The Future of SEO for Hotels: Trends to watch out for
In this modern age of digitalization, not having your hotel website is one of the major reasons for losing both credibility and business simultaneously. But if you have a good website regarding your hotel, is it enough to attract more visitors?
Not true! You need good SEO for hotels. It’s no secret that search engines are how people find your website. This implies that to generate leads and eventually convert them into guests, your hotel website needs to rank higher on search engines. This is where SEO for hotels enters the picture.
This post will serve as your one-stop resource for learning the ins and outs of SEO for hotels and making a name for yourself in this crowded market.
What is SEO for a Hotel?
Search engine optimization is a process where the hotel website is optimized and improved for ranking website on search engines like; google, yahoo, and Bing result pages. It helps you to improve hotel bookings, increase website traffic, and fortify your online presence. SEO for Hotels is a much-needed process to stay alive in the business.
In addition, SEO is a certain way to outperform your rivals and is an essential component of hotel digital marketing.
Why is SEO for hotels crucial?
When your audience searches for something in the search engine, a list of results comes in front of them from the search engines. The majority of the time, individuals will click the website that appears first because they think it will provide the greatest solutions to their questions. Occasionally will they select the second, third, or fourth result.
About the final result on the first page, this percentage drops to 2.2%. As you can see, there are very few opportunities to turn to page two. With the help of a survey it is seen that result 01 gets 31.7% of all the clicks.
The likelihood is that your audience won’t find you if you are not accessible to them on the first page. Furthermore, you will miss out on direct reservations made through your website.
How to do SEO for hotels in the proper way?
There are many different hotel SEO strategies out there, but it’s critical to understand which works best. Because of this, I have 10 concrete measures that will assist you in understanding which ones are most important and starting hotel SEO out effectively.
1. Define your target audience
Consider this as step zero in SEO for hotel website. First, you need to define your target audience. Their characteristics, interests, and booking habits.
After you have identified your target audience, consider the keywords they will use to look up lodging possibilities. For instance, if you own a resort, people in your target market may look up phrases like “resort in “your city”.”
Top/Best Resorts in “your city” We refer to these as search phrases. Choose a few and define a main term that members of your audience frequently search for. Well, these terms are just keywords. Let’s dive into the vast ocean and explore what, how, and why of keywords.
2. Get started with keyword research
One important aspect of developing a strong SEO for hotel strategy is conducting keyword research. People use keywords, or words and phrases, to find websites similar to yours.
As previously mentioned, enumerate every potential query your target audience might enter into the search bar. Ideal search terms for Maldivian hotels could be:
- Hotels in Male, Maldives
- Cheap hotel in Male
- Hotels near airport
- Sea view hotel
This provides information on how to obtain the common keywords. To rank your hotel’s website higher on Google, however, you will need to use more of these terms.
You can use Google keyword planner or other types for searching keywords. They are simple to use and get going with. To search, simply input a keyword (or group of keywords).
3. Work on the URL, Meta Description, and Page Title (Meta Title).
The URL, meta description, and webpage title are crucial to the SEO for hotel website. Because the search engine results will only show these three crucial and unique aspects.
So let’s comprehend each of them and create content for your website that is optimized for search engines.
4. Optimization of your website content
We all know content is the king. Optimization of your content is a sure-shot strategy for your SEO for a hotel website. First, let’s talk about the information on your main page. I want the targeted term to be included to the h1 tag first.
Then, inside the first 100 words of your page, use the same desired term in the first paragraph. Additionally, I would advise you to incorporate the keywords and their synonyms in at least 800–1000 words on your site.
Content that draws in readers can be created for blogs, articles, and newsletters. With the material, you can target a sizable number of keywords.
To improve your website’s score, you may, for instance, compose blogs with relevant keywords like “10 things to do in the Maldives” or “10 unique accommodations in the Maldives” and publish them.
Let me now explain how this will increase your traffic. Some tourists may find your site by searching specifically for themes like “10 things to do in the Maldives.”
If your content is appealing, there’s a possibility that they will make a reservation with your hotel as they’re reading it!
5. Add alt text to images
If an image cannot be displayed, an alternative text known as image alt text will appear. This is why it’s critical to provide pertinent alt-text for every image:
- Image comprehension is lacking in search engines. By including alt text, you may help search engines index your photographs more appropriately by providing context.
- The alt text aids visually impaired readers by describing images with screen-reading software.
