goes in the address, and the type of property and amenities go in the category and description.

Google's free booking links

When someone searches for a hotel, Google can show a link to your own booking site with your property's name and the rate for their dates. Google Hotel Center help says these links are unpaid and ranked by how useful they are to users. Hotel Ads, by contrast, are paid.

Google says that if you use a reservation system, you may already be connected through your provider, and they can set the links up for you. Ask the company behind your booking engine. Then check the page the click lands on, because landing page experience is one of the signals Google uses to rank the links. If it opens in the wrong language or without the dates guests picked, they have to start again.

Not sure whether your booking engine already feeds Google's free booking links? Leave your details and we will check it with you.

Let's check

One page for each room, pitch or house type

If everything you offer sits on a single Rooms page, Google has nowhere to send someone looking for something specific, like a dog-friendly bungalow or a family room. Each room type, pitch, bungalow or house needs its own page with photos, capacity, what is included and a button to book that option.

Put the answers to what guests ask before booking on the website too. How to get there without a car, where to park, whether dogs are allowed, check-in and check-out times and what is nearby. If you already answer these by email or WhatsApp, use the words your guests use.

One URL per language, with the whole page in that language

If you host guests from abroad, each language needs its own URL and text written in that language. Google recommends marking up the versions with hreflang so each user reaches the right one, and says each language version must list itself as well as all the others.

Google also points out that it does not use hreflang or the HTML lang attribute to detect a page's language. It relies on its own algorithms instead. So each version should be fully in its language, including the menu, buttons and booking engine. Our guide on English websites for foreign customers goes into more detail.

What to tell Google with structured data

Structured data is code guests never see that tells Google what a page is about. Google asks you to use the most specific local business type possible, and schema.org has lodging types such as Hotel, Campground, BedAndBreakfast, Hostel and VacationRental. In our study of 675 accommodation websites in the Girona area, only 103 had lodging structured data on their home page.

Before adding star ratings, check what Google says about aggregate ratings. It only recommends them for sites that collect reviews about other local businesses, not for marking up your own property's reviews. The reviews worth working on are those on your Business Profile, which our reviews guide covers.

What structured data should a campsite website have?

The schema.org Campground type, which is the most specific one for a campsite. Google lists name and address as required for a local business and recommends adding phone number, coordinates and website URL. Then check it with Google's Rich Results Test.

Where to start if you only have an afternoon

Run through this check in this order. You can do it yourself with a phone and a laptop, without paid tools, and it will show you where the biggest problem is, on the profile or on the website.

  • Search for your property's name on Google and Maps and check the profile has your real name, the right category and, if you are a hotel, no opening hours.
  • Make a test booking on a phone, from the profile and from the website, in two languages.
  • Ask your booking engine provider whether you are connected to Google's free booking links.
  • Check that there is a page for each room, pitch or house type.
  • Open the English or French version and look for text left in Spanish or Catalan.
  • Run your home page through Google's Rich Results Test and see which business type it detects.

Add crida studio as a preferred source on Google