When searching on Google for "things to do" in Paris, London or Barcelona, you'll notice a Google Things To Do section appearing among the results, showcasing a variety of activities. The same applies on Google Maps. Google Things To Do is, as the name suggests, a curated list of activities selected by Google that complements standard search results. How does it work, and how can you get your site listed in Google Things To Do results? Here's everything you need to know!
What is Google Things To Do?
Google Things To Do launched in 2021, following in the footsteps of Google Flights and Google Hotels. After flights and hotel bookings, Google set its sights on the last remaining segment of travel it had yet to cover: activities. The goal was to bring together all available offers for any given destination in one single place.Above all, Google wanted to keep visitors engaged for as long as possible by offering a booking button that takes the user directly from Google to the partner's website, without going through a third party. In doing so, Google aims to position itself as a travel player capable of delivering ideas and products directly to its users.
The system is also particularly attractive for activity providers and suppliers, since Google takes no commission on sales. A compelling proposition when you consider that a platform like Get Your Guide takes a 30% commission on every activity sale. The same goes for Viator, whose commission ranges from 20 to 30% depending on the products and providers.
Google doesn't release precise figures on sales made through Google Things To Do. However, the search engine emphasises that Google Things To Do allows you to reach "the millions of users who plan their trips on Google every day".
How do you list your activities on Google Things To Do?
First piece of good news: listing on Google Things To Do is free for activity providers. Yes, you read that right: this exposure is completely free! And since Google takes no commission on sales, you have everything to gain by signing up and showcasing your activities on Google Things To Do.But there's a catch... To be listed on Google Things To Do, you need to go through one of Google's connectivity partners. These are platforms that allow you to synchronise your activities with Google's API. Which brings us to the second piece of good news: Explorates can do exactly that for you! Explorates users can, if they wish, display their activities and products on Google Things To Do. This happens automatically, with no effort on your part. No need to dive into lines of code!
From there, your activities can appear for any search related to what you offer. If you run kayaking trips in the Calanques near Marseille, for example, your offer could show up on Google for any search related to "things to do in Marseille".
How can you improve your visibility on Google Things To Do?
If you stick with Google's free offering, your activities will appear on Google Things To Do based on other available offers in the same sector. The problem is that if you offer guided tours in Paris, you're unlikely to rank in the top positions within the Google Things To Do featured results.The solution? Switch to the paid model. Google Things To Do does allow providers to pay to move higher up in the featured listings. To do so, you need to enable the "Things to do Ads / Travel Campaigns" option on your Google account and take part in the bidding process.
Depending on the destinations and keywords, featured placements will be more or less costly. It's up to you to set a maximum budget to keep your marketing spend under control.