Did you know that over 80% of travelers start their hotel search online?

But with so many options in the same area, how do you make sure your hotel stands out?

That’s the challenge many hotel owners face. Even with a good website, your property might be buried on page two—or worse—not show up at all.

This is where Hotel SEO fits in. It gets you noticed on search pages when people search for accommodations in your region. The stronger your SEO, the more traffic—and bookings—you can generate without paying for ads or third-party websites.

In this guide, you’ll learn how Hotel SEO works and how to start using it to bring more guests directly to your website.

What Is Hotel SEO?

Hotel SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving your hotel’s website so it shows up higher in Google search results. The goal is to help more people find your hotel online when they search for places to stay in your area.

It includes things like:

• Using the right keywords (like “hotels in Paris” or “family resort in Bali”)
• Making your website fast and mobile-friendly
• Creating helpful content about your hotel and nearby attractions
• Getting other trusted websites to link to your site
• Setting up and optimizing your Google Business Profile

When done right, Hotel SEO brings more visitors to your site—without paying for ads—so you can get more direct bookings and stand out from the competition.

Why SEO Matters for Hotels?

With so many choices in the same vicinity, SEO separates your hotel from the crowd. It puts you on the radar, attracts the right visitors, and brings you more direct traffic to your website—spending you less on advertisements and more on earnings.

Simply put, good SEO means more eyes on your hotel and fewer empty rooms.

That said, ranking well on Google isn’t always simple. Hotels face a few common SEO challenges that can get in the way:

• High competition – Many hotels are targeting the same keywords in the same city
• Low website visibility – Some hotel websites don’t rank at all or appear too far down to get clicks
• Poor mobile experience – A slow or non-mobile-friendly site turns away potential guests
• Weak local SEO setup – Incomplete or unoptimized Google Business Profiles hurt local rankings
• Thin or outdated content – Basic or old website content doesn’t perform well in search
• Lack of backlinks – Not enough trusted websites linking to your hotel site reduces authority

Fixing these issues is the first step toward building real online visibility—and turning more searches into direct bookings.

6 Hotel SEO Strategies that Work!

If you’d like more visitors to discover your hotel online and book directly, SEO is a must. Follow these 6 steps, which will walk you through the most crucial things to do to get your hotel more visible on search engines such as Google.

Let’s start with the foundation—finding the right keywords.

1. Finding the Best Keywords

The most important and first part of hotel SEO is choosing the correct keywords. They are the terms people type in Google when they are looking for somewhere to stay. If you don’t have the correct keywords, your page may never be shown—no matter how good your page is or how good your services are.

But it’s not just about picking popular words. It’s about choosing keywords that match what your ideal guests are actually searching for—this is called user intent.

A. Understanding User Intent

User intent is the reason behind a search. For example, someone searching “luxury hotel in Rome with spa” is likely ready to book. Someone searching “things to do near Rome hotels” might still be planning their trip.

There are three main types of intent:

• Informational: The customer only desires info (e.g., “optimal time of year to see Paris”).
• Navigational: The user is trying to find a destination or a web page (e.g., “Hilton New York”).
• Transactional/Commercial: The user wants to book or buy something (e.g., “book hotel in Dubai with pool”).

You want to focus mostly on transactional and commercial intent keywords—these bring in visitors who are more likely to book a stay.

B. Finding Your Keywords for Hotel SEO

To choose the most appropriate keywords for your hotel, do the following:

1. Put yourself in your guest’s shoes: Put your guests in mind. What would they search for on Google if they were visiting your area?

A tourist with a family will enter “family-friendly hotel close to Disneyland,” whereas a corporate traveler will enter “hotel with meeting room in downtown Chicago.”

Start your keyword research by imagining real-life guest needs, preferences, and travel goals.

2. Start with what you offer: List out your hotel’s main features: location, price range, amenities, type of guest (solo travelers, couples, families, etc.). Turn these into keyword ideas like:

• “budget hotel in Berlin”
• “family hotel in Bangkok with pool”
• “romantic resort near Lake Como”

3. Research what people are actually searching: Use keyword research tools like:

• Google Keyword Planner (free)
• Ubersuggest (freemium)
• Semrush or Ahrefs (paid)

These tools help you see search volume (how many people search a term) and keyword difficulty (how hard it is to rank).

4. Target long-tail keywords: They are more descriptive, longer keywords like “pet-friendly hotel in Amsterdam near canal” instead of just “Amsterdam hotels.” Long-tail keywords receive more specific traffic and less competition.

5. Include location and purpose: Travelers often search using place names and travel intent. So use combinations like:

• “cheap hotel near Eiffel Tower”
• “honeymoon resort in Maldives”
• “business hotel near Tokyo station”

6. Look over your current keywords: If your hotel website is already live, look over your Google Search Console account to view what keywords people are searching to find you. This tells you what you currently rank for and where you have room for improvement.

