Your Google Business Profile Is Free Marketing: Here’s the 15-Minute Audit Most Operators Skip.

If you set up your Google Business Profile when you first opened and haven’t touched it since, you’re not alone. Most accommodation operators do exactly that. Here’s why that’s costing you bookings, and what you can fix in 15 minutes.

Your Google Business Profile isn’t just a digital business card. It’s one of the first things a potential guest sees when they search for accommodation in your area. It feeds directly into Google Maps, Google Search, and increasingly, AI-powered search tools like Google’s AI Overviews. If it’s incomplete, outdated, or thin on detail, you’re handing traffic straight to the online travel agencies (OTAs).

The good news? A proper audit takes about 15 minutes, it’s free, and the improvements you make can start showing results within days. Here’s where to look.

1. Claim and Verify Your Listing (If You Haven’t Already)

Before anything else, is your listing actually claimed and verified by you?

It sounds obvious, but plenty of properties are running on auto-generated Google listings that no one has verified. That means you can’t edit the content, respond to reviews, or add photos. Google has likely created a basic listing for you based on public data. It exists. You just don’t control it.

Go to business.google.com and search for your property. If it shows as “unclaimed”, claim it. The verification process usually involves a phone call, email, or short video recording, and it’s the most important step in this whole list.

2. Check Your Business Name, Category, and Description

These three things matter more than most operators realise.

Business name: Use your actual trading name, nothing more. Don’t stuff keywords in here (e.g. “Sunny Bay Motel Best Motel in Tauranga”). Google will penalise you for it.

Primary category: This one has a big impact on which searches you appear in. “Motel” and “Holiday Park” are both valid primary categories in Google. Make sure yours matches what you actually are. You can also add secondary categories, for example if you have a restaurant, playground, or self-contained cabins.

Business description: You get 750 characters. Use them. Write naturally about what makes your property stand out, including location, family-friendliness, pet policy, and what’s nearby. This is what guests read when they’re comparing options, so make it count. If your description is blank or one sentence long, fix it today.

3. Confirm Your Contact Details and Location Are Correct

Simple, but surprisingly often wrong, especially if you’ve changed your phone number, email address, or website URL at any point. Check:

Phone number (and that it’s your direct line, not a third-party booking service)
Website URL (does it actually load, or does it show an error?)
Physical address and map pin (drag the pin to the exact entrance if it’s sitting in the wrong spot)

If you’ve got a direct booking engine on your site, make sure your website URL links there, or at minimum links to a page where guests can book without hitting an OTA first.

4. Review Your Opening Hours, Including Special Hours

Incorrect hours are one of the most common Google Business Profile problems. If your front desk runs reduced hours over Christmas or Easter and you haven't updated your profile, Google may show your property as closed when a guest checks online. They don't call to confirm. They just book somewhere else.

Update your regular hours, public holiday hours, and any seasonal closures or restricted periods. Google allows you to set “special hours” for specific dates well in advance. It takes five minutes and can prevent a lot of lost bookings over Easter, Christmas, and other public holidays.

5. Add (and Regularly Update) Photos

This is where most operators underinvest, and it’s one of the highest-impact things you can do. Google recommends at least three photos per room type for accommodation properties. In reality, the more quality photos you have, the better.

At a minimum, make sure you have:

A cover photo showing your property at its best (exterior, ideally on a nice day)
Interior shots of your rooms, clean, well-lit, and true to life
Photos of amenities: pool, BBQ area, playground, communal kitchen, spa, etc.
A shot of the surrounding area or view if it’s a selling point

Update your photos at least once a year, or whenever you’ve made improvements to the property.

6. Fill In Your Attributes

Attributes are the little tick-boxes that appear in your listing, things like “pet-friendly”, “free Wi-Fi”, “on-site parking”, “accessible rooms”, “EV charging”, and so on. Most operators fill in a handful when they first set up the listing and never revisit them.

Go back and check that everything is accurate and up to date. If you have Qualmark accreditation or other environmental credentials, add them to the sustainability section too.

7. Answer the Questions in Your Q&A Section

The Questions & Answers section lets anyone ask a question about your property, and anyone can answer it, not just you. That means guests, competitors, or random strangers may have already written answers on your behalf. Some of those answers might be wrong.

