Yet Another New Era of SEO
You need to stay on your toes when it comes to SEO. Google is constantly revising and tweaking the way it indexes the web and the search results it delivers. Search rankings are now based on more sources than in the past. SEO is very much an ongoing process, and it becomes more involved over time.
Google’s goal has always been to make searches as useful as possible to searchers. In the beginning, their key was to look at inbound links to a page as, essentially, votes for that page. Over time they have been adding more and more parameters, and one important dimension is the social one. Involving social markers in the ranking of search results should lessen the impact of strategies used by those trying to game the search engine–for example fake link building–and instead increase the amount of authentic and trusted content that searchers find.
If you run a hotel, this can be good news. It means you need to pay attention to building up a base of loyal customers that become ambassadors for your hotel–trust matters to potential customers, but now it also matters in Google rankings. Having an appropriate and encompassing SEO strategy that keeps up with changing conditions is paramount to doing well in search rankings. Avoid a narrow focus on the latest (or worse, yesterday’s) trick. For some recent insights on this topic, check out this article: Wake Up SEOs, the New Google is Here.
Diving into Hotel Online Marketing Strategies
Are you prepared to go deeper into the world of online marketing yet? Well, you should be because everyone else is competing to get customers online. Read interesting posts about online marketing for hotels that will give you ideas for what you need to be doing:
Three Things to Consider in Hotel Distribution and Marketing in 2012
Strategies to Stay Ahead in Online Travel Marketing
Defining a Hotel Digital Marketing Strategy
The Changing Face of Revenue Management
Why Google Places Matters to Your Hotel
Google Places is a free service where you can advertise your hotel on Google maps. It is important for small hotels to have a listing on the maps as it helps to improve your visibility when a person is looking for a business in one location. We have collected some recent posts about Google Places that are worth a look:
Removing Negative Google Places Reviews!
4 Ways to Make Sure You Beat the Competition in Local Search
Google Places Reviews: Getting Offline Online
Google Raises Local Search Stakes With New Places SERP
Drive Traffic to Your Hotel Website Using SEO Strategies
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process which helps improve your website’s visibility in search engines in the most cost effective way. There are many ideas and methods and here are a few for you to follow:
Four Ways the SEO Industry Could Rule the World
Three Ways to Boost Hotel Search Engine Rankings
Is Your Hotel SEO Strategy Google Panda-Compatible?
Combating Losses to OTA’s with a Strong Hotel SEO Strategy
5 Reasons Why SEO’s and Clients May See Different Search Results
10 Steps to a Successful SEO Migration Strategy
Why You Need a Global SEO Strategy
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Is Essential for Hotels
Small Hotels and Local Community Integration
As consumers become more aware of the environmental and social impacts of their choices, companies are increasingly held to higher ethical standards than before. This attitude also travels with people on their holidays, and social responsibility is set to become a larger component of the hospitality industry in the coming years.
Smaller hotels can have an advantage over the big chains in dealing with local communities and implementing sustainable practices simply because of their size. As a small hotel, it is easier to get an overview and find out where to focus your attention. Similarly it is easier to become an actor within the community.
Becoming socially aware and involved in your local community can have surprising indirect benefits for business. When you integrate with your local community, your guests are likely to enjoy a much more authentic experience of place, a key factor to many travellers these days. There are many ways that your hotel can be a part of your local community including supporting the community’s activities, having a local workforce or buying local food and products to use in your hotel.
Hotel owners need to start thinking of local communities and the environment as stakeholders in their business and realizing their responsibilities. It does require work and it might mean engaging with, for example, local universities or municipalities for knowhow and ways to measure environmental sustainability. For many tourist destinations it is a mix of cultural diversity and the natural environment that make them attractive to visitors in the first place; therefore one should be interested in these issues anyway. If you take care of the local then the local will take care of you.
Does your hotel have a mobile compatible website?
