Guest Testimonials

[JBloggs]

Do you have guest testimonials ON your website?
If so, where and how often? Do you change these periodically or leave them static?
Have you ever noticed google finding them and using them? Remember google likes to read like we like to read, scan, read the things that stand out.
If not, why not? Don't rely on TA or another for all of this, in fact we don't really want people leaving our websites do we.

 

[Morticia]

Do you think they should be changed out? I have them on a couple of pages. Most guests who find us once never go back to the website to rebook so I'm thinking I'm good with my 10 year old comments. (Including comments from 10 year olds.)

 

[Arks]

I have them on a Reviews page that rarely gets clicked, and I have one on each room description page. But they are all graphic images, like text on a post-it note, so not searchable by the search engines.
I noticed one of our new British innmates has a page of reviews in plain text, which would be readable by the search engines, but not sure generic text like "we enjoyed our stay" would do any good in helping prospective guests find an inn's website.

 

[Arks]

Don't rely on TA or another for all of this, in fact we don't really want people leaving our websites do we.

Only reason to send them to TA is that they might not trust us to post honest reviews on our own site, but they'd trust TA to present both the good and the bad.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

TA pretty much made our reputation. People come to us because of the reviews they see there. I know the issues you've talked about, but I'm a fan.

 

[Skamokawa]

The wonderful web designer put a testimonial phrase from a news article on our landing page. It's the only one on the site. Most now say they came to use from reviews elsewhere. And yep, nearly always from the gorilla or "the Internet".

 

[JBloggs]

Don't rely on TA or another for all of this, in fact we don't really want people leaving our websites do we.

Only reason to send them to TA is that they might not trust us to post honest reviews on our own site, but they'd trust TA to present both the good and the bad..

Don't rely on TA or another for all of this, in fact we don't really want people leaving our websites do we.

Only reason to send them to TA is that they might not trust us to post honest reviews on our own site, but they'd trust TA to present both the good and the bad.

Not saying not to share a TA link, or TA badge (that is debatable of course) but do you have your own plain text testimonials on your website.
Plain text YES are read by google, vs an image.

 

[JBloggs]

Back to the topic
What does trip advisor have to do with what you share on your website? I am asking about YOUR WEBSITE, not what is found over there...
That is why I stated the question about your website, your "testimonials"
Remove TA from your mind for a moment. Act as if they did not exist... what are you showing on your website from previous guests?

 

[gillumhouse]

My wonderful designer gave me both a Press Page and a Comments page. I from time to time copy comments word-for-word from the comment books upstairs into that page. And when I get an alert to press online, I add that link to the press page. I do not have hundreds of TA reviews and am not about to provide a link to get them to leave me - they will find the TA reviews if they wish, all on their own.
Edit: Yes - they are plain text as I enter it. Do not trust it to be an open entry like a comment on a blog - do not allow that either due to so many garbage entries in the past.

 

[OnTheShore]

YES. We have (1) snippets of reviews and unsolicited comments found on the internet in a "slider" on our homepage (no it doesn't slide automatically, but an interested reader could click through the different comments without leaving the homepage, and they are plain text and all there for the googlebot to read); (2) a page dedicated to guest comments -- both snippets of reviews and unsolicited comments found on the internet, as well as comments from our Guest Questionaire. (That page also has a widget from TA through which someone could enter a review); and (3) relevant comments, either from unsolicited review or from Guest Questionaires, on the different cottage pages.
But just a cautionary note -- the contents of your reviews on TA (and probably other sites) is all copyrighted by TA (or other site owner), so you risk running afoul of copyright law if you copy over your reviews in whole without using the widgets TA provides -- we just post a snippet of the review, with a link back to the original review on TA.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I think having text quotes on your site, especially the home page is a good idea. Also, it's a good idea to replace those every now and again as google likes fresh content. This is an easy way to provide some fresh content.

