Appearing on the first page of Google, Bing, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo is what every hotel marketer wants. That’s where hotel search engine marketing (SEM) comes in.
With how often customers are using search engines to find their next vacation spot, focusing on SEM should be a top priority for your team.
So, where do you start?
Start with SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a marketing strategy that helps your site appear in search results organically. Search engines determine where you appear based on relevance and your ability to answer the search question customers type in. Think of SEO as your foundation.
Develop a Content Marketing Strategy
One of the reasons content marketing is so popular is because of its ability to help with hotel search engine optimization.
When developing your SEO strategy, you should have identified relevant keywords. Use these keywords to build new ideas for blogs, web pages, promotions, and landing pages.
Be sure to include your keywords in a way that is organic and seamless so that it doesn’t come across to Google as a keyword-stuffed website.
Invest in Paid Search
Once you’ve determined how you will boost your SEO and have developed a supporting content marketing strategy, it’s time to focus on how you can further drive traffic and promote your site through paid advertising. This is the essence of search engine marketing, also known as paid search or pay-per-click.
In paid search advertising, you pay for sponsored ads to appear at the top of and on the side of search engine results pages. This gives you more visibility than relying on only organic results. In addition, when prospective customers click on your ad, you increase your SEO.
Get Set Up with Google Analytics and Tools
Of course, before you embark on a hotel search engine marketing strategy, ensure you are set up with Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These are free and can be set up in just a few simple steps if you have a Gmail account.
Google Analytics will help you track site performance and customer behavior when guests are on your site while Search Console tracks search performance and allows you access to Google Webmaster tools.
These tools will help you keep track of the search engine performance of your website so that you can change things up if your strategy is not working. Keep in mind that SEO doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about consistency and dedication to producing strong content.
Conduct Monthly Audits
With a plan in place, it’s safe to say that things will start to work out. Still, it’s essential to take a look at your SEM and SEO frequently: every month, at the very least.
Use the tools we’ve already mentioned to gather data and adjust your plan as needed. The key to an excellent hotel search engine marketing strategy is having a keen eye for what is and isn’t working.
While SEM is no walk in the park, with stellar insights, a great marketing plan, and ongoing analysis, you can make any hotel SEM strategy a success.
