Overview

Google Things to do (GTTD) allows tour and activity operators to display their products directly on Google Search and Google Maps. This guide walks you through the technical setup within Spotinga Host application, to ensure your products meet Google’s data standards and reach the widest possible audience.

Prerequisites: Organization Readiness

Before you can push products to Google, your high-level Organization and Store details must be accurate. Google uses this metadata to verify your business identity.

Verify your Location: Ensure your Google Business Location is linked in your Organization settings.
Default Store: You must have a primary store-front marked as Default.
Currency & Language: Ensure your store’s primary currency matches the pricing on your site to prevent price-mismatch suspensions.
Enable Integration: Go to Organization > Settings > Integrations and ensure the Google Things to do toggle is set to Active. This is also where you will find the Feed ID - required if you plan to run Google Things to do Ads.

Pro Tip: Google prioritizes listings that link to a verified Google Business Profile. Make sure your “Operator Name” in Spotinga matches your public Google Maps listing exactly.

Step 1: Connecting your Product

Navigate to the Distribution tab of the product you wish to publish. This is the command center for your Google integration.

Enabling GTTD

Look for the Google Things to do block. You will see a toggle to enable the connection.

![Image Placeholder: Screenshot of the Distribution tab showing the GTTD toggle and Readiness Score]

Step 2: Achieving a High Readiness Score

Google is a “data-first” platform. If your product information is incomplete, your listing will be ranked lower or rejected entirely. Spotinga provides a Readiness Score checklist to help you optimize.

Content Requirements for a 100% Score:

Title: Aim for exactly 50 characters. Avoid all-caps or promotional text like “Best Price.”
Summary: Provide a punchy summary of approximately 30 words.
Description: This must be detailed. Aim for 100 to 500 words describing the itinerary and experience.
Photos: You must have at least 3 high-quality images (16:9 ratio, 1200px wide).
POI (Point of Interest): Under the Content > Locations tab, ensure you have selected a valid Google Place ID for the meeting point or attraction.

Step 3: Configuring GTTD Metadata

Sometimes, the data you show on your storefront needs to be slightly different for Google. Use the Overrides section to fine-tune your listing.

Key Fields to Review:

Landing Page Link: Use this if you want to send Google traffic to a specific tracking URL or a dedicated landing page instead of the default product page.
Inventory Type: Most users should leave this as Reseller or Official Inventory.
Fulfillment Type: Select how the guest receives their ticket. Mobile/QR Code is the industry standard for GTTD.
Booking Cutoff: Google requires a defined cutoff (e.g., “Bookings close 2 hours before start”). Ensure this is set in your Availability tab.

![Image Placeholder: Screenshot of the GTTD Metadata Override fields]

Step 4: Verification & Payout Logic

Once the GTTD toggle is active, the system begins syncing your data.

The Price Check: Google’s bots will visit your site to ensure the price shown on Google matches the final price in your cart.
Inclusion Check: Ensure your Inclusions (e.g., “Lunch included”) are clearly listed in the Content tab, as Google displays these as highlights.

If you change your prices in Spotinga, it may take up to 24 hours for Google to update. If Google detects a price mismatch (where the site is more expensive than the Google listing), they may temporarily suspend your listing.

Managing the Feed

How to Unpublish

If you need to take a product off Google (e.g., it is a seasonal tour that has ended), simply toggle the Google Things to do switch to OFF. The system will drop this listing from the feed in the next publish cycle.

Monitoring Performance

Once live, you can monitor the effectiveness of your GTTD listing in the Affiliate Dashboard & Reports (if using a tracking link) or via your own Google Analytics using the Landing Page Override URL.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue	Likely Cause	Solution
Low Readiness Score	Missing description length or photos.	Add more text to the Description field (min 100 words).
Location Error	No Google Place ID linked.	Go to Locations tab and search for the POI via the Google Map search bar.
Price Error	No active Price Plan for the Default Store.	Ensure at least one Price Plan is assigned to your “Default” storefront.

Next Steps

Optimizing Product Media: Learn how to manage the photos that will appear on Google Maps.
Setting Up Availability: Ensure your slots and capacity are ready for Google traffic.

Spotinga allows you to publish up to 5 products for free to Google Things To Do. We recommend choosing your most popular, year-round experiences to maximize your initial visibility.