Search engine optimisation (SEO) has been around for some time now, but the continuing popularity of websites such as Google and Bing mean the phenomenon shows no signs of declining in importance any time soon. It refers to the process of getting web traffic from free, organic or natural search results and is a crucial part of e-commerce – people need to be able to find your products or services if they are to buy them.
SEO is also crucial for hotels, who must compete for business in a crowded marketplace and come up with clever marketing campaigns if they are to fill their rooms and boost revenues.With sites like Google changing their algorithms hundreds of times in a single year and technology continuing to develop that affects how search results are displayed, hotel marketers need to be vigilant and proactive in adopting SEO strategies if they are to ensure they work over time.But what is necessary to build a good hotel SEO campaign? Let’s take a look at some of the key aspects and where to start if you want to overhaul yours.Keyword research Marketers are no longer slaves to list of keywords that must be inserted into copy at all costs, but they do still have an important place in SEO.
However, longtail keywords are now what marketers concentrate on, as they are closer to what travellers are actually looking online for. It’s therefore essential to do some research on what would-be guests might be typing in to Google and then build quality content around them. Thousands of organic searches a month can be generated using this technique, so don’t scrimp on your research in this area. Check out the competitors You don’t want to create carbon copies of your competitors’ websites, but it’s important to capitalise on their existing research if they are getting something right! Take a look around and pay attention to keywords and content they are putting to good use, then analyse their web stats so you can compare them with your own site.
Content, content, content The importance of great content cannot be underestimated when it comes to Hotel Website Design . They need to not only sell rooms, but also inform and inspire would-be guests to get out their credit cards – marketers are selling dreams in this industry and it’s all about making someone want to go somewhere.You must have engaging, tailored content to convince people to stay longer on your pages, which in turn convinces the search engines that you are worth listing high up in their results. However, your blog posts or landing pages will also have the added effect of boosting trust in your brand and making travellers feel as though they are enjoying a useful service, which makes them more likely to book with you.Mobile-friendly content It’s essential to ensure all of the great content you publish shows up no matter what device people are using, so always optimise your site for mobile if you are to avoid missing out on a huge audience. If you don’t, users will simply bounce off your pages back to the search engine and a competitor, which damages your results in the listings.
Local listings Many hotel marketers neglect local listings, but they can actually be really important in terms of SEO and preventing being penalised by the search engines. Make sure you correct any inconsistencies in your local search presence, update your contact information, delete any duplicate listings in directories and streamline your information so it can easily be found. Inbound links This can be a really important area for SEO, so it’s essential to carefully monitor and audit existing links for quality and to get rid of any negative links. Search engines like it when other, high-quality websites are talking about you and will reward you accordingly in the listings – but they will also take a dim view if poor-quality sites are trying to link back to yours.Rich snippets Rich snippets are little bits of HTML code that tell search engines what people can expect from your website before they even click on it, so it’s worth investing a little bit of time in creating them to see the according boost in your rankings.Many websites now have rich snippets, so take a look at others in the same industry for tips on what you should be writing.
Monitoring result sChecking up on your reports, gathering data on what’s working and what’s not and continually altering your techniques are essential for a good SEO strategy, as algorithms change all the time and small tweaks can make a big difference to your results in the listings. Don’t simply put a plan into action and then ignore it, as this won’t create the results you’re looking for.
Of course, while SEO is crucial, it must also work as part of a wider marketing plan that includes paid advertising, paid search, email marketing and much more. It is only by taking a holistic approach that you’re likely to see success and higher revenues.
