A guide to SEO for hotels and B&Bs

If you run a hotel or B&B, you are bound to have plenty on your plate – perhaps even literally. After all, there can be many plates and pieces of cutlery to wash regularly – and some cupboards and desk drawers might have gathered cobwebs that are just waiting to be cleared.

However, that constant stream of guests also means a steady turnover for your business, which needs to continue reaching out for fresh customers. Here are ways that SEO can help it do that.

Don’t neglect technical SEO

The days of being able to scale ranks of Google’s search results simply by stuffing such generic keywords as “Bournemouth hotels” into your website’s copy are long gone. However, there remain rather technical aspects of SEO that you should heed.

For example, as explained in this LinkedIn article, each webpage must have a title and description, while an H1 tag should be featured in the title of each blog post.

Post SEO-friendly content to your site

As Google prizes helping its users to find the precise type of content it wants, you should check that your site includes all of the details for which prospective guests would search. Such information includes when guests can check in and have breakfast, not to mention the breakfast options.

Also, don’t be afraid to periodically refer to your establishment’s USPs – unique selling points. Does your hotel have on-site parking? Would guests have ready access to a swimming pool?

Include images that are both appealing and relevant

Humans are visual creatures – and, for this reason, they are naturally interested in seeing what your hotel or B&B looks like before they decide whether to book a room there. Of course, your site’s image gallery caters to these people – but that gallery could have some deadwood, so to say…

Look carefully through those images. Do some show decor that has since been removed? Do others evidence weather untypical of the current season? Also, be careful to include images only of a suitable size, urges 4Hoteliers.

Refresh or prune outdated content

Perhaps you added some webpages or content promoting particular, seasonal offers that have since expired. For example, maybe you were advertising luxurious Christmas dinners during the festive season or a “buy one, get one free” deal for loved-up couples set to book for Valentine’s Day.

Any content showing such outdated offerings needs to be weeded out – though you may find that some information, like that showing former opening times for your reception, just needs tweaking.

Include your establishment in business listings

Delivering your advertising in a timely fashion can be instrumental to your hotel or B&B’s continued financial success. A good case in point is that of mentioning your outfit in business listings like those of TripAdvisor and Google Hotel Ads.

These listings can help you reach millions of customers, Search Engine Watch notes – and you can be featured especially seamlessly if you let Eviivo provide online booking software for your B&B or hotel.

Web