Check what’s been asked and whether the answers are accurate. Then proactively add the questions guests always ask anyway:

“Do you have a swimming pool?”
“Is there parking for boats/trailers/campervans?”
“Are pets allowed?”
“What time is check-in and check-out?”

Answering these yourself means you control the information, and it saves your team from fielding the same questions over the phone ten times a week.

8. Check Your Reviews and Respond to All of Them

Your star rating and review count directly influence how high your listing appears in search results. Guests also read your reviews before booking, and they pay particular attention to how you respond to negative ones.

Have you responded to every review, positive and negative? If not, start now. Even a brief, warm response to a positive review shows you’re engaged.

For negative reviews, respond calmly and constructively. Acknowledge the issue, explain what you’ve done, and invite them to reach out directly. Never get defensive in public. And if you’re not actively asking guests to leave reviews, start. A simple follow-up message at checkout can meaningfully increase your review volume over time.

9. Post Updates Regularly

Google Posts let you share news, offers, and updates directly on your listing. Most accommodation operators either don’t know this feature exists or set it up once and forgot about it. You don’t need to post every day, but a couple of posts a month keeps your listing looking active. Ideas include:

Seasonal promotions or packages
Local events coming up nearby
New amenities or upgrades you’ve made
Reminders about school holiday availability
Direct booking offers (“Book direct and get free late checkout”)

Posts don’t stay visible for long, so make it a regular habit rather than a one-off. Add it to your fortnightly task list.

10. Check Your Performance

Once you’ve worked through the above, take a few minutes to look at your Google Business Profile Performance (previously called Insights). You’ll find this by going to your Business Profile and clicking Performance. It shows you how many people viewed your listing, what search terms they used, how many clicked through to your website, and how many requested directions or called you. It gives you a baseline to track improvement against and a clear signal for where to focus your energy next.

Do this now

If you do nothing else today, start here:

Confirm your listing is claimed and your contact details are correct.
Add or replace at least five photos with fresh, high-quality images.
Respond to any reviews that are sitting without a reply.

That alone will put you ahead of the majority of properties in your area. The rest can follow over the next few weeks.

Your Google Business Profile is either working for you or against you every single day. Fifteen minutes of attention now can mean more direct bookings, better visibility in AI search, and a stronger first impression for every guest who searches for a place to stay near you.

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Accommodation marketing: mega events not to miss in 2025

Continuing our mission to make your life easier, we’ve wrangled a swathe of popular Australian and New Zealand music, sports, cultural and other entertainment events into a handy calendar to help you plan your accommodation marketing efforts to attract the crowds.

Whether your guests are flocking to stomp to Shihad, swoon to Katy Perry, experience the cultural phenomenon that is Wellington’s CubaDupa, or represent the Barmy Army at the Ashes, they’ll appreciate a well-timed deal and some local knowledge during their stay.

This calendar complements our earlier ‘key dates for 2025’ calendar identifying public holidays, days of significance and school holiday dates for accommodation providers to consider in their marketing and promotion plans for the year ahead.

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February

As the dust settles from the terrific tennis tussle that is the Australian Open and Chinese New Year celebrations continue, there’s a host of gigs, festival action and a three-day golf bonanza happening in February as summer gets into full swing.

Key dates in February

1 February – Bryan Adams (Christchurch, NZ)
4 February – Bryan Adams (Auckland, NZ)
6 February – Laneway Festival (Auckland, NZ)
6 February – Bryan Adams (Melbourne)
7 February – Bryan Adams (Adelaide)
7 February – Shihad (Nelson, NZ)
9 February – Bryan Adams (Perth)
9 February – Laneway Festival (Sydney)
9 February – UFC 312 (Sydney)
12 February – Bryan Adams (Sydney)
13 February – Bryan Adams (Brisbane)
13 February and 14 February – The Prodigy (Sydney)
13 February – Shihad (Adelaide)
14 February – Laneway Festival (Melbourne)
14 February, 15 February and 16 February – LIV Golf (Adelaide)
14 February – Shihad (Sydney)
14 February to 8 March – New Zealand Fringe Festival (Wellington, NZ)
14 February to 2 March – Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

