A large number of stakeholders who are part of the IQM Destination project are not advertised, have not claimed their location, or are not familiar with and satisfied by the results and benefits that Google Maps provides. Google Maps is important for promoting both individual businesses and the destination as a whole. There are two types of searches: one is a local search, when we look for businesses—like accommodations, restaurants, cafés, souvenir shops, and other establishments—right where we are. The other type of search is from a different location, when we search for another destination from afar.
When search results appear on Google Maps, you see how far away each business is, its opening hours, the services it offers, phone number, and guest reviews.
“Google Maps is crucial for promotion primarily because a visitor, before traveling to a destination, first searches for a place using Google’s search engine.”
When results appear, a map opens on the side—Google Maps—showing the user’s current location, the business they’re searching for, and other similar nearby businesses.
To advertise on Google Maps, you need to invest significant effort in preparation. If you are advertising on other platforms as well, you must ensure your business name is identical everywhere so people can find you more easily among search results and know exactly which place they are looking at. In addition to the name, it is very important to prepare the information you will present to your visitors—high-quality photos and descriptions that accurately describe your establishment.
The first step is to check whether we are already present on Google Maps. If we are, we need to see whether someone else is managing our listing, because it’s possible that a visitor has entered some of our information incorrectly. When we click on our business’s listing, there is an option called “Claim this business.” If it really is our business, we can click further to manage this business on Google. In this way, we can take over the profile and publish all relevant information and photos about our establishment. Once we have claimed the profile, we can respond to reviews of our business. This is one of the advantages, because it creates two-way communication and you can always reply to comments—thanking someone for a positive review or explaining your side if there has been a misunderstanding.
How to Prepare Specifically for Google Maps:
- Prepare your business name—choose a unique name for your accommodation. It is important that the name is identical on all platforms where you advertise.
- Prepare the information you will present to all visitors and potential customers.
- Check whether you are already present on Google Maps; you can do this by typing your business name into Google Maps and seeing if it appears.
- If it appears, check if someone else is already managing your listing.
- To claim ownership of the profile, click “Claim this business.”
- Google will ask you to verify that you are indeed the owner of this business by sending a postcard to your address within 14 days, which you will use to confirm your profile.
“Google Maps is important for promoting your business, so make sure your listing appears on the map, claim the profile, publish all accurate information and photos as you wish, and enable potential guests to get all necessary details in just a few clicks—so they choose you as their next destination!”
