Hotels can hardly be seen and become direct bookers because of the prevalence of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) at the top of search results when you enter a keyword that is related to the hotel and its services. Although OTAs are an exposure source, overdependence on them decreases the profit margin and makes it difficult to assert control over the customer relationship. The positive aspect is that without OTAs, hotels can be ranked better on Google through the use of the appropriate digital strategies.
The benefits of organically ranking are that the hotels can capture high-intent travelers directly and earn brand equity in the long-term.
Create a hotel web site that has been search engine optimized
Organic rankings are based on a strong web site. Hotels should make sure that their websites are quick, mobile and sound in terms of technology. Clean URLs, fast page speed, secure HTTPS, and structured data are beneficial to crawling and ranking of pages by search engines.
The different types of rooms, packages and services must be comprised of individual, search engine friendly pages, which must contain different content. Do not imitate what the OTAs say. Rather, emphasize on storytelling, facilities, the advantage of the location and experience of the guests.
Pay attention to Local SEO and Google Maps Ranking
Local search is extremely important in the hotel visibility. They are better featured in Google Maps and local search results by optimizing your Google Business Profile with the correct information, high-quality photos and frequent updates.
Professional response to guest reviews and encouraging encourages increased credibility and ranking potential. Local presence is also enhanced by local citations and location based keywords.
Design Destination-Centric Content
Hotels can compete with OTAs using content marketing. By blogging about the local locations, travel guide, experiences in the locality, and local events, you have placed your hotel as a resident guru.
Destination-oriented information is aimed at long-tail keywords that are frequently neglected by OTAs. The strategy will appeal to prospective travelers at the research stage and drive organic traffic.
Mobile-First Indexing
Google is a company that focuses on mobile websites in ranking. A mobile-first design guarantees mobile ease of navigation, quick loading and booking processes.
Mobile optimization has direct effects on the bounce rates, user engagement and conversions. A mobile smooth experience enhances ranking and success in booking.
Take Advantage of Rich Snippets and Structured Data
Hotel, review, frequently-asked-questions and price markups used through schema to markup the hotel, faq and pricing subsections assist search engines to provide rich snippets. These are better results that increase the click through rates and visibility.
Rich snippets enable the hotels to appear conspicuously in search results despite their competition with the OTAs.
Power by Backlinking and Publicity
Backlinks with local tourism boards, travel blogs and news portals and hospitality directories are an indication of authority. Hotels can also attain quality backlinks through partnerships, guest blogging and PR campaigns.
The backlinks with high authority enhance the strength of the domain and natural ranking.
Promote Direct Booking Signal
The positive user behavior is rewarded by search engines. Direct booking offers, simplicity, and effective calls to action should be fostered in hotels. The reduction of the bouncing rates, the increases of the session time, and the increments of the conversions help to enhance the SEO performance.
Conclusion
Hotels do not have to completely use OTAs to succeed online. Hotels will rise in the ranking of Google and start getting direct bookings and gaining control over their brand and income by investing in SEO and local visibility, content marketing, mobile optimization, and building authority. The correct strategy will enable sustainable organic growth.
