Discover which categories, services, and profile strategies help top travel agencies get found by vacation planners. GMB Everywhere gives you the competitive edge.
Imagine you're planning your dream vacation and want help with flights, hotels, and itineraries. You grab your phone and type "travel agency near me" into Google. A list of agencies pops up—some at the top, some buried below.
Ever wonder why some travel agencies show up first while others don't? That's what we're going to explain. And don't worry—we'll keep it simple.
Your Google Business Profile (or GBP for short) is basically your travel agency's online business card on Google. It shows your name, address, phone number, hours, photos, and reviews. When someone searches for a travel agency, Google decides which profiles to show based on a few key things.
Google wants to show people the best, most relevant results. So it checks three main things about your business. Think of these as the "three pillars" that hold up your local ranking.
This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many travel agencies have the wrong phone number or old hours listed. Google checks if your name, address, and phone number are the same everywhere online. If they don't match, Google gets confused—and confused Google doesn't show your profile.
Quick check: Is your agency name spelled exactly the same on your website, TripAdvisor, and Google profile?
When someone searches "vacation packages near me," Google looks at your profile to see if you offer that service. If you haven't listed it, you won't show up—even if you book vacation packages every day.
This is where categories and services come in. We'll explain these in detail in the next section. For now, just know that telling Google exactly what you do is really important.
Google reads your reviews. Lots of good reviews tell Google that travelers trust you. Replying to those reviews shows that you're active and you care. Both of these things help you rank higher.
Think about it: would you book your dream vacation through an agency with 5 reviews or one with 200 reviews? Google thinks the same way.
Here's the good news: You don't need to be a tech expert to improve these things. Most of it just takes a few minutes to fix.
Now, let's dive deeper into the part that trips up most people: categories and services. Once you understand these, you'll be ahead of most travel agencies in your area.
Remember when we said Google needs to know what you do? This is where you tell it. Let's break this down into two simple parts.
Why this matters: Of all the things you can control on your Google Business Profile, categories have one of the biggest impacts on your local rankings. Pick the wrong ones, and you won't show up when travelers search. Pick the right ones, and you'll appear for the exact services you offer. Our case study proves that adding relevant categories doesn't hurt your rankings—it actually increases your visibility.
Think of categories like labels on a filing cabinet. Google uses them to sort businesses into groups. When someone searches "travel agency near me," Google opens the "Travel agency" folder and shows what's inside.
If your agency isn't in that folder, you won't show up. It's that simple.
You get to pick one primary category (your main label) and a few secondary categories (extra labels for other things you do).
Here's what a typical travel agency might choose:
Pro tip: Not sure which categories to pick? The checklist below will walk you through exactly how to find the best categories for your agency.
If categories are the folders, services are the specific items inside. They tell Google (and your clients) exactly what you offer.
Let's say someone searches "honeymoon packages near me." Google will check if you have "Honeymoon packages" listed as a service. If you do, great—you might show up. If you don't, Google assumes you don't offer it.
Think of it like a restaurant menu. If a dish isn't on the menu, customers won't know they can order it.
Services a travel agency might list:
The more services you list, the more searches you can show up for. Just make sure you actually offer what you list!
Here's a simple action plan:
Not sure where to start? The checklist below will guide you through the categories and services in just 20 to 25 minutes.
Work through each item below. By the end, your profile will be optimized for better local rankings.
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How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - primary and secondary categories display automatically beside the profile
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Search for any term on Google Maps - click the Local Scan button to compare all GBPs
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'AI' button beside the GBP to use AI features
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Find more' button beside categories
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Basic Audit' button beside the GBP
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Review Audit' button beside the GBP
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How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Teleport' button beside the GBP
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How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Post Audit' button beside the GBP
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