# Guidelines for translations of property name and description

The property name and description is used by Google for matching purposes. We list below our recommendations for these fields and for the use of translation.

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## Should I translate the name of my property?

The property name should always be **exactly** **the same** as in your Google Business Profile.

If you have a property name that is not in English, you will proceed as follows:

- In the property fields, write the name exactly as it is in your Google Business Profile, even if it is in a different language than English.
- Add a translation for your language.
- Copy the name in the translation.

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## How is the listing description used by Google?

The descriptive content you provide for your property is **not displayed to end-users** on Google Search or Google Maps. This information is **solely used by Google for matching purposes** to pair your listings with valid locations on Google Maps.

The attributes and descriptions shown to travelers are instead sourced directly from the merchant's Google Business Profile.

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## Will translated descriptions be displayed to localized visitors?

No, the translated descriptions are not displayed to visitors. However, providing localized names or addresses in different languages can **help improve your property match rates** in those specific locales.

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## In which cases should I provide translations?

Here are the situations for which we recommend providing translations:

- Your property is based in a country where English is not the main language.
- Your property is based in a country with different official languages.
- Your property targets an audience from a specific country.

For example, if you have a property in France with a large proportion of Dutch visitors, you will provide French and Dutch translations to optimize your matching capabilities.

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## Example with annotated screenshot

Let’s take the example of a property that is based in Pforzheim, near Stuttgart and the Black Forest National Park, in Germany. It receives many visitors from France, as it is close to the French border. It has a Google Business Profile with the name “Maestrel Ferienhaus Schwarzwald”.

![image-20260713-100052.png](./attachments/image-20260713-100052.png)

1. **Property name**: It is in German, as in the Google Business Profile, the property name is “Maestrel Ferienhaus Schwarzwald”.
2. **Address fields**: These are the postal address, exactly as indicated in the Google Business Profile. It is as well in German and is left as-is (no translation to English).
3. **Description**: This field has to be provided in **English**, always. You should avoid including words that are in other languages than in English.
4. **Translation to German**: As my property is based in Germany, a translation to German for both **name** and **description** is required. Here, I copy again the **name** of my property as indicated in the Google Business Profile. In the description, only German should be used.
5. **Translation to French**: As I have a targeted audience of French visitors, I provide the **description** in French as well. In this description, only French should be used. I do not add a translation for the property name in other languages that are not official languages for my country.