If you’ve traveled in the last decade, you’ve probably used TripAdvisor more than once. After all, TripAdvisor bills itself as the world’s largest travel website, attracting 455 million monthly visitors and hosting 600 million user reviews and opinions.
While the company is based domestically, it has indisputable international pull. TripAdvisor owns 49 sites in 28 languages, and with 2017 sales accounting for an estimated 10.3 percent of global travel revenue, there is no doubt that TripAdvisor is a powerhouse in the travel industry.
However, even if you’ve booked travel through TripAdvisor or casually perused reviews of your business, you might be unaware that you can also list your business with a free TripAdvisor Business Listing.
While a TripAdvisor Business Listing is an obvious choice for hotel and vacation rental owners, other businesses can also list on TripAdvisor—restaurants, attractions, experiences, and tours are also eligible for TripAdvisor Business Listings. In fact, TripAdvisor’s Non-Hotel segment has enjoyed improving profitability. Since you can start your TripAdvisor Business Listing for free, if you have a business that will appeal to travelers and tourists, there’s no reason not to claim your listing today.
What is a TripAdvisor Business Listing?
TripAdvisor listings are sources of information that customers use when making their travel decisions. They list contact information, share photos, host reviews, and provide details about what a business offers.
Customers may find these listings through a site search or by browsing businesses associated with the travel destination they’re considering.
However, regardless of whether or not you choose to have a TripAdvisor Business Listing, TripAdvisor may list your business with or without your involvement.
If you do not have a TripAdvisor Business Listing, the material featured in the listing will be primarily from users and third parties. So while the listing may include photos, reviews, and a list of amenities, the listing might not present the exact image your business hopes to convey. Worse still, some of the information could be inaccurate.
If you choose to claim a TripAdvisor Business Listing, you will have access to more control and additional tools to promote your business and manage your reputation.
How to Claim an Existing Business Listing on TripAdvisor
Since your business may already be listed on TripAdvisor, it is important to check to see if there’s an existing listing before you start a listing from scratch. TripAdvisor’s policy limits businesses to only one listing, but it’s also important to ensure you don’t have duplicate entries so you can monitor reviews and maintain a consistent image.
To get started:
- Search to see if your business is already listed by typing your business’s name into the search box
- If you see your business, simply click the name, then press the “Claim Your Business” button
- If you already have a TripAdvisor account, log in. If you do not have an account, create one and verify your identity as a representative of the business. You can do this via phone, credit card, or, in some cases, email.
How to Create a New TripAdvisor Listing
Despite all your searching, you can’t find a listing for your business on TripAdvisor and have to create your own TripAdvisor Business Listing from scratch.
To initiate the process:
- Visit TripAdvisor’s Get Listed page for new businesses
- Select which industry your business is in
- Submit the form
- Wait five to seven business days to get approved
Once your listing is approved you’ll be able to connect with millions of new customers who are already looking for businesses like yours. Meeting millions of potential customers is just the beginning of the benefits of creating a TripAdvisor business listing, here’s a few more of the reasons you want to be on the largest travel website on the internet.
4 Benefits of TripAdvisor
1. Showcase Correct Information, Photos, and Amenities
Maintain your TripAdvisor Business Listing with up-to-date information to give readers all the must-know information about your business. This will give potential customers an accurate perception of your business so they feel satisfied with their visit and come back.
A TripAdvisor Business Listing enables you to list your business’s amenities, share high-quality photos, and provide a detailed description of your company. If your business is listed but you don’t manage your listing, information may be inaccurate or photos may be unappealing, so claiming your TripAdvisor Business Listing is a valuable tool for reputation management.
To update your information and/or add photos, simply go to the Management Center and click “Manage Listing.”
2. Respond to customer feedback
People are talking about you. That might be great, but if you don’t monitor customer feedback, you won’t reap all the benefits. TripAdvisor is home to over 600 million user reviews and opinions, so your business could already be getting buzz.
While you can read your reviews with or without a TripAdvisor Business Listing, claiming a listing can improve customer engagement by allowing you to respond to reviews. No, you can’t delete negative reviews. However, if you feel a review is fraudulent, having a TripAdvisor Business Listing enables you to report the review, and TripAdvisor may choose to remove it.
Plus, being able to respond to reviews is also a valuable way to show potential customers that your company cares and has taken steps to address any problems previous customers noted. To start engaging with your customers today, just click “Reviews” in the Management Center.
3. See how your page is doing against competitors
In a perfect world, your TripAdvisor Business Listing will get a lot of traffic, leaving your competitors in the dust. But to make the world a little closer to perfect, you’ll need analytics data. A paid account with TripAdvisor can provide you with an Analytics Suite that gives you all the information you need to compete against similar businesses.
The Analytics Suite can provide you with key information, like click activity and demand trends. Not only that, the Analytic Suite allows you to create up to 10 customized sets that directly compare your business’s performance on TripAdvisor with your competitors.
4. Access additional tools with a paid TripAdvisor Business Listing
A paid TripAdvisor Business Listing unlocks analytics tools and gives you a host of other great features.
For instance, a paid subscription can provide sponsored placement, putting your business higher up in relevant search results. Additionally, if you are a paid member, you can publish a Storyboard, which allows you to fuse review snippets and photos into an engaging and dynamic promotional preview of your business.
A TripAdvisor subscription also provides instant booking for hotels, which could give you an edge by enabling travelers who are under a time crunch a quick way to reserve a room.
Subscription pricing varies based on a business’s size, location, and other factors. If you are interested, a TripAdvisor consultant can provide you with more information on available options.
