GOOGLE MY BUSINESS INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPERTY MANAGERS

With an individual website for each property, you have the benefit of being able to set up each property with its own Google Maps business location through Google My Business. This process can be somewhat time-consuming, but it pays off in branding and visibility for your properties. 

Best Option: Set Up Your Company as an Agency

In order to set your company up as an agency, you’ll need a google account that is associated with your company’s website. If you have this, great! Follow these instructions. If not, you’ll be setting each home up as their own business: skip to Step 1B.

Step 1: Register your Agency

Go to https://business.google.com/agencysignup and follow the guided setup. You’ll need a company email address that doesn’t already have businesses under it. Now that you have an agency, you can manage multiple “businesses” (homes) under the same account.

1B: If for some reason you can’t register as an agency, you’ll need to register your homes separately. Go to https://www.google.com/business/ and make sure you’re logged in with the email you want associated with each home. Skip to Step 3

Step 2: Create a Location Group

Once you’re registered as an agency, you’ll want to create a location group. It can be helpful to keep your properties organized within location groups by creating location groups for neighborhoods or different resorts. You’ll need to create at least 1 location group to set up your individual “locations” or properties. To create a location group, click Manage Locations > Create Location Group. Enter the name of your location group, then click Create.

Step 3: Create a Location

If you’re registered as an agency, go to your new location group and click Add Location. Otherwise, follow the setup to the point of creating your business location. Search the Google Maps database to see if your property is already in the system, and choose it if it is. If it isn’t, use the option to add your location’s address.

Add all the relevant information for your property, and make sure the address and phone number are formatted exactly as listed on your HomeSite. Make sure your HomeSite is the website for your property. You will be prompted to choose a category for your property. “Vacation Home Rental Agency” is usually the most relevant. Once you’ve finished the guided setup, your homes will appear in the Locations section of the Google Business Manager.

Step 4: Verify Your Property

Either at the end of the setup process or later in your locations manager, you’ll have to verify your business in order for it to show up on Google My Business’s map feature. Sometimes, Google will give you the option to verify using the phone number on the home’s website, and if that works, we highly recommend verifying with the code provided to the phone number. Frequently however, Google does not give this option. If this is the case, you’ll have to have a postcard mailed to the property. Get in touch with your homeowners or offer to check the mail for them in order to get the postcard with the verification code and follow the provided instructions.