- In terms of hotel SEO, there is something called image search engines that are really important. Additionally, you must rank on it (as indicated by the image).
6. Arrangement of Headings and Subheadings
The headings on your website make it easier for visitors and search engines to read and comprehend the text content. They highlight the key points in your material and demonstrate their connections.
Users can read structured information more easily, which is excellent for the SEO for hotels. Additionally, headings are an excellent place for you to utilize your main keyword.
7. Optimization of website loading speed
Another crucial element for the SEO of your hotel website is loading speed. The fact that your audience is impatient must be acknowledged.
Although a little technical, this will assist you in understanding what questions to put in front of your website developer or designer.
8. Build and submission of sitemap
A sitemap is a map for your website, as the name implies. It displays every page on your website.
A sitemap is a list of your website’s pages that you may upload to inform search engines about how your content is arranged. To crawl your website, search engines read this file. For this reason, developing a sitemap is crucial for SEO for hotels.
9. Work on Local SEO for Hotel
One of the best ways to advertise your hotel locally is through local SEO. You may easily incorporate a few of the following keywords into your website as part of local SEO.
Name, Address, and Phone Number, or NAP
The city name plus your main keyword in the
Tag for the title
Header tag, URL, or Meta description
Therefore, this will come in handy when people look for things like “best hotels in Male.”
Start with the citation, second. An online reference to your name, address, and phone number (NAP) is called a citation.
They are taken into account by search engines when determining your hotel’s internet authority. It is a tried-and-true hotel SEO tactic.
Moreover, citations include NAP in addition to other information like business description, driving directions, hours of operation, and photos.
10. Make the most of Google My Business
Google is creating more opportunities to drive visitors to your hotel website with the advanced hotel search feature. It’s a crucial and effective step for your hotel’s SEO. You must take full advantage of this chance by registering on Google My Business (GMB).
- Check to see if you have access before anything else. Claim your listing if you don’t. Once you have access, make wise optimizations.
- List the name, address, and phone number (sometimes known as the NAP) of your hotel.
- Make sure the position of your Google Maps marker is accurate (so searchers can find your hotel).
- Give important extra information that will help travelers who are trying to find you. For example, handicapped access, Wi-Fi, a smoking place, and so forth.
- Have a verified Google My Business listing for each hotel in your chain or hospitality company, managed by a single account.
FAQs
You may have a good number of unresolved questions. Here are some of the more important ones that hoteliers like you might have.
Question. What is the work process of hotel search engines?
Ans. OTAs are the industry term for hotel search engines. All hotel brands are searchable in one location for travelers. By paying OTAs, they can reserve a room at any hotel of their choice. These search engines list several hotels to attract reservations. It is the way of search engines. The hotel search engines Expedia, Booking.com, and Agoda are a few examples.
Usually, they identify your location and attempt to provide you with results for hotels in the area based on star ratings, reviews, and other relevant data. They provide you with updated results if you modify your destination. Because these search engines provide results depending on your preferences and how you search for any property, they heavily rely on the features and amenities you choose as well as the description you write in your listing.
Question. How fast does SEO for hotels work?
Ans. SEO is a lengthy process, though. You must exercise extreme patience because you cannot anticipate the benefits right away. You can experiment with the many tactics I’ve listed below. A minimum of one month should pass before observing the outcomes of those tactics.
Question. How frequently should I update my website with blogs?
Ans. One or two blogs per month are OK. But make sure your schedule is consistent. Because it will negatively impact your hotel’s SEO if you write four blogs in the first month and fewer in the subsequent months. You must continue to publish on your blog regularly.
Question. Can I handle my hotel’s SEO on my own?
Ans. without a doubt. This viewpoint has been in mind as I’ve written this blog. Applying the straightforward techniques outlined in this blog can help you get started with hotel SEO even if you have little to no experience with it.
Final words
You must be well-versed in the idea of SEO for hotels by this point. Think of this blog as an SEO tool for hotels, and get to work on it immediately.
Using these strategies, I’ve seen numerous hotels increase their organic traffic. It will undoubtedly benefit you as well. I recognize that this may be complicated as well, however, if you have any questions, feel free to comment or seek assistance from professionals. I’d be glad to assist you.
Remember that it will take time for you to reflect on every practice you begin. It requires patience on your part. Putting all of these complexities aside, SEO for hotel websites is just about giving guests the greatest possible experience.