December 22, 2021
As a travel professional, you probably already have a solid website and social media presence. However, that's not enough to stand out from your competitors. You should also be using Google My Business (GMB) to convert users who find you on Google Maps and Search into new customers. Intuitive and flexible, GMB gives you a free, optimized Business Profile that you can use to highlight what makes your business unique.
Read on to learn more about GMB, its benefits, and how you can use it to boost conversion rates.
GMB is a free tool that empowers you to create, manage, and optimize a Google Business Profile. Business Profiles show up in Google Search as well as on Google Maps.
They look like this on Google Search:
And they look like this on Google Maps:
As you can see, a GMB listing can really help to drive traffic to your tour company and website. Each GMB profile contains links, phone numbers, hours of operation, and other information that can drive up conversion rates.
Even if you never made a GMB profile, you may already have one, since Google automatically generates these profiles for business owners. However, even if your tour company already has a GMB profile, you still have to do a number of things. Specifically, you have to claim the profile and check to see if the information on the profile is correct. You also have to optimize your GMB listing. If you don't, your profile may not be effective at attracting and converting leads.
Here's what you should keep in mind when optimizing your listing:
First of all, you need to make sure that all of the information on your profile is correct and consistent. Check and double-check whether your business name, telephone number, and address are displayed correctly. Ensure that you're using the same information on all of your online profiles, whether it's on your website, social media, or GMB profile.
If you're a remote tour operator, you should hide your business' physical address. You should also add the address of the branch or place from where you're operating and include links to a webpage that explains how and when customers should wait for their tours. Just make sure that you're using a real address that you can accept postcards at. Otherwise, you may not be able to verify your GMB account, since Google's preferred verification method is to send a postcard with a code to your stated address. You may also get suspended or flagged since Google's algorithms don't like fake or fake-seeming addresses.
For example, you can add the address of the mall branch you're operating the tour from and include links to a webpage that explains how and when customers should wait for their tours. If you use your main business office's physical address on your GMB, customers may misunderstand how to book or start a tour and arrive at your office at 9 AM when they're supposed to be waiting at the nearby mall for a 9 AM bus tour.
Try to pick the most accurate category that Google gives you. Think about what a potential customer would find more hopeful — something generic like "tour agency" or something more specific, like "boat tour agency"?
If you're a sightseeing tour company, choose "sightseeing tour company" as your category. If you're a cruise agency, be clear about that. However, if you offer a wide variety of tour types, you can choose a broad category like "travel agency."
Most tour companies in the example below have chosen the right category. The sole exception is Cruise Holidays of Lawrence Park, which should've chosen a more specific category like "boat tour agency" or "cruise agency."
Like your website and social media, your GMB should have impressive visuals.
GMB allows you to upload a 30-second video to your profile. As such, you should make a video that shows customers the awesome adventures they can expect from joining your tours. Show aerial shots of the places they can go to and include short testimonials by previous customers.
You should also include:
You should also promote your tour company through posts on your GMB profile.
Remember to keep the following in mind when writing your posts:
Another reason you should optimize your GMB page is to get high-quality Google Business reviews from previous and current customers. Great reviews will help you rank better on Google and attract the customers you deserve.
To get started, try reaching out to your existing pool of satisfied customers to leave reviews for you. Once you start getting reviews, remember to respond appropriately and promptly to all reviews, including and especially negative ones.
Finally, use GMB's Insights panel to analyze and track your marketing strategy. You can use this panel to find out the following and more:
GMB also allows you to link a tour booking software to your profile. This will give customers the ability to book activities and tours directly from your GMB listing.
To learn more about how you can use GMB to boost your business and get the clients you deserve, feel free to contact us at JungleBee.
