Why are Google reviews essential for increasing your hotel's direct bookings?

The Importance of Online Reviews for Your Business

Online reviews have the power to make or break your business. Travelers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Around 95% of travelers read online reviews before booking a hotel, and 49% won't book a hotel with no reviews. Moreover, increasing your review score by just one point can allow you to raise room prices while attracting more customers. These statistics highlight the crucial importance of online reviews for your establishment.

Not All Reviews Are Equal

However, not all online reviews carry the same weight. You likely receive reviews on multiple platforms: TripAdvisor, Google, Expedia, Yelp, Booking.com, and even Facebook. While all are important, your primary goal should be to collect a high volume of positive reviews on your Google Business profile.

Why Focus on Google Reviews?

The reality is that Google places significant importance on reviews left directly on its platform. These reviews have a greater impact on your ranking in Google Maps compared to those published on other sites. Positive Google reviews help your hotel appear higher in search results. While sites like Expedia, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor also influence rankings on Google Maps, they do not carry the same weight as native Google reviews.

How Does It Work?

Google has an integrated system to verify the authenticity of reviewers. When someone leaves a review on Google, they must be signed into their account, allowing Google to track their review history and local expertise. Among local ranking factors, the number of native Google reviews is a major element. Other important aspects include:

• Review frequency (how regularly new reviews are posted over time)

• Review sentiment (positive, negative, etc.)

• Keywords used in reviews

• Overall rating

How to Get More Google Reviews?

So, what should you do with all this information? The key is to ask your customers to leave reviews online, especially on Google. Here are a few effective methods:

• Ask them in person at checkout

• Send a follow-up email or SMS after their stay

• Leave a card or note in the room

The most important thing is to be consistent. Our advice is to always give your customers an option, for example:

"Please leave us a review on TripAdvisor or Google."

While many people are familiar with TripAdvisor, encouraging them to use Google is worth it. Frequent Google reviewers will be happy to do it, and those unfamiliar may even ask for instructions.

Pro Tip: If you want customers to leave a Google review, you’ll need a direct review link. Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to get your Google review URL to send to customers.

Finally, do not copy-paste reviews from one site to another (and don’t ask your customers to do it either). Google can detect this and may use it as a negative ranking factor. You want the reviews on each platform to be unique and authentic.

Managing Online Reviews: A Long-Term Investment

Receiving and managing online reviews can be stressful and time-consuming—sometimes even feeling like a full-time job. You need to request reviews from customers, monitor their content and quality, and take the time to respond, whether they are positive or negative.

While this requires effort, it is an investment that will pay off in the long run. Always make sure to encourage reviews and direct your customers to Google whenever possible. By focusing on positive Google reviews, you can attract new customers, enhance your brand image, and help your hotel rank higher in search results.