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Got a serious problem with google listings and I actually pay money which
is not giving me any return.
I think the problem is a conflict between my old "google my business" >listing and my "google vacation rentals" listing (which I don't control).
On 16 Aug 2025 09:46:09 GMT, Paul Carmichael <wibbleypants@gmail.com>
wrote:
Got a serious problem with google listings and I actually pay money
which is not giving me any return.
I think the problem is a conflict between my old "google my business" >>listing and my "google vacation rentals" listing (which I don't
control).
Sorry, can't help. Never been tempted by their paid listings, airbnb and booking, together with the metasearch sites, have the limited (i.e. my properties are unique enough not to have a lot of like-for-like
competion) market covered for those searching for specific bedrooms,
dates etc. and the free google business listing shows up in maps for
people browsing it that way.
What advantages do/did you envisage from the vacation rentals listing?
El Sat, 16 Aug 2025 14:07:11 +0200, Ace escribi<:
What advantages do/did you envisage from the vacation rentals listing?
Direct bookings. My original google page gets hijacked by the agencies.
The GVR listing leads to direct bookings (through the channel manager/ >booking engine - in my case freetobook).
On 16 Aug 2025 13:31:06 GMT, Paul Carmichael <wibbleypants@gmail.com>
wrote:
El Sat, 16 Aug 2025 14:07:11 +0200, Ace escribi<:
What advantages do/did you envisage from the vacation rentals listing?
Direct bookings. My original google page gets hijacked by the agencies.
The GVR listing leads to direct bookings (through the channel manager/ >>booking engine - in my case freetobook).
Intersting. My google entry doesn't have the 'check availability'
button to my other channels like yours does, so there's no option but
to click the website link, thence booking direct through that.
I'm getting something like 60% direct bookings these days, although of
course that includes repeat guests, which proportion of course has
grown over time.
Do you know how/why your booking and travelmyth entries are being
shown automatically? I don't recall even having to disable it, but
maybe there is a way?
Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote:
On 16 Aug 2025 13:31:06 GMT, Paul Carmichael <wibbleypants@gmail.com>
wrote:
Direct bookings. My original google page gets hijacked by the agencies.
Can you explain this like I'm a numpty?
When I look at your property on Google Maps, I see a "Check
Availability' button, and a booking.com link, plus the link to
your own direct booking website (https://elpatiofuentedepiedra.es/).
Clicking on the 'Check Availability' button throws up only booking.com
as an option.
I assume that since booking.com is able to list your property, you
are willing to accept bookings through them. Is this under duress(?),
or simply another way to get your property noticed, presumably at
some percentage of the booking paid to booking.com. I suppose what I
am saying is, I don't understand what you mean by "My original google
page gets hijacked by the agencies.".
On mine they're not listed, so my own website is the only thing they
can click. In an ideal world one would include one's own booking
engine directly on that GMaps landing page, but I don't know of any
way to do that.
Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote in
news:62t1akhp95tvu5nfc7nscj7kossgs6vf79@4ax.com:
On mine they're not listed, so my own website is the only thing they
can click. In an ideal world one would include one's own booking
engine directly on that GMaps landing page, but I don't know of any
way to do that.
it is certainly possible as I often see a direct to hotel's own booking
site link on Gmaps.
Once located asa candidate, I usually seek out the hotel's website by other >means to see if they have any incentives to book direct such as a lower >rate, free breakfast or better cancellation terms. Then compare that to >booking via my hotels dot com incentive scheme.
Sounds a faff, and it can be, but as DFV for the old gimmer UKRM group, I >book a lot of hotel rooms so like to get a good deal to earn brownie points >from the group or reward points for me :)
On Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:42:19 -0000 (UTC), wessie
<willnotwork@tesco.net> wrote:
Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote in
news:62t1akhp95tvu5nfc7nscj7kossgs6vf79@4ax.com:
Once located asa candidate, I usually seek out the hotel's website by other >>means to see if they have any incentives to book direct such as a lower >>rate, free breakfast or better cancellation terms. Then compare that to >>booking via my hotels dot com incentive scheme.
