For a guesthouse or restaurant, your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a guest sees: the box with your photos, rating, address and phone number that appears when someone searches your name, or finds you on Google Maps. Most owners set it up once and forget about it.
That was never a great idea. It's now a worse one, because of a change many owners missed.
Google now answers guests' questions for you
Profiles used to have a "Questions and answers" section, where anyone could ask "Do you allow dogs?" and anyone, including you, could answer. On 3 December 2025, Google announced it was removing that section. Instead, customers can ask their question in Google Maps and get an instant, AI-generated answer, which Google says is "based on your answers and relevant reviews" (PPC Land).
Think about what that means. When a guest asks "Is there secure parking?" or "Do they have vegetarian options?", Google answers on your behalf, using what it knows about you. If your profile is thin and your reviews don't mention it, the answer will be vague, or wrong, or "I don't know". The guest doesn't phone you to check. They move on to the next place.
So the job has changed. Your profile isn't just a listing anymore. It's the source material for what Google says about you.
Fill in everything Google asks you for
Most profiles have gaps because filling everything in feels like admin. It's worth an hour, once. Work through every section the profile offers:
- The description. In plain words: what you are, where, and who you suit. "A four-room guesthouse in Franschhoek's village centre, walking distance to restaurants, ideal for couples" gives Google, and the guest, something to work with.
- Attributes and amenities. Google offers a long list: parking, Wi-Fi, wheelchair access, pets, outdoor seating, vegetarian options, kids' menus, payment methods and more, depending on your category. Each one you tick is a question Google can answer correctly.
- Contact details. A phone number that's answered, and your own website.
- Menu or rooms. Restaurants should link a menu; guesthouses should make sure rooms and rates are easy to reach from the website link.
Two rules from Google's own guidelines are worth knowing, because owners break them without realising (Google):
- Your business name must be your real-world name. Adding words like "Best B&B in Clarens" or "Seafood & Sushi" to the name isn't permitted and, in Google's words, "could result in the suspension of your Business Profile."
- Choose as few categories as possible, and make them specific. "Bed & breakfast" or "Seafood restaurant", not a list of everything you offer. Google says not to use categories as keywords.
For restaurants, set your dine-in hours as the main hours, and keep holiday hours updated before every long weekend and December. For guesthouses, note that Google's guidelines say lodging businesses such as hotels shouldn't list regular opening hours at all. Use check-in information on your website instead.
Reviews are now source material too
Reviews have always influenced who books. Now they also feed what Google says about you. A review that mentions "the secure parking behind the gate" or "great vegan options" is evidence Google can use when a guest asks.
You're allowed to ask for reviews, and you should. But Google's review policy sets clear limits that many businesses unknowingly cross (Google). You may not:
- Offer anything in return for a review: payment, a discount, a free drink
- Ask only the guests you think will be happy ("review gating")
- Ask reviewers to include specific content
- Pressure guests to leave a review while they're still on the premises
What you can do is ask every guest, simply and the same way, for an honest review. A short message after check-out or a card with a QR code at the till is enough.
Then reply to reviews, good and bad. A short, specific thank-you to a happy guest, and a calm, factual reply to an unhappy one, shows future guests (and Google) that someone is paying attention. Never argue in public. If a review describes a real problem, say what you've done about it.
Photos: show what guests ask about
Upload photos regularly, and choose them to answer questions rather than just to impress. For a guesthouse: each room, each bathroom, the parking, the entrance at night, the breakfast. For a restaurant: the dishes people order most, the inside, the outside seating, the children's area, the menu board. Photos from guests count too, which is another reason to look after reviews.
Getting verified
Until your profile is verified, you can't fully manage it. Google decides which verification method to offer you: it may be a phone call or text, an email, a video, or occasionally a postcard. Video is now common: a short, continuous recording on your phone that shows your location, your business, and that you manage it (for example, unlocking the door). Google says verification takes up to five business days, though it can take longer (BrightLocal). Follow the instructions Google gives you, and be wary of anyone who phones claiming to be from Google and asking for payment to keep your listing active: a Google Business Profile is free.
Keep your profile and website telling the same story
Your profile and your website should agree: the same name, address, phone number, hours and booking link. When they don't, guests are confused and Google is less sure which information is right. Link the profile to your own website, and from there make it easy to book directly, so a guest who finds you on Google doesn't have to go via a booking platform.
A ten-minute monthly check
Once the profile is set up, keeping it right takes very little time:
- Check hours, especially before public holidays.
- Reply to every new review.
- Add a few new photos.
- Search for your business on Google Maps and, where the option appears, ask it a question a guest might ask. See what Google says, and fix the profile if the answer is wrong.
That last step is new, and it's the most useful thing you can do. It shows you exactly what guests are being told about you.
How SiteHub can help
A Google profile does its best work when it points to a good website. SiteHub builds websites for guesthouses and restaurants that carry the same details as your profile, with a clear way to book or order. Your .co.za domain, business email and hosting are included, and you see a live preview of the finished website before you pay anything. Optional add-ons such as Online Bookings and WhatsApp ordering are available; the calculator shows what your setup would cost. SiteHub is a Trusted Partner of FEDHASA.
For what the website itself should contain, read what every guesthouse website needs.