10 Effective Hotel SEO Strategies for Hoteliers and Managers

Running a hotel is challenging enough without worrying about how to make sure your website is being found online. Hotel SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the key that will make your hotel get noticed by potential guests even in a saturated hospitality market.

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In this guide, we’ll explore tried and tested SEO strategies guaranteed to enhance your hotel’s online footprint and attract more direct bookings.

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1. Research and target the right keywords

The first step to getting your hotel noticed online is figuring out what your potential guests are searching for. For hotels, these might include specific keywords like “luxury hotels in New York” or “family-friendly hotels in Los Angeles.” The trick is finding keywords that have a good amount of searches but aren’t too competitive.

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Keywords come in two forms: short-tail (broad) and long-tail (more specific). Short-tail keywords are things like “5-star hotel in Paris,” while long-tail keywords might be something like “luxury hotels near the Eiffel Tower”. The beauty of long-tail keywords is that they’re often less competitive and attract people who are closer to making a booking decision.

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You don’t have to guess which keywords to use—there are handy tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz that do the heavy lifting for you. These tools show you how often people search for a certain keyword and how competitive it is.

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If your website is new or if you’re operating a small to mid-sized accommodation, pick long-tail keywords with a solid search volume that aren’t too tough to rank for. Going for high volume and high competition keywords right away will be an uphill battle as you’ll be competing with established hotels from the get-go.

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2. Serve two types of content

Once you’ve got your keywords, it’s time to put them to work. Transactional keywords (those that suggest the user intends to make a reservation) are best utilized in the content of the homepage and other critical pages of your website. For example, you’ll want to highlight on your homepage content what your hotel offers and its best features. Next, sprinkle keywords like “budget-friendly boutique hotel in [location]” in the page copy but don’t overdo it—search engines (and people) don’t like that. Keywords are like spice, too much ruins everything while too little has no effect.

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Informational keywords (those that hint the user just wants to learn something) can be used on your auxiliary pages. For example, you may write about nearby attractions to draw readers searching for tourist attractions or activities in your area. You can insert keywords like “best things to do in [location]” here and there so that search engines can match your content with people looking for this information. Although these types of content and keywords may not directly affect your bookings, readers are likely remember you if they decide to visit your location.

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3. Make your meta tags enticing

Meta tags are the page titles, meta descriptions, and headings found in each page. Think of page titles as the headline that grabs attention in search results, while the meta description is the snippet of text that tells people why they should click on your site. Headings are like page chapters that break down content into sections.

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Make sure your titles and descriptions are clear, concise, and include a transactional or informational keyword depending on the page. For example, your rooms/accommodations page might have a title like “Pet-Friendly Boutique Hotel in [Location]”.

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Your meta description might read “Bring your furry friends along on your next getaway. Our pet-friendly rooms and amenities ensure a comfortable stay for both you and your pets.” It’s short, sweet, and highlights what makes your hotel special while encouraging direct bookings.

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4. Structure your pages properly

A well-organized site is not only good for visitors, but it’s also great for search engines. Make sure your site has a logical structure with clear paths for users to follow. For example, your penthouse suite page URL could be structured like this: https://grandbudapesthotel.com/accommodations/penthouse. It’s a clear and easy-to-remember URL can make a big difference in your SEO efforts and user experience.

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Use breadcrumb navigation and interlink your pages to even make it easier for potential guests to navigate your hotel’s website. For example, your “nearby attractions” page should link to either your homepage or accommodations page and vice versa.

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5. Keep your website in tip-top shape

Broken links, duplicate pages, and other website issues can prevent search engines from visiting and indexing your pages. They may seem petty but don’t take these issues lightly, pages that aren’t indexed will never appear in search results. 

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Aside from routine website maintenance, you should also add a Schema or structured data markup. Schema markup is a type of code you can add to your website to help search engines understand your content better. For example, using hotel-specific schema markup can help you appear in rich results like Google’s Knowledge Graph. This adds an extra layer of visibility to your hotel. 

You don’t have to learn to code to get this markup, you can use this Schema markup generator to create one by just by filling up some fields.

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6. Optimize your website for mobile devices

With most hotel searches happening on mobile devices, your website needs to look great and function smoothly on smartphones and tablets. Google even uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily looks at the mobile version of your site when deciding how to rank it. Make sure your mobile site is easy to navigate, fast-loading, and offers a seamless booking experience.

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Don’t sleep on images. Images play a huge role in the hotel industry, and they can make or break a guest’s decision to book. Make sure your images are high-quality but compressed so they don’t slow down your site. Adding descriptive alt text to each image can also help search engines understand what the image is about.

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Nobody likes waiting for a slow website to load—especially potential guests. A slow site can cause visitors to leave before they even see your beautiful rooms, and it can hurt your rankings in search results. To speed things up, compress large images, reduce unnecessary code, and enable browser caching. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Pingdom to see how your site is performing​.

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Mobile and page speed optimization is one of the most difficult things to do in SEO as you have to have some knowledge of HTML and JavaScript to pull this off. If you need help with page optimization or technical SEO services, book a call with Serphead for a free consultation. Our experts will transform and optimize your website to look great on mobile devices.

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7. Attract nearby customers with local SEO

Local SEO is all about making sure your hotel shows up when people search for accommodations in your area. One of the best ways to do this is by optimizing your Google Business Profile. Ensure that all your details—such as your address, phone number, and hours of operation—are accurate. Adding photos, responding to reviews, and regularly updating your GBP can make a big difference.

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Encourage happy guests to leave reviews and be sure to respond to both positive and negative feedback in a professional manner​. Guest reviews don’t just help build trust—they also improve your local SEO. Positive reviews on your Google Business Profile can push your hotel higher in search results. 

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You should also set up profiles on Bing Places, Better Business Bureau, TripAdvisor, and other hotel directories so potential guest can find you online quickly. Make sure your name, address, phone number, and other details are consistent with the details in your Schema markup and GBP.

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8. Earn the trust of search engines with backlinks

Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—are one of the most powerful ways to boost your search rankings. The more quality websites that link to yours, the more trustworthy Google sees your site. Focus on getting backlinks from relevant websites like travel blogs, tourism boards, or local business directories. Working with travel influencers or getting featured in local publications can give your site a serious SEO boost.

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9. Be active on social media

While social media signals don’t directly affect your SEO rankings, they can still help by increasing your hotel’s online visibility. Encourage guests to share their experiences on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. The more people who engage with your content, the better chance you have of driving traffic to your website.

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10. Future-proof your website

Once your SEO strategies are in place, how do you know if they’re working? Track important metrics like organic traffic, bounce rates, and keyword rankings using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These insights will help you see what’s working and where there’s room for improvement​.

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Google is constantly updating its algorithms, and staying ahead of the curve is essential for maintaining your rankings. Follow SEO blogs to stay updated on the latest changes. Small tweaks to your strategy based on these updates can make a big difference​.

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Need professional hotel SEO services?

Thanks for sticking with us to the end. We hope that the strategies we’ve shared with you will set you up for long-term SEO success​. But remember, SEO isn’t a one-and-done deal. You need to regularly audit and update your site to stay competitive. Keep an eye on your rankings, fix any broken links, and update your content to reflect current trends. Regular optimization keeps your hotel’s SEO strategy fresh.

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If you don’t have the time or resources to optimize your hotel’s website, why not hire Serphead to do this for you? You can do you while our team does whatever it takes to make your hotel stand out online and bring in more direct bookings. Book a free consultation call with us today.