We’re used to seeing Google link (in the so-called organic search engine results pages – SERPs) to our home page, and sometimes to other popular pages on our lodging web site. But wouldn’t it be great if they linked directly to your availability or booking page? Well, now you can have them do just that (though not from the SERPs – for that the page is on its own for establishing popularity)!

Recently it seems we’ve been writing (and reading) quite a bit about Google’s Place Pages and Place Pages for mobile devices. Since that is because there have been changes in those tools that are important for small lodging properties, and since Google continues to make changes, it is likely you’ll continue to hear more about them, too.

In the past week or so several prominent writers, particularly on social media and search engine optimization, have remarked on these changes. In addition, a Google employee has pointed out in a Google help forum that you can also add links to your Place pages – something they did not previously allow.

If you have not claimed your Place page, the instructions to do that are in our post on mobile place listings. You will need to claim your Place page before you can edit the listing. Once you can edit the listing, scroll to the Additional Details section (near the bottom of the left column), where we’ll enter the link.

Google employees also remarked that they have “reserved” two terms so they get special treatment in a Place Page listing. These are “Menu” (which is intended to apply only to restaurant listings), and “Reservations”.

In the Additional Detail section, select “Add another” to add a new entry in the section. Next enter Reservations in the left column. Be sure it is spelled correctly if you want Google to pay special attention to the term they have defined, and Submit the changes. There may be a slight delay before the new entry appears, but when we checked ours an hour or so later, it had already appeared in the listing.

You can also add other links, which will appear in the Additional Details section, but they may not appear as prominently as the Reservations link.

• Google
• local business center
• place page
• Social Media
• visibility