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Content 1 min read

How should a hotel use guest-generated content?

Short answer

Guest-generated content — photos, reviews, social posts — can show an honest picture of your hotel, but use it responsibly. Ask permission before reposting guests' photos or posts, credit them, and choose representative content rather than only the most flattering. Quote reviews accurately with their source, and never write, edit, or incentivize reviews. If you host guest content on your site, mark user-submitted links with rel="ugc" and moderate it. Don't add review structured data for reviews about your own hotel expecting star ratings in Google.

By Lodging Engine Editorial Team· Reviewed by Eric Zwanenburg· Last reviewed

What counts as guest-generated content

  • Photos and videos guests share on social media.
  • Reviews on Google, OTAs, and review sites.
  • Guest stories, comments, or Q&A on your own website.

Get permission and give credit

  • Ask the guest before reposting their photo or post, and keep a record of the permission.
  • Credit them as they prefer.
  • Remove content promptly if they ask.

Use reviews honestly

  • Quote accurately, with the platform and date.
  • Choose a representative selection, not only perfect scores.
  • Never offer incentives for reviews or for changing negative ones — Google Maps policies prohibit this.

On your own website

  • Moderate submissions before publishing.
  • Mark user-submitted links with rel="ugc", as Google recommends for user-generated content.
  • Don't mark up your own reviews as AggregateRating for your hotel — Google doesn't allow self-serving review markup for local businesses. See review schema for hotels.

Where it helps most

  • Room pages: real guest photos alongside professional ones (clearly labelled).
  • Experience pages: guests at events or activities, with permission.
  • Social media: reposts that show real stays.

Common mistakes

  • Reposting without permission.
  • Editing review text.
  • Showing only five-star reviews in a way that misleads.
  • Using guest photos that show identifiable people without consent.

Checklist

  • Permission process and records
  • Credits and removal on request
  • Accurate, representative review quotes
  • User-submitted links marked ugc
  • No self-serving review markup

Sources

  1. Prohibited and restricted content (Maps user-generated content policy) — Google Maps Help
  2. Qualify outbound links for SEO — Google Search Central
  3. General structured data guidelines — Google Search Central

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