Why On-Page SEO is not working for Hotel Marketing – and what you can do about it.

This article, about on-page SEO for hospitality and destination marketing, follows our post on how Google Travel is a game changer for all of tourism, especially hotel Search Engine Optimization (SEO). To recap, the original post charted how Google has moved into travel and showed the impact on local listings in search. In the next series we will look at what can be done. Here is the first issue that looks at the issue from the local travel suppliers and destinations point of view.

For original post on Google Travel see https://marketinghotelsandtourism.com/the-evolution-of-google-travel/

Authority Sites Rank well

The Good news is that Authority sites like Barbados.org rank well in search results and we have recently seen an increase in our organic search referrals (28% increase in August 2014 vs August 2013).

Nevertheless we see the role of sites like ours having to change. We have already taken measure to boost traffic on and off of Google and have an active social and mobile presence with rich content, videos and visuals across main portals like itunes and Amazon, media that broadcast, narrow-cast and pod casts and devices like ipads, iphones, TV screens and magazines, both in digital and printed form.

The Evolution of Destination Marketing

Destination marketing has changed dramatically with the rise of the OTA, and with Googles own foray into tourism. A good case study is the Barbados Tourism Encyclopedia and its website Barbados.org (Borg). Borg evolved from a directory to an encyclopedia and now into a marketing network with social media and external links to a vast array of online resources.

The future of Borg and sites like it lies in its relation to its members and what it does for them. A Destination site, as a marketing partner for local hotel and operators, must now reach far off Google to bring new business from across the most vibrant parts of the Internet to our its members and partners.

travelers use search first

Search is number one for planning and discovery

Travelers Even with all of the vast changes in online marketing Barbados.org continues to be a huge driver of traffic. Search is still the number one place where buyers start their shopping and travel planning.

The same study found that videos are simple exploding on the net with Youtube becoming a TV station in its own right.

Content is still king

Travelers have an insatiable appetite for information, from video to content and reviews from TripAdvisor to social sites.

travel videos explode in popularity

For a great article on  Jeff Bullas on how to write viral posts or writing to make your blog go viral. Jeff shares his experience and dissects the psychology of going viral.

More to come….

hotel seo tips | seo hotel websites | hotel internet marketing
hotel website marketing | hotel website design | hotel social media marketing