The Revinate Blog

Webinar Recap - Google Plus Tips for Hotels and Restaurants

We want to thank everyone who was able to join us for yesterday's webinar on Google+ for Hotels and Restaurants with special guest Benji Greenberg of BCV. For those who missed the webinar, you can view it here. The webinar covered lots of useful information, including outlining Google+'s intricacies and reasons why hotels and restaurants specifically should engage, spotlighting unique Google+ features that have direct hospitality application, demonstrating how to improve your business's search performance with the social layer and explaining the differences between a Google+ local and a brand page and how to merge the two.

After the webinar, we had many additional questions come in, so we wanted to answer them here and also elaborate on some important topics.

Q: How many Google+ Local Business pages can be created under a single e-mail? We work with a multi-unit business and we would like to create pages for them but we don't want to create multiple profiles.

You can create a maximum of 50 +Pages under a single profile. For step-by-step instructions on how to create a Google+ Local listing, here's a great how-to resource for you to follow.

Q: If we've already claimed our business through Google Places (now known as local Google+ page) does that mean we already have claimed it as a Google+ page too?

The difference between a Google+ local listing and a Google+ page with social features is confusing. If you had already claimed your business through Google Places (which is a process that verifies your business's contact information, Google map location, etc.) then your page was automatically converted to a local Google+ listing. While this listing looks very similar to a Google+ page, it does not include any of the social functionality of a Google+ page (i.e. doesn't allow your hotel or restaurant to post updates, share photos, upload video, etc.). In short, you will need to create a separate Google+ page first, and then - once this step is complete - merge your local profile and page together.

Q: So again, if we have claimed our local Google business listing, do we need to create a Google+ page?

Yes. You will need to create a Google+ page first and then you can merge your local Google+ listing with it. For more information, Google has spelled out the difference between the two types of pages here.

Q: Any other tips to growing your circles beyond adding a Google+ button to your website?

Similar to other social communities, growing your audience with Google+ will require time and patience. Nonetheless, here are some great tips to get started with.

Q: Can you tell us again where you click to merge a Google+ page?

To merge your page, click on Verify now on the right side of the page. You'll need to verify that you're representing your business by having a postcard sent, even if you're a verified business owner on Google Places for Business. Also note that verification will only work for pages created in the "Local Business or Place" category in Google+. Google has also published step-by-step instructions on how to go about this.  

Q: Can we use the same pin from merging our Google Business page to our Google local page?

You should first try to use the same PIN. If using this PIN does not work, however, you will need to submit a request for another one to verify. Another good resource to check out on the step-by-step verification process can be found here.   

Q: Can you reply to local Google+ reviews as a business? 

Yes. You’ll still be able to publicly respond to reviews, and now you can respond directly from your local Google+ page. To do so, sign in to your Google Places for Business account, click See your listing on Google Maps by the business that has a review you want to respond to (which will take you to the corresponding local Google+ page), and click Respond next to the review and write your response.

Q: Do all Google+ reviews pull into Revinate?

Yes. Revinate pulls your Google+ reviews  into your Revinate dashboard under the Reviews tab in our dashboard and can be responded to directly. Google+ social mentions of your brand will appear in the Social Media Searches tab of your dashboard.

Q: Is it possible to create more than one Google+ page? For example, a brand page and then one additional for each property?

You can create more than one page.  A good example of how to differentiate your brand versus property Google+ pages would be the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts brand profile.

Q: Is there a reason/benefit to have more than one page?

If you are asking whether or not your hotel or resort should also have a separate page(s) created for your restaurants, spa or nightlife, think about the following. When it comes to managing multiple Google+ brand pages, consider the time and resources that are available to you. While proactively cared for pages can yield search and enterprise benefits to your online presence, ones that are left without compelling content on a consistent basis will have little impact. Moreover, many pages even at the brand level are still looking to gain a critical mass in following. With this in mind, we would advise beginning with one page and evaluate its progress after a certain amount of time has passed.

Q: If you mark your post as Public, can people see it if they are not using Google+?

When you post publicly, only people who've added you to one of their circles will see your update on their Home page. Your public posts will be displayed on the Posts tab of your profile and are viewable by anyone who wishes to see them. They also may appear in search results.

Q: Does the Google+ badge have the same impact on search results when integrated into a website with AddThis?

Yes. By adding a Google+ badge to your site, you will find a similar impact on search, whether its integrated with your AddThis toolbox or on its own. This badge's core purpose of allowing visitors to your website to directly follow your Google+ page, +1 your site, share your site with their circles, see which of their friends have +1’d your site, and click through to visit your Google+ page will remain the same.

Q: So we have to create an individual account before we can claim a business, similar to Facebook? Is it better to create a gmail account for your business?

Yes. You will have to have access to a gmail account as an individual user before claiming a business. Typically, it's a smart idea to have a general gmail account for your business so that you can use the same uniformed login across managing multiple social channels. 

 

What you need to know about Google+ Local

Last month, Google announced the launch of Google+ Local, a new way to search for and share your favorite restaurants, local hot spots and pretty much every other business you can think of. The launch is the first step in integrating with review site Zagat since the acquisition of the company by Google in September 2011. Although this integration is still in its early stages, we wanted to outline the major effects it will have on hotels and restaurants.

Google Places listings now featuring Zagat ratings
Similar to the Places listings you’ve seen in the past, new local listings feature contact information, images and reviews with ratings with one key difference — the traditional star ratings has been replaced with Zagat’s 30 point rating system. Summarized local listings are displayed in organic Google searches and on Google Maps. Users seeking more detailed information and reviews must sign into Google+ to view the full local listing, complete with a professional Zagat summary and user-generated reviews from both Zagat and Google.

