The Activities section on Google Business Profiles, also known as Attractions, is a brand-new feature. It allows businesses to promote services or products in an even more attractive and readable way. Will this new section benefit your company? Read on to find out why it’s essential to stay updated with these changes and how the growAp service and app can assist you in implementing the Attractions section.
“We strive to make finding travel-related information and booking as easy as possible,” begins the introduction of the new Attractions module (Activity and Tours Section) in the Google Help Center. This section helps businesses showcase unique offers, events, promotions, and special attractions in a dynamic carousel format. It’s designed to be quick, easy, and very readable.
Until recently, Google Maps displayed entry tickets and tours related to specific locations, but there was no space for various activities promoted by organizers or intermediaries. Now, that’s about to change. Many experts believe this could be one of the most significant updates since the introduction of the “Google Things to Do” module.
The new section could become a valuable tool for the team managing a Google Business Profile, as it allows for publishing a variety of advertising resources. These include the attraction’s name and type, photos, the time when the offer is available, and a range of additional information (e.g., the possibility of free cancellation or instant payment options).
The Activities section on Google Business Profiles is designed to help businesses promote their offers in an easy and more readable way. As with other Business Profile features, displaying resources through the Attractions section is entirely free, and click charging operates on a CPC model.
Partners integrating their services with Google can showcase various types of products, including entry tickets. This way, users of the search engine and Google Maps can easily notice the full range of activities available in a chosen location.
The integration of Attractions with existing Google features is particularly useful. It ensures that information about offered tours and activities is visible both in search results and on Google Maps.
Attractions, or the Activity Section of Google Business Profiles, is entirely new. Time will tell how its use will impact SEO. However, our experience shows that fully utilizing the potential of Business Profiles improves their visibility and positively affects their search ranking.
The new section will help link your Business Profile with targeted keywords. This is made possible by the descriptions of attractions, which can be up to 2,000 characters long (about 270 words). For now, Google doesn’t allow these descriptions to be displayed directly in search results, but this is likely only a matter of time.
If you manage Google Business Profiles daily, you might wonder whether the new Attractions section will help you reach potential customers. Will this functionality work for every industry? In the next part of the article, you’ll find more information on this topic. You’ll also read a case study of one of our Clients and learn how using growAp can help you keep up with Business Profile updates.
Not every industry can showcase its offers using the Activities section. It all depends on the category assigned to the Business Profile. According to Google’s content policy, products considered Attractions primarily include tours, activities, and tickets for local attractions.
For example, businesses in the tourism industry can showcase unique offers in Attractions, thus increasing their visibility in search results and on Google Maps. On the other hand, restaurants, cafes, and bars, even though they often offer interesting activities (e.g., live music nights, tastings, seasonal promotions, etc.), cannot use the new section for this purpose.
The ability to expand a Google Business Profile with the Attractions section may be particularly important for the SME sector. Until recently, only operators with a fixed business address could list these attractions on their Google Business Profile. However, many companies, especially smaller operators or intermediaries, do not have a fixed address. Instead, they define a “service area.”
Thanks to the Attractions section, businesses with a “service area” can showcase their offers in an attractive “Tickets and Tours” carousel. A recent update also allows directing traffic from the ad to a landing page containing specific attraction details.
Google has already accustomed us to various restrictions, and the new Activity and Tours Section is no different. Besides excluding inappropriate content and dangerous products or services, Google does not allow advertisements in the following categories:
Implementing the new Attractions section on the Business Profiles you manage may not be easy and could even involve additional costs. What challenges might you face?
Content Management: It takes significant time and effort to familiarize yourself with the technical requirements and create user-friendly offers. Managing these contents and monitoring their effectiveness is equally important. For smaller operators organizing tours and intermediaries, this can be a substantial financial burden that needs to be accounted for in the budget.
Employee Training: Using the new feature also requires training the team. Employees need to learn how to effectively use the Activities section on Google Business Profiles and how to analyze campaign results. The training process is usually time-consuming, which can be challenging for companies that do not have a dedicated marketing team.
Competition: Currently, OTA (e.g., Wakacje.pl, Travelplanet, Booking.com, and Expedia) dominate the Polish Google results. This is because the Activities section is entirely new, and few operators are using it. However, we expect more companies to adopt this solution over time, and increased competition could become an issue. Effectively using the Attractions on Google Business Profiles will require more creativity and continuous adaptation of marketing strategies to changing trends and customer preferences.
The support of growAp specialists is invaluable for your company. We offer comprehensive technical and training services, helping businesses effectively implement and manage the Attractions section of Google Business Profiles. The growAp team is always up-to-date with the latest Google tool updates, ensuring you stand out from the competition.
By using the innovative growAp service, you can focus on what’s most important—your company’s operational activities—while being confident that the technical aspects of implementing and managing the new feature are in good hands.
To maximize the potential of the Activities section on Google Business Profiles, we focus on two areas: 1) optimizing the presented content and 2) monitoring and analyzing advertising effectiveness.
We ensure that the content promoting events or attractions is focused on the most critical aspects of the offer. Key elements include:
Why is this important?
Focusing on the visual aspects of the presentation increases user interest. A profile that fully utilizes its functionality looks professional, stands out from the competition, and is more visible in search results.
To evaluate the effectiveness of activities on Business Profiles, we use analytical tools. The tools we use include those listed below:
Why is this important?
Regular analysis of results allows us to plan actions based on collected data, not just opinions. Monitoring which elements work best and which need improvement is the key to effectively using the Activity and Tours Section. Knowing how to use this key helps companies achieve better results.
One of our clients, who offers summer and day camps for children and youth, encountered difficulties promoting their offer on the Business Profile. Google didn’t allow them to present their offer in the Products module, arguing that this section should promote physical products, not services. The growAp team decided to use the Activity Section of Google Business Profiles.
The Attractions section on the Business Profile turned out to be a useful tool. It allowed for a visual and accessible presentation of various summer and day camps. We noticed at least three advantages of such an advertising message:
In summary, although we couldn’t use the Products section, we created an effective advertising message through the new Attractions service. Adding detailed descriptions in the future will further increase the offer’s attractiveness and visibility.
There is no doubt that using the Activities section can increase the visibility and attractiveness of many Google Business Profiles. By showcasing unique offers, events, promotions, and special attractions, your business can attract more customers and stand out from the competition.
The specialists at growAp are ready to assist you. We offer professional technical support for publishing new content, as well as managing the Attractions section and monitoring its effectiveness.
We are convinced that the Attractions section of Google Business Profiles has enormous potential. If you want to leverage it and gain a competitive edge, we encourage you to reach out and discuss the possibilities!
