Learn how to update your Google Business Profile (GBP) – formerly known as Google My Business (GMB) – and why it’s important to keep it up-to-date.
Where does GBP get its info?
For most branded hotels, the brand’s main property information management system (i.e., Marriott > Product Catalog, Hilton > PiM, etc.) conveys main business information to the hotel’s GBP listing, but a quick front-end check on how the user may see the listing on their end can uncover potential issues or errors that can’t be easily identified.
For example, if your hotel has recently gone through a renovation, you may see that pesky outdated exterior photo appear on the right-hand side when doing a quick Google search for the hotel. Is it possible to get this removed? Yes, it is possible to “suggest” or update the hero image on your Google Business Profile, but it’s important to understand that ultimately, Google has the final say. Even if you assign a hero image within the business profile settings, it’s not guaranteed that it will be the one displayed.
To influence the hero image selection, ensure that high-quality photos are regularly uploaded. Google’s algorithm takes into account several factors when choosing a hero image, such as user-generated content that’s high-quality, whether an image has a high number of views or engagement, and photo relevancy.
For more info on how to get images updated on Google, check out our other blog, Where is this Image Coming From?!?!
How to update for Marriott
All updates for your hotel’s Google Business Profile must be either requested through Marriott’s mPortal under the Local SEO Maintenance Form or through Marriott Rio SEO Local Manager.
The following can be requested through mPortal:
- User Access – Rio SEO Local Manager/Google Business Profile (GBP)
- Reviews – Rio SEO Local Manager/Google Business Profile (GBP) Review issues
- URL, Name, Address, Phone, Hours Update
- Amenity Update
- Duplicate Removals and Page Merges
- Photo Update
- Hotel Star Rating Correction
- Description Update
- Map Marker Update
- Add/Create Listing
- Deflagged Hotel – Ownership Transfer
In Rio SEO, the following can be updated:
- Google Lodging Accessibility
- Google Lodging Activities
- Google Lodging Families
- Google Lodging Food And Drink
- Google Lodging Increased Food Safety
- Google Lodging Minimized Contact
- Google Lodging Payment Options
- Google Lodging Personal Protection
- Google Lodging Pets
- Google Lodging Policies
- Google Lodging Pools
- Google Lodging Property
- Google Lodging Services
- Google Lodging Transportation
- Google Lodging Wellness
- Uncategorized
What’s most significant in Rio SEO that hotels should manage daily are review responses (under Reputation) and posting of updates/events at least once a month (under Publisher).
How to update for all other brands
For other hotel brands, to make an update, you must at least have Manager access. It’s important for the listing to be verified first before any updates are published publicly.
The following can be updated directly in the hotel’s GBP:
- Basic information (UNAP – URL, name, address, phone number; business category, opening date, business hours, social media links, etc.)
- Photos and videos
- Hotel details
- Popular amenities
- Sustainability
- Health & safety
- Internet
- Food & drink
- Policies & payments
- Activities
- Services
- Children
- Pools
- Parking & transportation
- Wellness
- Accessibility
- Business & events
- Pets
- Room features
- Q&A
- Review responses
How often should you “audit” your GBP?
The frequency with which your GBP listing should be audited can vary, but the general consensus among SEO experts is that it should be a regular, ongoing process, not a one-time task. A quarterly or semi-annual audit is a good practice to ensure consistency across all distribution channels and to ensure that everything is optimized for local SEO.
Review management should be done at least once a day, primarily by the General Manager or someone from the Operations team.
An optimized Google Business Profile listing will help you rank higher in Google Map searches and the local pack results, and it also helps providing people with easy-to-find information about your hotel.
What should be part of a GBP audit?
- UNAP consistency
- Map pin-point
- Business category
- Business description
- High-quality photos
- Reviews and response management
- Frequency of posts and events
- Q&A responses
By performing regular checks, you can maintain an accurate, engaging, and highly visible Google Business Profile that helps you stand out from the competition.
About Cogwheel Marketing
Cogwheel Marketing™️ is a full service digital marketing agency specializing in branded hotels, first leveraging brand systems then coupling that with supplemental strategies to maximize total online presence. Their reporting and business intelligence tool, Cogwheel Analytics, aggregates data from multiple sources to allow companies to identify trends and opportunities in their online presence. Our defined processes ensure the best positioning for your hotel against the competitive set and against other hotels of the same brand. Let us work with your sales and revenue management teams to identify and close the gaps and target your ideal guests.
