Research indicates boutique hotels have become increasingly popular in recent years. If you manage one, this industry trend could be very lucrative for you.
That doesn’t mean you can rely on guests finding out about your hotel on their own. You need a strong SEO strategy to attract guests. This will also boost direct bookings through your site, helping you avoid the commission fees online travel agencies charge.
Of course, boutique hotels often aren’t associated with major brands. Thus, your marketing budget might be somewhat low.
Don’t worry if this is the case. You can still leverage the following small hotel SEO tips to your advantage, while staying within budget.
Small Hotel SEO Tips for Boutiques on a Budget
Maintain a Blog
An SEO strategy isn’t merely about finding relevant keywords and stuffing them into your content. SEO is a multifaceted topic. Your approach to it should be equally multifaceted.
That said, keywords still play a role in SEO. You want users performing relevant Google searches to find your site. That’s often more likely to happen when it includes relevant keywords across its pages.
That’s why it’s a good idea to maintain a blog on your site. This doesn’t merely give you an opportunity to use various keywords your target audience would use in online searches. It also gives you a consistent opportunity to provide your audience with valuable content. For instance, someone planning a trip to your part of the world might be interested in a blog entry highlighting key sites to see.
A blog is also useful because maintaining one isn’t very costly. This helps you improve SEO without spending more than you can afford.
Ensure Your Site is Mobile-Friendly
This is a simple SEO tip that can nevertheless yield major results. For the past few years now, mobile Internet browsing has been more popular than desktop browsing. You need to adapt by making sure your site looks well-organized and functions reliably on mobile devices. Taking this step is a low-cost way to dramatically improve your SEO.
It’s also important to confirm your site functions properly in general. Unfortunately, attention spans are getting shorter. Google research shows that most people typically leave a mobile page if it takes greater than three seconds to load. Thus, you may want to work with your developer to audit your site, looking for ways to reduce code, thereby improving speed and overall performance.
Focus on Outreach
Improving SEO doesn’t need to merely involve improving your site. You should also consider how off-site SEO affects your overall success. For instance, you might contribute guest posts to travel magazines or websites to develop backlinks to your site. You should also promote your content on social media to cast a wider net. Your goal is to improve organic SEO. By reaching out to publications and engaging with followers, you can attract people to your site more naturally.
The main point to keep in mind is that a small hotel SEO strategy can deliver a major return-on-investment at a low cost. If you run a boutique hotel, developing and implementing an effective strategy is key to attracting guests. These tips will help you do so.
