You look after your Google profile: new photos, review replies, updated attributes. But how much does it really bring you? How many calls, website visits, bookings? Without measuring it, it's hard to know if it's worth the time you spend.
In this article we look at how to measure enquiries coming from your hotel's Google profile, combining profile stats with Google Analytics and a bit of organisation at reception.
1. Profile stats
Your Google Business Profile shows a summary of interactions. Available data includes:
- profile views, on Search and Maps, mobile and desktop;
- searches that led to your profile (often with the words used);
- interactions: calls, direction requests, website clicks;
- for some properties, booking link clicks.
Check this data every month and compare it with the same month last year, not the previous month: seasonality matters a lot.
2. UTMs on profile links
The problem: visits from your Google profile often end up in Analytics as "organic search" or "direct", mixed in with everything else. The fix is adding UTM parameters to the website link in your profile.
Example:
https://www.yourhotel.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp
This way Google Analytics shows visits, enquiries and bookings from your profile separately. Always use the same convention and write it down.
Note: free booking links have their own tracking, managed by your booking engine. Ask your provider how to identify bookings from there in Analytics.
3. Bookings in Google Analytics
For visits to become useful data, Analytics must record bookings with their value, including those made in the booking engine (often on a different domain). See how to tell which marketing activities actually bring guests to your hotel.
With this in place, you can build a simple report: visits from your Google profile, bookings, revenue, conversion rate.
4. Calls
Calls from your profile are often the hottest enquiries, especially on mobile. The profile tells you how many there are, but not how many become bookings. To find out:
- ask reception to note the source ("Did you find us on Google Maps?");
- or use a dedicated number for your Google profile, if managed carefully (the number should stay consistent with other channels to avoid confusion).
5. Direction requests
Many direction requests come from guests who've already booked and want to reach you. Others come from people looking for a hotel nearby, maybe last minute. A sudden increase can signal more visibility in local searches.
A one-page monthly report
| Indicator | This month | Same month last year |
|---|---|---|
| Profile views | ||
| Website clicks | ||
| Calls | ||
| Direction requests | ||
| Visits from profile (Analytics, UTM) | ||
| Bookings from profile | ||
| Revenue from profile |
Fifteen minutes a month is enough to keep it updated.
What to do with the data
- if views grow but clicks don't: improve photos, amenities and reviews;
- if clicks grow but bookings don't: the problem is your website or price. See your hotel website gets visits but no bookings: what to check;
- if calls are frequent but few become bookings: work on phone handling and quotes.
Frequently asked questions
Do UTMs hurt SEO?
No, not when used on your profile link. Your website should still have the correct canonical URL, so Google indexes the page without parameters.
Why don't profile numbers match Analytics?
They're different tools measuring different things: the profile counts interactions, Analytics actual visits. Differences are normal. What matters is the trend over time.
Can I see what users searched for?
The profile shows some of the searches that led people to find you. They're useful for understanding how people look for you and for improving content.
Want to measure what Google brings you?
With our free marketing audit we check the tracking of your Google profile, website and booking engine, and tell you which data you're missing to make decisions.
