SEO is an important marketing strategy that helps you rank higher in the search results of the major search engines. We all know that a higher position leads to more online visitors. For example, if you end up on the second page, you have already lost 90 per cent of the internet users who typed in your intended search term. Time to do something about this!
Why is SEO important for your hotel?
SEO is all about online identity. And the better it is, the more unique you are. By working on your online identity, you stand out from the grey crowd and become visible. There are many websites for search engines and internet users to choose from, but with a good online identity, your website is guaranteed to stand out. Think about your web design, social media campaigns and placing ad campaigns, for example. SEO stands for search engine optimisation and the better this is in order, the higher the score you get from the various search engines. With a high score, you have more relevance, more authority and end up higher in the search results.
IN A FEW STEPS TO BETTER VISIBILITY
SEO for your hotel is just one of the online marketing strategies possible within online marketing. At the same time, it is also one of the most important strategies, because your authority with Google and the other search engines determines your overall online success. So SEO for your hotel is a part of online marketing in which you don't want to make any mistakes. Therefore, follow these steps that will help you clearly communicate your hotel's relevance to the search engines.
1. THE TECHNICAL SEO OF YOUR HOTEL WEBSITE
SEO technique refers to the basics of your website, and the way your website runs. Therefore, make sure everything is in place before you go any further. Search engines today are mainly interested in the user's experience, and with them, the customer is truly king. Technical SEO plays an important role in this. For instance, it looks at the loading speed of your pages. An internet user who has to wait too long because your page speed is too slow will quickly leave. Security also plays an important role. If there is no lock before the URL in the search bar, this is a clear warning for Google and for the user. So a good marketing strategy starts with SEO technique, because if the basics of your website are not right, your visitors will have left before they have even seen your website.
2. SEO CONTENT
Now we can look at the content of the website and for this we use the term SEO content. This always starts with a thorough keyword research and these keyword phrases are incorporated in various places on your website, such as in your titles, in your URLs and in your meta descriptions. Your blog posts are also optimised in this way. Experienced copywriters compose texts that are relevant, that help the user and that flow smoothly. The user is central and that also contributes to your hotel's SEO. They look at your sitemap, the photos you use, the videos you've posted, your external and internal links, which pages should and should not be indexed. Content SEO for your hotel is essential for a successful search result.
3. LINKBUILDING
Internal links tell the search engine how structured your website is. External links give the search engine an idea of how well substantiated your information is. In link building, however, backlinks (links from other sites to your site) are the most important because search engines see them as a reference. Especially if you get backlinks from websites with authority, they will earn you a lot. One of the SEO tips for hotels that we always pronounce is to check backlinks regularly.
4. LOCAL SEO
Local SEO is potentially a crucial factor for your hotel. Because when someone searches for a hotel, they regularly use local searches. By local searches, we mean, for example, 'cheap hostel in Amsterdam', or 'the best hotel in The Hague'. If you capitalise on local SEO with your hotel, someone who enters a relevant local search will see your website. This is ideal for you, as these internet users are already clearly looking for a hotel in your area. So the chance of a conversion through a local search is many times higher. At the same time, you then play into a relevant SEO trend and that is that of voice search. Most voice searches are local, so there are still plenty of opportunities here. In fact, very few websites, let alone hospitality entrepreneurs, have capitalised on this trend.
Time to increase your hotel's visibility
It is clear why SEO is so important for your hotel and what steps you can take to increase your online visibility. That leaves only one thing on your mind now to-do list: get started! Maybe everything sounds easier than it is and you can't figure it out? Then feel free to contact with us for a sparring session, we'd love to help!
