Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your hotel website to rank higher in search engines. It also helps you boost direct bookings, enhance your online presence and strengthen your brand image.
SEO is a competitive field, but it can be effective and cost-effective. Whether you’re a large, established hotel or a small hospitality business, SEO can improve your hotel’s web presence and bring in more direct bookings.
Keyword research
Whether you’re a hotel owner or part of a hotel marketing agency, SEO can help your hotel gain a competitive edge over other hotels in the area. It also helps you build brand awareness and increase your business’s revenues.
A successful hotel SEO strategy depends on the quality of your keywords and content. The right keywords can improve your ranking in search results, boost the number of visitors, and ultimately convert those guests into customers.
One of the most important parts of a hotel SEO strategy is keyword research, which is essential to finding the best terms to target for your content. This process can be done through a variety of tools, but the primary goal is to find the terms with good intent that align with your business’s goals, along with decent search volume.
To get started, you’ll want to create a list of keywords that are relevant to your hotel. These can be based on current travel trends or other topics that are relevant to your hotel’s industry.
Once you have a list of keywords, it’s time to do some research. You can use a tool like Semrush to find your competitors’ keywords and get an idea of what they’re targeting. You’ll want to use a tool that lets you see their rankings and click-through rates, as well as how many people are searching for those keywords.
You can also use tools like Google’s search console to track search queries for your competitor’s website. This can be a great way to identify key keywords that your competitor’s pages are using to rank higher in search results.
Another strategy is to focus on local content that’s relevant to your hotel and the city you serve. This can include blogs and social media posts about popular tourist spots, events in the area, special offers, etc.
This will help you create a content strategy that’s focused on local searches, boosting your hotel SEO and increasing traffic to your website. It’s also a great way to engage with your audience and promote your business in a unique way.
Local SEO
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your hotel’s online presence to rank well in search engine results pages for localized searches. This is especially important for hotels with a location in a specific city or area, as most consumers will use local keywords to find a hotel that meets their needs when traveling.
When you’re ready to begin, start by conducting a local keyword research study to determine the most common keywords that people use when searching for your business. These keywords can help you create more relevant content and optimize your website for the best ranking on SERPs.
Next, make sure your NAP (name, address, phone number) is accurate and consistent across all directories. This includes a variety of platforms such as Google My Business, Yelp, TripAdvisor and others. You should also check for misspellings, duplicate listings and resolve any discrepancies to help with local search rankings.
Creating a comprehensive business profile on Google is an essential part of local SEO for hotels. This will ensure that your business is easily found and ranked on the first page of search results for searches in your region.
Another key component of local SEO for hotels is building links to your business’s website. This will boost your website’s online authority, which is an important factor in attracting new guests and customers.
In addition to creating links, consider submitting your business information to reputable directories and review sites such as Yelp or Acxiom. These types of links are also a great way to boost your local SEO by attracting visitors from a different area and establishing your business as a trusted source for reviews, products, and services.
Finally, keep your online reputation strong by actively responding to reviews and engaging with potential customers on social media. This will show Google that you’re responsive and care about your guests.
While citations still play an important role in local SEO for hotels, they are no longer as significant as they were before 2014. In fact, BrightLocal’s 2021 study reported that 7% of SEOs thought citations were the most important ranking factor for the “map pack” and the “regular” search results.
Content creation
Whether you’re writing about food recipes or tips for traveling with young children, content is what drives search engine traffic to your website. It’s also what can keep visitors coming back to your hotel website.
In the hospitality industry, content can take many forms, including blog posts, newsletters, social media, brochures, and more. The key is to create content that is relevant to your target audience and helps them solve their problems.
The most important aspect of a good content strategy is creating quality, valuable content that is easy to read and understand. This will help your hotel website stand out from its competitors and increase visibility in search engines.
Once you’ve written your content, make sure it’s SEO-friendly. This means using keywords and phrases that your target audience will search for. The more targeted your content is, the better it will rank in search results.
Google wants to see that your content offers value, answers a customer’s question, and is created by someone who has real-world experience in the topic you’re discussing. Adding video or audio can help you meet these criteria and attract more links and shares from your audience.
When it comes to the content on your hotel website, it’s also a good idea to create specific pages for each guest segment. Ideally, each page should have a unique title, hotel meta description, images, and several paragraphs of content that is rich in relevant keywords to that specific target market.
For example, if you have a large group of families who travel with young children, then your hotel website should include information about local attractions and parks that are family-friendly. This will make it easier for a search engine to identify these guest segments and provide them with relevant, high-quality content that’s specific to their needs.
Having a consistent and effective content strategy is the best way to build and maintain your hotel’s online presence. It will ensure that your hotel website is constantly updating with new content that is relevant to your target audience and reflects your brand’s values. Ultimately, this will give your hotel an advantage over its competition in search results and drive more direct bookings.
Link building
Link building is a crucial aspect of SEO that can make or break your ranking on search engine result pages. It’s a strategy that can help you increase traffic to your website and improve your conversion rates.
Almost 20 years ago, search engines like Google made the decision to start ranking pages based on links. Using what was then known as the PageRank algorithm, they determined whether a page was worth looking at by looking at the number of links to it.
Since then, Google has continued to rely on links as a ranking factor and they’re still one of the most important ones for determining where a page should appear in a search result. That means that acquiring high-quality backlinks is key for a page to rank well in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
In order to build links, you need to create unique content that is valuable and interesting. For example, if your company makes technology, share a blog post that explains how a new feature or app works or shares an in-depth look at the latest industry developments.
Once you’ve created a high-quality piece of content, reach out to relevant blogs and influencers to ask them to link to it. You can use a tool like Semrush to find people who are interested in your product or service and ask them if they would be willing to link to your content.
When you’re contacting people, make sure to explain why they should link to your site and what benefits it will provide to their readers. You may also want to offer them a discount or other incentive to get them to link to your website.
Ultimately, getting links is a process that requires time and effort. That’s why many companies turn to a link building agency or contractor. These experts can do the work for you and help you avoid pitfalls that can affect your rankings.
Link building is an ongoing process that you should implement as part of your hotel’s overall SEO strategy. In addition to enhancing your website’s rankings, it can also help you establish your brand as an authority in your niche. It’s a powerful way to promote your hotel’s brand image and increase customer satisfaction.