15 February – Auckland Rainbow Parade (NZ)
15 February – Bryan Adams (Melbourne)
15 February – Laneway Festival (Adelaide)
15 February – Kylie Minogue (Perth)
16 February – Laneway Festival (Perth)
16 February – The Prodigy (Brisbane)
18 February – The Prodigy (Melbourne)
18 February – Kylie Minogue (Adelaide)
20 February, 21 February and 22 February – Kylie Minogue (Melbourne)
21 February and 22 February – Shihad (Perth)
21 February to 22 February – Electric Avenue (Christchurch, NZ)
21 February to 23 March – Adelaide Fringe Festival (Adelaide)
22 February to 23 February – World Triathlon Cup (Napier, NZ)
26 February and 27 February – Kylie Minogue (Brisbane)
27 February and 28 February – Shihad (Brisbane)
27 February to 1 March – Golden Shears (Masterton, NZ)

March

Gigs and festivals rock, roll and pop off throughout March, with the WOMAD festivals attracting tens of thousands of world music enthusiasts and some huge names in music, both old and new, drawing in fans across Australasia.

Key dates in March

1 March, 2 March and 3 March – Kylie Minogue (Sydney)
1 March – Shihad (Christchurch, NZ)
5 March and 7 March – Shihad (Melbourne)
6 March to 23 March – Auckland Arts Festival (Auckland, NZ)
7 March to 10 March – WOMADelaide festival (Adelaide)
13 March to 16 March – Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)
14 March – Shihad (Auckland, NZ)
14 March to 15 March – Jim Beam Homegrown festival (Wellington, NZ)
14 March to 16 March – WOMAD festival (New Plymouth, NZ)
15 March – Bob Geldof (Sydney)

17 March, 19 March, 20 March, 22 March and 23 March – Dua Lipa (Melbourne)
19 March – Bob Geldof (Melbourne)
20 March – Australia vs Indonesia FIFA Football World Cup Qualifier (Sydney)
22 March – Bob Geldof (Canberra)
24 March – FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania Qualifier Final (Auckland, NZ)
25 March – Bob Geldof (Adelaide)
26 March, 28 March and 29 March – Dua Lipa (Sydney)
26 March to 20 April – Melbourne International Comedy Festival (Melbourne)
28 March – Bob Geldof (Auckland, NZ)
29 March – Bob Geldof (Wellington, NZ)
29 March to 30 March – CubaDupa festival (Wellington, NZ)

April

April keeps the grooves going strong with legendary New Zealand funkateers’ The Phenomenon Tour in full effect and ZZ Top rocking Australasia. Some of Supergroove’s 12 gigs have already sold out and demand for accommodation is likely to spike as the band rolls through New Zealand cities.

Key dates in April

2 April and 4 April – Dua Lipa (Auckland, NZ)
3 April – Bob Geldof (Tweed Heads)
5 April – Bob Geldof (Perth)
8 April – Supergroove (Rotorua, NZ)
9 April – Supergroove (Whanganui, NZ)
10 April, 11 April, 12 April and 13 April – AFL Gather Round (Adelaide)
11 April and 12 April – Supergroove (Wellington, NZ)
17 April – Supergroove (Nelson, NZ)

19 April – Supergroove (Christchurch, NZ)
20 April – Supergroove (Dunedin, NZ)
21 April – Supergroove (Invercargill, NZ)
24 April and 25 April – Supergroove (Havelock North, NZ)
26 April and 27 April – Supergroove (Auckland, NZ)
26 April – ZZ Top (Bendigo)
27 April – ZZ Top (Mornington)
29 April – ZZ Top (Adelaide)

May

The Australasian gig scene bubbles along nicely in May, with some iconic names gracing our shores and fittingly playing at venues that can accommodate thousands of fans, many of whom will be looking for a place to stay. On the other hand, the fiercely fought State of Origin battles will be a major drawcard for rugby league fans.

