Google Optimization Program

Comprehensive Destination Audit

The Audit demonstrates how visitors are searching for a destination and uncovers what they find when they do. This is critical to identifying the opportunities to improve the representation of their market.    

The evaluation includes:

• Google Travel

Top Things to Do (Up to 200 listings audited for listing completeness, whether claimed, photo quality)

•  Hotel Finder
• Vacation Rentals Finder
• Recent photos

• Google Maps & Street View

• Business Listings on Google, Yelp & TripAdvisor

• Completeness of critical data, hours & health/safety measures
• Whether claimed by the owner
• Missing/closed/temporarily closed

Activation Program - Miles provides the action steps needed to optimize the destination's presence over the course of

Activation to:

• Identify and address priority optimization action items

• Improve the completeness of local business listings

• Add missing businesses, points of interest & facilities

• Identify critical missing images

• Create branded, trackable distribution of DMO’s high-quality photos on Google

• Remove low-quality images from Google

• Train DMO team on Destination Optimization tools & best practices

• Provide updates on what’s new in Destination Optimization

• Obtain access for the DMO to maintain listings for locations they manage

• Provide a loan program for a Google Pixel phone and options for 360 camera loan and training

• Deliver results reporting

Industry Education & Support

Local businesses’ Google Business profile is their single largest source of organic visibility online. Google Business Profile Manager is foundational for businesses to reach their customers and inspire confidence and conversion.  This program will provide digital upskilling for businesses (no limit on attendees) through:

• Two one-hour virtual training workshops for local businesses. This content can also be delivered in person in a single session. Recordings of the sessions will be provided for distribution to those who could not attend.  Inspiring Confidence with Online Listings - Outreach for this session should focus on businesses from the audit that were unclaimed and incomplete.

• What is your Google business profile

• How is it surfaced in Google search and travel products

• Other critical online listings to your business

• Claiming and verifying your business profile on Google, Yelp & Tripadvisor

• Keeping core business information current

• Overview of tools available in Google

Business Profile Manager

- Google Business Profile Manager: Maximizing Exposure – This session is ideal for anyone who is using GBPM, whether newly or with more experience (such as those complete and claimed in the audit)

• Utilizing Posts for updates

• Responding to reviews

• Managing images, 360s & video

• Responding to customer questions

• Understanding Insights data

• One-on-One Business Support

— Office Hours for businesses to meet directly with Miles for troubleshooting and support

Additional Resources: