In a typical month, Google sends hundreds of millions of website visits and phone calls to hotels around the world.[000203]That’s because travelers often come to Google to research and decide where they want to stay.

As a hotelier, you have an opportunity to ensure that potential customers on Google see you in the best light which will, in turn, help grow your business and get you free direct bookings. Here are 3 steps to help you optimize your presence on Google through the holiday season, and beyond.

Free booking links provide a simple way for you to get more direct traffic across Google properties, without any charge from us. To participate, you’ll need to connect your rates with Google.

The best way to share your rates and keep them up-to-date is through a feed integration – either API or a third-party connectivity provider. If you don’t have a connectivity partner or prefer not to use one, we recently added the ability to share your rates via the new hotel rate editor on your Google Business Profile.

You can do the following to keep your hotel’s details current and ensure that customers view the most recent information about your hotel:

• Share what your hotel has to offer through uploading photos and videos, listing services, and calling out hotel highlights like “Pet Friendly,” “Free Wi-Fi,” and “Free Parking”. Additionally, you can now showcase eco-certifications or sustainability practices like waste reduction or water conservation.
• Respond to customer reviews which can help build customer trust.
• Share timely updates about your hotels with posts, including descriptions of special features, events or amenities that are uniquely offered at your hotel. Let’s say you added a new restaurant to your hotel: you can now include a photo or video, a description and an action button to drive reservations.

All these tools are part of our commitment to invest in features that help hotel partners tap into demand as the travel landscape continues to evolve. If you’re interested in driving free traffic to your website, learn how to get started or register for a Travel on Air webinar coming up on December 15. To stay up-to-date on our developments in this area, sign up for our travel partners newsletter.

In a typical month, Google sends hundreds of millions of website visits and phone calls to hotels around the world.[000203]That’s because travelers often come to Google to research and decide where they want to stay.

As a hotelier, you have an opportunity to ensure that potential customers on Google see you in the best light which will, in turn, help grow your business and get you free direct bookings. Here are 3 steps to help you optimize your presence on Google through the holiday season, and beyond.

Free booking links provide a simple way for you to get more direct traffic across Google properties, without any charge from us. To participate, you’ll need to connect your rates with Google.

The best way to share your rates and keep them up-to-date is through a feed integration – either API or a third-party connectivity provider. If you don’t have a connectivity partner or prefer not to use one, we recently added the ability to share your rates via the new hotel rate editor on your Google Business Profile.

You can do the following to keep your hotel’s details current and ensure that customers view the most recent information about your hotel:

• Share what your hotel has to offer through uploading photos and videos, listing services, and calling out hotel highlights like “Pet Friendly,” “Free Wi-Fi,” and “Free Parking”. Additionally, you can now showcase eco-certifications or sustainability practices like waste reduction or water conservation.
• Respond to customer reviews which can help build customer trust.
• Share timely updates about your hotels with posts, including descriptions of special features, events or amenities that are uniquely offered at your hotel. Let’s say you added a new restaurant to your hotel: you can now include a photo or video, a description and an action button to drive reservations.

All these tools are part of our commitment to invest in features that help hotel partners tap into demand as the travel landscape continues to evolve. If you’re interested in driving free traffic to your website, learn how to get started or register for a Travel on Air webinar coming up on December 15. To stay up-to-date on our developments in this area, sign up for our travel partners newsletter.

Traveling can be a source of joy and excitement, especially when meaningful experiences are involved. In the last year, we’ve seen searches for “fun activities” reach an all-time high in the U.S. That’s why we’re continuing to make it easier for people to discover things to do on Google, and for businesses to connect with these new potential customers as they plan their trips.

Compare ticket prices on Google Maps

Last year, we began showing ticket booking links on Search when people look for attractions, like the Boston Tea Party Museum, to help them quickly compare admissions prices across different partners. Now, this ticket information is available on Google Maps as well, where travelers often plan their itinerary for the day.

We’re also starting to show booking links for experiences connected to a particular attraction, like a combined Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour. This feature is currently available on Search and will also be available soon on Maps.

In the near future, we’ll also begin displaying booking links for tour and activity operators on their Search and Maps listings when people query their business name, like “John’s London Bike Tours.”

Edit ticket prices directly through Google Business Profile

Attraction, tour, and activity operators can work with an approved connectivity partner to provide travelers with the most up-to-date pricing information through a feed integration. Beginning today, attraction owners can also directly edit their ticket prices on Search and Maps through their Business Profile, and this functionality will soon be available for tour and activity operators as well.

Help even more customers find you

Last year we introduced a new ad format on Search that helps advertisers stand out and drive more revenue by showing details like pricing, images and reviews when people search for things to do. Now, this ad unit has expanded coverage to include more countries and languages and is eligible to appear on individual attraction listings on mobile Search. These ads can be set up using the same data feeds that power the free ticket booking links on Search and Maps, so it’s easy to get started.

Register here for our Travel on Air Webinar to learn about these new tools and more to help you connect with potential customers.

Traveling can be a source of joy and excitement, especially when meaningful experiences are involved. In the last year, we’ve seen searches for “fun activities” reach an all-time high in the U.S. That’s why we’re continuing to make it easier for people to discover things to do on Google, and for businesses to connect with these new potential customers as they plan their trips.

Compare ticket prices on Google Maps

Last year, we began showing ticket booking links on Search when people look for attractions, like the Boston Tea Party Museum, to help them quickly compare admissions prices across different partners. Now, this ticket information is available on Google Maps as well, where travelers often plan their itinerary for the day.

We’re also starting to show booking links for experiences connected to a particular attraction, like a combined Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour. This feature is currently available on Search and will also be available soon on Maps.

In the near future, we’ll also begin displaying booking links for tour and activity operators on their Search and Maps listings when people query their business name, like “John’s London Bike Tours.”

Edit ticket prices directly through Google Business Profile

Attraction, tour, and activity operators can work with an approved connectivity partner to provide travelers with the most up-to-date pricing information through a feed integration. Beginning today, attraction owners can also directly edit their ticket prices on Search and Maps through their Business Profile, and this functionality will soon be available for tour and activity operators as well.

Help even more customers find you

Last year we introduced a new ad format on Search that helps advertisers stand out and drive more revenue by showing details like pricing, images and reviews when people search for things to do. Now, this ad unit has expanded coverage to include more countries and languages and is eligible to appear on individual attraction listings on mobile Search. These ads can be set up using the same data feeds that power the free ticket booking links on Search and Maps, so it’s easy to get started.

Register here for our Travel on Air Webinar to learn about these new tools and more to help you connect with potential customers.