Key dates in May

1 May – NRL Magic Round (Brisbane)
1 May – Women’s State of Origin Game One (Brisbane)
1 May – ZZ Top (Perth)
3 May – ZZ Top (Hunter Valley)
4 May – ZZ Top (Wollongong)
7 May – ZZ Top (Melbourne)
10 May and 11 May – ZZ Top (Brisbane)
13 May – ZZ Top (Sydney)
15 May – Women’s State of Origin Game Two (Sydney)

17 May – ZZ Top (Auckland, NZ)
18 May – ZZ Top (Wellington, NZ)
21 May – Alison Moyet (Auckland, NZ)
24 May – Alison Moyet (Wellington, NZ)
26 May and 27 May – Alison Moyet (Christchurch, NZ)
28 May – Men’s State of Origin Game One (Brisbane)
29 May – Women’s State of Origin Game Three (Newcastle)
29 May – Alison Moyet (Brisbane)
31 May – Alison Moyet (Sydney)
31 May – Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final (location TBC)

June

Entertainment acts including stellar pop sensation Katy Perry pack out high-capacity venues across Australia in June. In Hamilton, New Zealand the southern hemisphere’s largest agricultural event Fieldays usually hosts over 100,000 rurally inclined punters over four days.

Key dates in June

1 June – Alison Moyet (Melbourne)
4 June – Alison Moyet (Perth)
5 June – Australia vs Japan FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier (Perth)
9 June and 10 June – Katy Perry (Sydney)
11 June to 14 June – Fieldays (Hamilton, NZ)
12 June, 13 June and 14 June – Katy Perry (Melbourne)
14 June and 15 June – Torvill and Dean (Brisbane)

17 June and 18 June – Katy Perry (Sydney)
18 June – Men’s State of Origin Game Two (Perth)
18 June and 19 June – Torvill and Dean (Melbourne)
21 June and 22 June – Torvill and Dean (Sydney)
22 June and 23 June – Katy Perry (Perth)
26 June, 27 June, 28 June and 29 June – Katy Perry (Adelaide)

July

From a live-music perspective, July is all about 10cc and their Ultimate Ultimate Greatest Hits Tour – maybe all the other bands are taking a ‘dreadlock holiday’. In any case, many of the band’s fans will be revving for the ultimate accommodation solution. Additionally, Melbourne will be under the spell of the Melbourne Magic Festival – the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

Key dates in July

July 7 to July 19 – The Melbourne Magic Festival (Melbourne)
9 July – Men’s State of Origin Game Three (Sydney)
10 July – 10cc (Christchurch, NZ)
11 July – 10cc (Wellington, NZ)
12 July – 10cc (Auckland, NZ)
13 July – 10cc (Hamilton, NZ)
16 July – 10cc (Brisbane)
17 July and 18 July – 10cc (Tweed Heads)
19 July – 10cc (Caloundra)

20 July – 10cc (Toowoomba)
22 July – 10cc (Newcastle)
23 July – 10cc (Penrith)
25 July – 10cc (Sydney)
26 July – 10cc (Wollongong)
27 July – 10cc (Canberra)
28 July – 10cc (Albury)
30 July – 10cc (Castlemaine)
31 July – 10cc (Geelong)

August

August attracts visitors to Brisbane and Hamilton Island with Australia’s largest offshore keelboat regatta, while Sydney expects to host an estimated 90,000 fun runners – with a bit of leg work some of them could be your guests.

Key dates in August

1 August – 10cc (Melbourne)
2 August – 10cc (Adelaide)
4 August – 10cc (Perth)
10 August – City2Surf fun run (Sydney)
16 August to 23 August – Hamilton Island Race Week (Queensland)
18 August – Tyler, The Creator (Auckland)
20, 22, 23, and 24 August – Tyler, The Creator (Melbourne)
26, 27, and 28 August – Tyler, The Creator (Sydney)
30 August and 31 August – Tyler, The Creator (Brisbane)

September

With the AFL Grand Final and rugby union Bledisloe Cup clash having topped the 100,000-attendance mark previously, the ball is in your hands if you want to make a pass for the hordes of fans looking to stay in September.

Key dates in September

4 September and 5 September – Tyler, The Creator (Perth)
27 September – AFL Grand Final (Melbourne)
27 September – Bledisloe Cup (Auckland, NZ)

October

Melbourne is the place to be for league fans in early October, and with attendance records for NRL fixtures increasing year-on-year it’s a smart move to make a play for their custom so you can be ahead of the game. All Blacks and Wallabies supporters will pack out Perth’s Optus Stadium to witness the epic Bledisloe Cup around the same time. Rock legends Oasis are scheduled to ‘definitely maybe’ kick off the Australian leg of their comeback tour after a 16-year hiatus.

