Most tour operators have solid reviews — just not where it helps them most. Reviews on GetYourGuide or Viator help you rank and convert inside that platform. They do essentially nothing for your own website’s visibility or trustworthiness, because they live entirely inside someone else’s platform.
Two different jobs
Google reviews (via your Google Business Profile) directly influence local search and Google Maps ranking — a major discovery channel for “things to do in [destination]” searches. OTA reviews influence ranking and conversion inside that specific OTA’s marketplace. They’re not competing systems; they’re solving two different problems, and most operators only actively manage one.
Why this gets missed
OTAs prompt travelers to leave a review automatically after a booking — it’s built into the platform. Getting a Google review usually requires the operator to actively ask, at the right moment, through the right channel. Without a deliberate process, Google reviews trickle in slowly while OTA reviews accumulate on their own.
What a simple fix looks like
A short, well-timed ask — right after a positive experience, with a direct link — is usually enough to close most of this gap. The goal isn’t to replace OTA reviews, but to make sure your own website and Google presence carry the same trust signal your OTA listings already have.
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