As more and more people browse on mobile devices as opposed to computers, it is important for your hotel to have mobile compatible website plus a booking engine which works well on all mobile devices. You can easily loose customers to frustration when they fail to access content or can’t book the room on their smartphones. Here are a few articles to get you on your way to achieving a mobile friendly website:
Five Reasons You Must Have a Mobile Site for 2012
Travel Marketers Increasing Mobile Spend, App Development in 2012
Growth in Hotel Booking on Mobile Shows Opportunities for Hotels
Marketers Optimize Mobile Search with Better SEO Practice
What Business Travellers Want from Hotels When It Comes to Mobile
Travel Click Throughs Higher on Mobile
5 Ways to Win the Hotel Mobile Booking Game
Hotels vs. TripAdvisor Reviews
Good reviews on TripAdvisor can be magnificently useful in advertising and promoting hotels, at the same time bad reviews can damage reputation and revenue. Hoteliers should listen closely to what people say about their hotels and have a strategy in place to respond promptly. Below are interesting posts about different aspects of reviews on TripAdvisor.
Hotel Owners Fear Growing ‘Blackmail’ Threats from Guests Online
New TripAdvisor Complaints Threatens Review Syndication
TripAdvisor’s Travel Trends for 2012
Tips to Help Hotels Generate More Traveller Reviews on TripAdvisor
Digging Deeper: Hotel Review Scores, Hotel Class, and Hotel Performance
Not Just Hotel Reviews: TripAdvisor Now Emphasizes Traveler Photos
The Reliability of User–Generated Hotel Reviews
Case Studies and ROI – TripAdvisor Business Listings
How to Manage TripAdvisor Comments
How to Set Up a Google+ Page for Your Hotel
Now with over 40 million users on Google+ it is time for your hotel to step up and be one of the first hotels using it as the new marketing tool. Following a few easy steps you will be on your way.
- First of all you need to sign in to your Google+ profile to be able to set up a business page.
- Then look for the Google+ Pages tab/logo on the right hand side of your profile and click on it.
- Choose your page category. Your hotel should be under “Local Business or Place”.
- Then add your location and phone number. Google will use the given phone number to match the phone number on your listing on Google Places (if available). This makes it much easier because your hotel information will be matched and added automatically.
- If your hotel does not already have a listing on the map, Google will ask you to provide information.
- Add the information and choose your business category which is Lodging. Choose who you want your page visible to then, click “Create”
- Now your page has been crated, it is time to add your hotel’s profile photo.
- After choosing your profile photo, Google will ask to to share the new page through your own profile (optional).
- Now you can start using Google+ to promote your hotel and start building connections! Start by adding photos and videos of your hotel. Remember to double check if all information here is correct and complete.
Effective Hotel Website Content and Designs
Your hotel website is the first place where you and your guests meet. Most hotels websites we see today are rather similar to one another. Having a quality website, one that stands out from the crowd, will help present your hotel’s personality and, ultimately, convert site visitors into customers. Here are some good guidelines on what makes an effective hotel website:
How “Fresh” is Your Hotel Website?
Six must haves for your hotel website redesign
Redesigning Your Hotel Website for the Social Media Revolution
Hotel web design tips to capture direct bookings
Rethinking Hotel Guest Satisfaction and Hotel Website Analytics
And some articles with fresh ideas from our web development and marketing team:
Building a Hotel Homepage Which Captures Visitors
The Key to Engagement on Your Hotel Website: Say Less, Communicate More
Visual Appeal on Hotel Websites
Is it time for your hotel website overhaul?
Social Media Marketing for Hotels
We all know that social media marketing is an important way for hotels to advertise and to engage with guests. But for many small hotels, it’s not clear how to get started, how to work social media into your larger strategy, and what exactly your business can expect in return. For detailed insights on how social media can benefit your hotel we recommend these articles:
Social Media More Important Than PPC for Travel Industry?
A Guide to Finding Your Hotel’s Voice Online
More Than Marketing: Hotel Social Media Strategy for PR, Service, and Operations
How to Generate Leads with Social Media
Social Touch Marketing for Hotels
When Social Media for Hotels Works
Travel Statistics and Social Media
How to Grow Social Media Leads: New Research
A Sample Social Media Policy for Hotels