 

[JBloggs]

YES. We have (1) snippets of reviews and unsolicited comments found on the internet in a "slider" on our homepage (no it doesn't slide automatically, but an interested reader could click through the different comments without leaving the homepage, and they are plain text and all there for the googlebot to read); (2) a page dedicated to guest comments -- both snippets of reviews and unsolicited comments found on the internet, as well as comments from our Guest Questionaire. (That page also has a widget from TA through which someone could enter a review); and (3) relevant comments, either from unsolicited review or from Guest Questionaires, on the different cottage pages.
But just a cautionary note -- the contents of your reviews on TA (and probably other sites) is all copyrighted by TA (or other site owner), so you risk running afoul of copyright law if you copy over your reviews in whole without using the widgets TA provides -- we just post a snippet of the review, with a link back to the original review on TA..

YES. We have (1) snippets of reviews and unsolicited comments found on the internet in a "slider" on our homepage (no it doesn't slide automatically, but an interested reader could click through the different comments without leaving the homepage, and they are plain text and all there for the googlebot to read); (2) a page dedicated to guest comments -- both snippets of reviews and unsolicited comments found on the internet, as well as comments from our Guest Questionaire. (That page also has a widget from TA through which someone could enter a review); and (3) relevant comments, either from unsolicited review or from Guest Questionaires, on the different cottage pages.
But just a cautionary note -- the contents of your reviews on TA (and probably other sites) is all copyrighted by TA (or other site owner), so you risk running afoul of copyright law if you copy over your reviews in whole without using the widgets TA provides -- we just post a snippet of the review, with a link back to the original review on TA.

We have discussed this here before Harbs, somewhere about copying it. I used to follow that and said stuff it and post whatever I want to post if it is ABOUT us.
Any BACK TO THE TA thing, you innkeepers are like that "was that a squirrel?!!!" boing...of they go...scenario.

 

[JBloggs]

[h2]
THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT TRIP ADVISOR[/h2]

 

[Morticia]

I think having text quotes on your site, especially the home page is a good idea. Also, it's a good idea to replace those every now and again as google likes fresh content. This is an easy way to provide some fresh content..

I think having text quotes on your site, especially the home page is a good idea. Also, it's a good idea to replace those every now and again as google likes fresh content. This is an easy way to provide some fresh content.

Ok there's a reason to update the quotes. Thanks.

 

[Morticia]

[h2]
THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT TRIP ADVISOR[/h2]

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[h2]
THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT TRIP ADVISOR[/h2]

You might be wrong. ;-)

 

[Generic]

Yes, but only quotes from our guest book without the real names of the guests. Verifiable because we have them from the giant stack of guest books

 

[JBloggs]

Do you know we don't have guest books here?
I got rid of them a few years ago. People leave cards and notes and stuff, I just felt they were obligatory, sort of like the "soliciting of reviews" mentioned about that which shall not be named on this thread, by me, again. haha

 

[gillumhouse]

Do you know we don't have guest books here?
I got rid of them a few years ago. People leave cards and notes and stuff, I just felt they were obligatory, sort of like the "soliciting of reviews" mentioned about that which shall not be named on this thread, by me, again. haha.

Do you know we don't have guest books here?
I got rid of them a few years ago. People leave cards and notes and stuff, I just felt they were obligatory, sort of like the "soliciting of reviews" mentioned about that which shall not be named on this thread, by me, again. haha

Not everyone writes in the book - sometimes we go a LONG time between comments. But even when they do not write, guests have said at breakfast how they were up later than they expected to be because they were reading the comments. Some of them are very touching.

 

[Morticia]

Do you know we don't have guest books here?
I got rid of them a few years ago. People leave cards and notes and stuff, I just felt they were obligatory, sort of like the "soliciting of reviews" mentioned about that which shall not be named on this thread, by me, again. haha.

If you want to start guest books again let me be the first to say that I rarely read them and don't feel obligated to write in them. I've had the same books in the rooms for 10 years and only 3 of them have needed replacing. One was because the book was falling apart, not because it was filled.
But guests do love them. I see it this way - they are looking for a seal of approval that they indeed chose the right place. It makes them feel good about themselves.
You know who got a zillion tear-inducing comments in HER guest books don't you? Yup, tipsy.

 

[Lee2014]

[h2]
THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT TRIP ADVISOR[/h2]

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[h2]
THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT TRIP ADVISOR

[/h2]

Ha! Ha! You know how these threads go...everywhere but what it was original created for! TA is out to get themselves into every corner!!!!!!