How to manage your Google Places account and respond to reviews
For the time being, business owners can continue to manage their local listing information and respond to reviews via Google Places for Business. As Google continues to enhance local listings, we speculate that there will be closer integration with Google+, requiring all businesses to manage listings and content through a linked Google+ account. If you haven’t already done so, we recommend creating a Google+ Page for your property, as it is likely that Google will undergo a ‘merging’ phase similar to Facebook with the evolution of Places.

What’s to come?
Although it’s not entirely clear where Google is headed with local listings, we noticed a few areas where we could see significant changes in the future.

1. 1. 1. All business will be required to manage content through Google+ — This seems like a logical step for Google, as they continue to look for ways to build the popularity of Google+. In our opinion, having a centralized place to manage content that appears in several different areas on the web is a great way to keep your property’s image and messaging consistent.
   2. 2. Zagat reviews will now accept management responses — In the past, Zagat did not allow managers to respond to reviews posted on the site. We see this changing as Google currently allows for management responses.
   3. 3. Zagat will no longer have a standalone website — In an effort to clear any confusion between the two sites and strengthen Google+, we imagine that at some point, Google will do away with Zagat’s standalone website. This step would again support the push for Google+ to be a central location to mange and find content.

For more information on the evolution of Google+ Local, visit Google and Your Business Blog.

3rd Party Reviews Removed from Google Maps and Google Places

Interesting article and comments this morning on Tnooz about Google removing third party hotel reviews from its prominent place on Maps and Places products. Before, when you went to Google Maps or Places, you would be able to see TripAdvisor, Yelp and other 3rd party reviews. Now they're gone. In their place, just reviews written on Google's own platform by people with a Google ID.

Of the changes, the Google Lat Long Blog says, "Rating and review counts reflect only those that’ve been written by fellow Google users, and as part of our continued commitment to helping you find what you want on the web, we’re continuing to provide links to other review sites so you can get a comprehensive view of locations across the globe." The 3rd party reviews can be accessed by scrolling down the page, where plain text links allow you to see reviews from around the world on TripAdvisor, TravelPod and Booking.com, in Hotel Rex's case.

I am seeing a little bit of an outcry from hoteliers because, like TripAdvisor, reviews on Google's platform aren't verified at all. All you have to do is click "write a review," share your thoughts, and your review is published immediately.

Otherwise, most people see it as a sign that Google is looking to create a robust platform, driven by user generated content, and helpful because it knows who you are and who your friends are, thanks to the recently released Google+. Looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.

 

A Rundown of Alert Possibilities

Unlike traditional office employees such as myself, hoteliers are rarely at their desks. The good news for me is that my desk looks out at the Golden Gate Bridge and I never tire of the view. The better news is that I rarely miss a tweet or post because I always have a monitor with Revinate showing my mentions. For hoteliers, it's a bit more difficult to stay on top of mentions so I thought I would provide a rundown of applications that provide alerts that can help hoteliers.

1. Revinate. Revinate clients can opt-in to email alerts for notification of new reviews and social media mentions. The alerts also include recommended actions, such as respond to a negative review or read a competitor's new review. Clients can also be sent a weekly scorecard alert which provides data and analysis on social media progress and gains against the competition. Revinate is continuing to work on its alerts so stay tuned for new developments.

2. TripAdvisor. If you're not a Revinate client, make sure you sign up to be alerted when a new review is posted to TripAdvisor. You can do this in the Owners Center. You will want to respond to reviews within a day or two to ensure that prospects know you're listening closely to guest feedback.

3. Google Alerts. Revinate clients will likely be managing their properties and competition using the Social Media Searches feature in Revinate, but Google Alerts can also come in handy. Google Alerts are a free and easy way to monitor topics on the Web. For example, to stay on top of social media best practices in the industry, you might want to create an alert for 'Hotel Social Media'. I prefer to get my alerts once a day, but you can decide your frequency when you sign up.

4. Foursquare and Gowalla. Sorry - No dice. While it would make sense for location-based services like Foursquare and Gowalla to alert you whenever someone checks-in to your hotel, that's not possible today using these services. However, if you are monitoring Twitter and public Facebook pages for your hotel name, many people that check-in have linked their Twitter and Facebook accounts so a tweet/status update is sent out at the same time. Revinate clients will see the check-in in the Social Media Searches section with a foursqaure url such as http://4sq.com/mnRtjJ

5. Local Response. A new service in Beta, Local Response will monitor Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp, MyTown, Loopt, Whrrl, Brightkite and other services and alert you when your hotel is mentioned. The great news is that Local Response will fill the gap that exists today because location based services aren't sending alerts when folks check-in.

6. Twitter. Folks that use Twitter can opt-in for alerts when someone starts following you or when you receive a new direct message. For more sophisticated alerts, you need to use a Twitter client such as Local Response, ifttt, tweetbeep, or a host of other services.

If you know of other valuable alert solutions, please let everyone know in the comments below.

Make Room for Google Offers

Groupon. LivingSocial. Mamapedia. The list goes on and on. But let's add Google Offers to the mix. Launched in Portland to start, Google Offers works just like the others. You subscribe to your city's offer using your email, and every day you are alerted of a new deal at a 50% discount.

Since Google has a close relationship with so many businesses thanks to its other products, I imagine it will have an easy time wrangling up great offers. And who knows what's next... perhaps it will integrate with Google Maps to remind you where your offers are when you're within a few-block radius. Considering the many unused Groupons and Living Social deals I have, that would be a great value-add service to launch. Let's see what happens.