Key dates in October

4 October – Bledisloe Cup (Perth)
5 October – NRL Grand Final (Melbourne)
9 October – Bathurst 1000 (Bathurst)
18 October – The Everest (Sydney)
24 October – Rob Thomas (Perth)
27 October – Rob Thomas (Adelaide)
29 October – Rob Thomas (Melbourne)
31 October – Oasis (Melbourne)

November

In November Melbourne hosts the quintessential Australian sporting event – the race that stops a nation – with hundreds of thousands attending over the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival around cup day on the fourth of November. Gigs to suit all types of music afficionados welcome fans, while the first Ashes test kicks off late in the month and you can bet on England’s Barmy Army looking for somewhere to stay.

Key dates in November

1 November – Metallica (Perth)
1 November and 2 November – Cliff Richard (Perth)
1 November and 4 November – Oasis (Melbourne)
7 November and 8 November – Oasis (Sydney)
3 November – Rob Thomas (Sydney)
4 November – Cliff Richard (Adelaide)
4 November – Melbourne Cup Day (Melbourne)
5 November – Metallica (Adelaide)
6 November and 7 November – Cliff Richard (Melbourne)
8 November – Metallica (Melbourne)
8 November – Rob Thomas (Sandstone Point)
8 November and 9 November – Pixies (Freemantle)
9 November and 10 November – Cliff Richard (Sydney)
11 November – Rob Thomas (Auckland)
12 November – Metallica (Brisbane)
12 November – Cliff Richard (Brisbane)

13 November – Rob Thomas (Christchurch)
13 November and 14 November – Pixies (Sydney)
14 November and 15 November – Cliff Richard (Auckland, NZ)
15 November – Rob Thomas (Wellington)
15 November – Metallica (Sydney)
16 November and 17 November – Pixies (Brisbane)
17 November – Cliff Richard (Wellington, NZ)
19 November – Cliff Richard (Christchurch, NZ)
19 November – Metallica (Auckland, NZ)
19 November and 20 November – Pixies (Melbourne)
21 November to 25 November – first Ashes cricket test (Perth)
23 November and 24 November – Pixies (Auckland, NZ)
26 November and 27 November – Pixies (Wellington, NZ)
30 November – Lewis Capaldi (Christchurch)

December

High-profile cricket matches are the sporting order of the month in December, while the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will bring in thousands of spectators plus sailors and support crews to Sydney. Dates for the start of Auckland’s ASB Classic tennis tournament at the end of 2025 have not been announced yet, but New Zealand’s biggest annual sporting event will be a magnet for tennis fans across New Zealand looking for accommodation.

Key dates in December

2 December – Lewis Capaldi (Auckland)
4 December – Lewis Capaldi (Brisbane)
4 December to 8 December – second Ashes cricket test (Brisbane)
6 December – Lewis Capaldi (Sydney)
12 December – Lewis Capaldi (Melbourne)
15 December – Lewis Capaldi (Adelaide)
17 December – Lewis Capaldi (Perth)
17 December to 21 December – third Ashes cricket test (Adelaide)
26 December to 30 December – Boxing Day fourth Ashes cricket test (Melbourne)
26 December to 2 January – Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Seekom makes promotions simple!

Seekom’s flexible functionality makes running and promoting special offers simple all-year round.

Our user-friendly platform lets you send automated or group emails and SMS messages to let people know about your special offers, use promo codes for seasonal deals, or create banners to advertise offers or promotions on your online booking screens.

If your new year’s wish is for data-driven pricing to magic up your profit margins, revenue-management system RoomPriceGenie can help. This savvy service can monitor bookings to identify demand patterns, optimise pricing to increase profits and track your competitors’ moves for you. RoomPriceGenie can be easily integrated with Seekom to make your life easier, and more profitable, than ever.

Contact our friendly team today to discover how Seekom can boost your marketing and promotions throughout 2025 and beyond.