Google Business Profile and holiday lets: what is permitted?
Online marketing and visibility are important for businesses, including those operating in holiday letting.
Google My Business is a widely used tool, but is it appropriate for promoting and managing holiday rental properties?
In this article, Alehost examines the advantages and limitations in this context and answers that question.
What is Google My Business?
Before considering its value, it helps to understand the tool and what it does.
Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, manages the Google presence of eligible businesses. Owning a property is not enough to meet its requirements.
Before setting up a profile, check whether the activity and customer-facing location meet Google’s guidelines. An eligible management office is different from each home it markets.
A profile can display essential details for people seeking information about a particular business.
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The profile can appear in Google Search and Google Maps, showing details such as address, telephone number, opening hours and customer reviews.
The following features may help a management company or another eligible business. They are not instructions for registering an individual holiday rental property.
What a profile can offer an eligible business
If the business qualifies, consider these features and the work required to keep information accurate.
Greater visibility
An eligible business can help people find its activity, contact details and customer-facing location.
Appearance and ranking in results are not guaranteed. Follow Google’s guidelines and ensure the profile represents the real business.
Accurate, up-to-date information
The business can propose and maintain opening hours, contact details and photographs. Review suggested edits and consistency with your website too.
Interaction with prospective guests
Users may leave questions and reviews on the business profile, giving you an opportunity to respond and provide information that may influence their decision.
This requires a proactive approach and timely replies to questions and feedback.
Stronger reputation
Previous guests’ reviews and ratings can support a strong reputation for the business. Positive feedback may attract more guests and build confidence in the quality of its accommodation.
When an experience has been less positive, the profile also provides a place to respond.
These situations can demonstrate professionalism and commitment. An empathetic response and practical resolution show care for customers and a willingness to improve.
Statistics and data
Google Business Profile provides information about how users interact with the profile, including searches that led to it, actions such as website visits and other useful metrics.
These metrics help observe interactions, but do not reveal every user need or prove that a visit became a booking.
Challenges and considerations
Alongside the potential benefits, consider the challenges and the effort needed to make the tool useful.
Privacy
Do not hide an address to evade eligibility requirements. Configure the address and service area according to the real business model and Google’s guidelines.
Competition
Competition may be considerable depending on location and market.
A profile can form part of an eligible business’s online presence, but does not replace a useful website, consistent service or appropriate channels for marketing its properties.
Ongoing management
Keeping the profile current and replying to reviews and questions takes time and effort. An active, maintained presence is needed to make use of the tool’s benefits.
Where should an individual holiday homeowner focus?
For an ineligible individual property, start with permitted marketing channels and a complete listing. Investing in a profile that conflicts with the guidelines makes little sense.
Build reputation in channels appropriate to the accommodation or business. Do not invent locations, use ineligible virtual offices or duplicate profiles in an attempt to increase visibility.
If you operate a genuinely eligible office, compare the work of maintaining the profile with useful enquiries and observed results. Its existence does not guarantee bookings or income.
Start with eligibility, then define measurable objectives. For a holiday home, work on photographs, description, calendar and guest support through suitable channels.
Alternatives for giving a property visibility
- Prepare consistent listings on platforms compatible with your accommodation.
- Maintain a useful website if you have a direct channel, with clear terms and contact details.
- Distinguish information about the management company from information about each property.
- Assess accommodation distribution solutions separately: they are not the same as an ordinary Business Profile.
Source: Google’s official ownership and eligibility guidelines.
If you need to organise your property’s presence across channels, explore Alehost’s remote rental management.
