{"id":1801,"date":"2020-01-24T09:22:28","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T09:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.schofields.ltd.uk\/?p=1801"},"modified":"2020-05-15T10:33:40","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T10:33:40","slug":"add-vacation-rental-to-google-places","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/1801\/add-vacation-rental-to-google-places\/","title":{"rendered":"A Quick Guide to Creating a Google My Business Listing"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 9<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"google<\/p>\n

The way people search for information online has changed over the past decade. As Google continues to dominate in the search engine stakes, it\u2019s brought with it several new features for users wanting to get their business in front of their target audience; the main one being Google My Business.<\/p>\n

So how do you get listed? Follow our steps below to get up and running! This guide will help you create and optimise your listing to so you can grow your holiday cottage business.<\/p>\n

What is Google My Business?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Google My Business<\/a> (GMB) is a tool\u00a0for businesses which is easy-to-use and free. It enables business owners to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. It\u2019s particularly important for businesses that may rely on customers who are nearby find them (e.g. restaurants, shops and hospitality businesses), and it can certainly be a way to gain a competitive edge on some of your industry rivals!<\/p>\n

If you have ever searched for a business or service near you or in a specific location, you\u2019ve probably seen Google\u2019s \u201cmap pack\u201d \u2013 showing local businesses matching your search.<\/p>\n

Check out this example when searching for “holiday cottage in windermere<\/strong>“:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a holiday cottage owner. Can I use Google My Business?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

At the time of writing, the Google guidelines state that rental properties such as holiday homes are ineligible<\/a> for a listing*. So, in this article we\u2019ll be focusing on why and how to use GMB for related organisations in the holiday let industry, such as property management and holiday cottage agencies.<\/p>\n

*That said, if you\u2019re a individual holiday cottage owner looking to set up a listing for a rental property you own, there\u2019s nothing stopping you trying submitting your GMB entry. Google often does approve and list individual holiday cottages, try searching for holiday cottage in your area and you will see. <\/em><\/p>\n

We just wanted to make you aware that Google deems this nature of property ineligible for their service and may remove your business information from Google<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why should your cottage management agency use Google My Business?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Like other businesses, if you\u2019re letting holiday cottages you\u2019ll be relying on new (and existing) customers\u2019 to find you online; whether that\u2019s to look up your phone number, find out who you are, what you do and where you are located, or drop you an enquiry email.<\/p>\n

GMB allows you to manage the information that Google users find when they search for your business, or the products and services that you offer. You can also read and respond to reviews from your customers.<\/p>\n

And did you know that the number of Google\u00a0reviews and the level of ratings you receive are factored into local search rankings? It means that the more reviews and positive ratings you collect, the higher up you\u2019re likely to appear in Google search results (over time). There’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on\u00a0Google.<\/p>\n

You may already have a GMB listing set up if your business has been running a while, but have you looked at it lately to see if it\u2019s still up to date?<\/p>\n

Whatever the current status of your GMB account (non-existent or part-completed), if you\u2019re a holiday let agency or a property management company, you can\u2019t afford to miss out on all the benefits of a fully optimised GMB account.<\/p>\n

How to list your holiday cottage on\u00a0Google\u00a0My\u00a0Business <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

First, check whether you already have a Google My Business listing by typing in your \u201cbusiness name & town\/city\u201d to see if a branded Knowledge Panel comes up. If it doesn\u2019t, proceed to the steps below.<\/p>\n

Step 1:<\/strong> Visit https:\/\/www.google.com\/business\/<\/a> and log into the Google Account you want associated with your business (for example, using a Gmail address).
\nStep 2:<\/strong> Go to google.com\/business and select \u201cStart now\u201d in the top right-hand corner.
\nStep 3:<\/strong> Write your business name.
\nStep 4:<\/strong> Type your business address.
\nStep 5:<\/strong> Select the business category that seems most accurate (here, you\u2019re telling Google who should ideally see your business listing).
\nStep 6:<\/strong> Add in your business phone number and website address.
\nStep 7:<\/strong>\u00a0Finally, choose an option so that you can get your account verified.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re going ahead and requesting to verify your listing, there are a few different ways that Google will allow you to do so:<\/p>\n