Local Search and Review Management

Local search and reviews are the most important discovery layer for hospitality. This module covers the operating playbook for GBP, the major review platforms, reservation systems, and the reputation-crisis playbook every property should have.

1. Local search drives hospitality

"Hotels near me," "best Italian restaurant [neighborhood]," "kid-friendly hotels [destination]." Local search is the primary discovery layer for hospitality. Map pack inclusion can deliver 5 - 30x more visibility than below-the-fold organic.

2. Google Business Profile

For each property/restaurant location: complete GBP, accurate hours, amenities, photos updated regularly, Q&A answered, posts and offers used, reservation links integrated.

3. Map pack ranking

Key factors: review count and rating, proximity to searcher, NAP consistency, GBP completeness, citations across directories, on-site SEO quality. The map pack typically shows the top 3 results; positions 4 - 10 are accessible via "more places."

4. Reviews

• Volume matters (more reviews = better ranking signal).
• Rating matters (4.0+ is competitive).
• Recency matters (reviews from the last 90 days weight higher).
• Response matters (responding to all reviews is correlated with higher ranking).
• Photo reviews matter (photos in reviews lift trust).

5. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor remains relevant for hotels (less so for restaurants in the US). The platform's Popularity Index ranks properties; reviews, recency, and quality of property page matter. Business listings claim and respond.

6. Yelp

Yelp matters most for restaurants, especially in major US cities. Operating discipline:

• Claim and complete the business page.
• Respond to reviews.
• Yelp's review filter is opaque; do not solicit reviews aggressively (Yelp filters and penalizes).
• Yelp ads available but rarely high-ROI; test cautiously.

7. OpenTable, Resy, reservation platforms

Reservation platform optimization:

• Complete restaurant profile with photos, menus, descriptions.
• Availability optimization (open reservations 30 - 60 days out).
• OpenTable Diners' Choice awards and Resy's 50 lists.
• Promoted listings where ROI supports.

8. Photo and Q&A management

Photos: 30+ high-quality property/restaurant photos on GBP, updated quarterly. Q&A: answer common questions proactively (parking, dress code, kid-friendly, accessibility, dietary).

9. Local SEO content

• Neighborhood content (the property/restaurant in context).
• "Best of" content (best brunch spots, best business hotels, etc. — cited by others rather than self-promotional).
• Local event content.
• FAQ and informational content.

10. Local links

Local link sources: tourism boards, chambers of commerce, local newspapers, neighborhood blogs, partner businesses, event sponsorships, charity partnerships.

11. Reputation crisis management

Common triggers: viral negative reviews, social-media incidents, food safety, customer experience failures. Operating components: a crisis playbook with specific response templates, escalation thresholds, executive engagement plan, monitoring tools (Sprout, Sprinklr, ReviewTrackers).

Part of the Hospitality & Restaurant Marketing series · RGM Training