How to optimize/show up in Google Travel Guides

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

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  Tim Capper: Hi Cassy, Normally I`m the one that says anyone can do anything online, but Google travel Guides are like pissing upstream in a hurricane.These are typically based on:1) On being mentioned in a shed load of places, you literally have to be a destination.2) Based on actual visits from users 3) Based on users journeysIf you want your location included, this will depend on a shed load of people in that local visiting your location within the top 5 in that location.If you want to get in the Travel article section >> again you have to be super authoritative - its very rare that you see a random site appearing in these.Having said all that:Go ahead and still create your own on site - even though my clients are in some real competative hot spots, we still position our Things to Do, Travel Tips really well organically and benefit from a good amount of traffic, it also helps G to understand where you are located, near, best, beach, eco-friendly etc etcSo create but I would not pin my hopes on appearing in G Travel Guide
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  Cassy Richardson: I know there`s a lot outside of our control, but when doing some research a lot that SEEMS to be influencing it outside of foot traffic could be reviews, links from travel guides on sites like visit____.org or trip adviser stuff, engagement on GMB (posting events/promotions/ Q&A, etc)? So stuff like link-building, GMB engagement, review strategies, etc could be influential?
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  Cassy Richardson: also thank you so much for your response :)
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  Tim Capper: Cassy Richardson If you get mentioned in some of those places yes, for sure you have a shot.But you need to be mentioned everywhere, because 90% of all the things to do, plan a trip are all curated by Google - they need to see you mentioned everywhere.GMB ... ? Posts, Events, not available to lodging industry - I assumed you were a hotel :)And its also based on real visits from people with the Google Maps app installed on their phone - note it says "based on actual visits"
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  Michael Martinez: I agree with Tim`s assessment. Maybe for a small community you might have a shot at getting in with a new attraction. I suspect the learning algorithms behind the map system are looking at the kinds of Websites that are not easily influenced by marketers.