I'm always astonished when people do not do this. I set prices and
markups to roughly equalise for the commission (including credit card commissions that I normally have to pay on direct bookings) such that
I receive about the same regardless of channel, but clearly I'd rather
that the guests were getting the saving by avoiding the commission in
the first place.
So, are you allowed by booking.com's rules to charge less on your
own direct booking site vs. the rate shown on booking.com?
I would have thought that would not be in their interest.
On Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:42:19 -0000 (UTC), wessie
it is certainly possible as I often see a direct to hotel's own
booking site link on Gmaps.
A link is one thing (which I have) but the date and availability
appearing directly on the Gmap entry, like Paul's does for his two
non-direct channels, is simething else. I'm assuming that this is what
he's trying to achieve by using the paid-for Google vacation rental
thing.
Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote in
news:tav1akhite568i580ohtiak49gku2rrqpc@4ax.com:
On Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:42:19 -0000 (UTC), wessie
it is certainly possible as I often see a direct to hotel's own
booking site link on Gmaps.
A link is one thing (which I have) but the date and availability
appearing directly on the Gmap entry, like Paul's does for his two
non-direct channels, is simething else. I'm assuming that this is what
he's trying to achieve by using the paid-for Google vacation rental
thing.
I was referring to the latter case where a "direct to hotel"[1] price is >shown in the list with the booking sites. Separate to the section on Gmaps >that gives a URL for the hotel.
[1] usually a 3rd party service like reservit not the actual hotel's own >website, unless a big group like Accor, Parador etc
On Sat, 16 Aug 2025 20:53:07 -0000 (UTC), Mark Olson
<olsonm@tiny.invalid> wrote:
Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote:
On 16 Aug 2025 13:31:06 GMT, Paul Carmichael <wibbleypants@gmail.com>
wrote:
Direct bookings. My original google page gets hijacked by the
agencies.
Can you explain this like I'm a numpty?
When I look at your property on Google Maps, I see a "Check
Availability' button, and a booking.com link, plus the link to your own >>direct booking website (https://elpatiofuentedepiedra.es/). Clicking on
the 'Check Availability' button throws up only booking.com as an option.
I assume that since booking.com is able to list your property, you are >>willing to accept bookings through them. Is this under duress(?), or
simply another way to get your property noticed, presumably at some >>percentage of the booking paid to booking.com. I suppose what I am
saying is, I don't understand what you mean by "My original google page >>gets hijacked by the agencies.".
booking.com (and other 'channels') charge a significant commission, like
15% or more, so while of course one wants to be listed there, given that they're the most likely source of clients, it's much preferable to use
your own website/booking engine where you can accept direct bookings and avoid the commission.
For whatever reason Paul's Google Business entry is automatically
including his entries on those channels, so punters are likely to just
click those. I think that's what he means by it being 'hijacked'.
On mine they're not listed, so my own website is the only thing they can click. In an ideal world one would include one's own booking engine
directly on that GMaps landing page, but I don't know of any way to do
that.
So, are you allowed by booking.com's rules to charge less on your own
direct booking site vs. the rate shown on booking.com? I would have
thought that would not be in their interest.
Getting that to link directly with your own booking widget but not the
other channels would be the best solution, or even to show them all with
your direct one being cheaper, but I can't see a way to achieve it.
El Sat, 16 Aug 2025 23:32:11 +0000, Mark Olson escribi<:
So, are you allowed by booking.com's rules to charge less on your own
direct booking site vs. the rate shown on booking.com? I would have
thought that would not be in their interest.
One used to have to sign a price parity agreement with BC, but that has
been declared illegal in Europe. They got fined a ton of money. I charge
BC punters 20% extra to cover commission.
On Sat, 16 Aug 2025 23:32:11 -0000 (UTC), Mark Olson
<olsonm@tiny.invalid> wrote:
So, are you allowed by booking.com's rules to charge less on your
own direct booking site vs. the rate shown on booking.com?
Err, yeah. Too right.
I would have thought that would not be in their interest.
It's my business, not their's.