Choosing keywords isn’t a one-time task. It’s the base of your hotel SEO strategy. Once you know what your guests are searching for—and why—they’ll be more likely to land on your website instead of your competitor’s.

2. Writing content for your hotel site

Now that you know what keywords your potential visitors are looking for, the next step is to create content that satisfies these searches—and responds to their questions clearly.

Content is perhaps one of the strongest aspects of hotel SEO. It’s not writing lots of sentences to fill pages. It’s written so well that your customers are confident you’re the destination to stay at.

Here’s how to write content that both ranks well and connects with travelers:

1. Write for people first, search engines second: Your content should sound natural, not robotic. Write the way your guests speak. Use clear, friendly language to describe your rooms, services, location, and experiences.

2. Use your keywords wisely: Add your main keywords in the page title, headings, and throughout the content—but don’t overdo it. Keep it natural. Include related terms as well, like local landmarks or neighborhood names, to add depth.

3. Highlight what makes you different: Every hotel has a unique story. Use your content to talk about what makes your property special. Whether it’s the rooftop view, pet-friendly rooms, or your cozy breakfast spot—mention it clearly.

4. Create separate pages for key topics: Instead of cramming everything onto one page, make dedicated pages for things like:

• Rooms and rates
• Amenities (pool, gym, spa, etc.)
• Dining options
• Local attractions
• FAQs

This helps search engines understand your content better and improves your chances of ranking for more keywords.

5. Add valuable blog content: Don’t simply write about your top pages. Blog about travel guides, local sights, or holiday advice. That draws still-planning-your-trip travelers—and they’ll book your hotel when they’re ready to book.

6. Make it easy to find content: Employ short paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings. Incorporate high-quality images and clearly labeled call-to-action buttons like “Book Now” or “Check Availability.”

Good content does two things: it brings people to your website through search, and it brings them to stick around and book. So take time to create content that’s useful, honest, and aligned with what your guests are really looking for.

3. Improving Your Hotel Website (On-Site SEO)

Once your keywords and content are ready, the next big step is making sure your website performs well—for both search engines and users. On-site SEO is all about improving your hotel website’s structure, content, and speed to give the best possible experience.

Here’s how to do it right:

1. Optimize Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

Each page on your site should have a unique title tag and meta description. These are what people see in Google search results.

• Keep the title under 60 characters, and include your target keyword (e.g., “Luxury Hotel in Rome with Rooftop View”).
• Your meta description should clearly tell users what to expect (within 160 characters), and encourage them to click.

Well-written tags help your site stand out in search results and improve your click-through rate.

2. Use Proper Heading Structure (H1, H2, H3)

Headings not only help users scan your page but also help search engines understand the structure of your content.

• Use H1 for the main page title—only once per page.
• Use H2 for major subheadings (e.g., “Amenities” or “Room Types”).
• Use H3 under H2s for additional breakdowns (e.g., “Spa Features”).

Keep headings clear, short, and relevant to the content under them.

3. Page Speed 

A slow-loading website is one of the biggest reasons visitors leave without booking. Google also considers speed a ranking factor, especially for mobile users. Even a few seconds’ delay can cost you a guest.

Common causes of slow page speed:

1. Large image files – High-resolution images that aren’t compressed can make your website load much slower.
2. Too many plugins or scripts – Extra features like pop-ups, chatbots, or unnecessary code can add weight to your pages.
3. Unoptimized website code – Poorly written CSS, JavaScript, or bloated HTML can slow everything down.
4. No caching – Without caching, your website has to reload everything from scratch every time someone visits.
5. Cheap or slow hosting – Your server matters. A low-quality hosting provider can delay page delivery.
6. Too many HTTP requests – The more files your page needs to load (CSS, fonts, scripts), the longer it takes.

How to improve it: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom to test your site. They’ll show what’s slowing it down and how to fix it—like compressing images, reducing scripts, or enabling caching.

4. Optimize Images the Right Way

Hotel websites depend heavily on visuals. But images can also be one of the biggest reasons your site slows down or ranks poorly if they’re not handled correctly.

Here’s how to optimize images the smart way:

1. Use high-quality but properly sized images: Don’t upload full-resolution images directly from a camera. Resize them for web use. A homepage banner doesn’t need to be 5000 pixels wide. Tools like TinyPNG, Squoosh, or ShortPixel help reduce file size without losing quality.

2. Name your image files clearly: Use descriptive filenames that explain what the image shows.

Instead of: IMG_2389.jpg
Use: luxury-room-balcony-view.jpg

This helps Google understand the image content and improves your chances of appearing in image search results.

3. Add image alt text: Alt text (alternative text) is used by screen readers and helps with SEO. Write short, clear descriptions like: “Deluxe suite with ocean view and king-sized bed.”

Don’t stuff keywords—just describe what’s in the image naturally.

4. Use modern file formats: Whenever possible, use formats like WebP, which offers good quality at smaller file sizes compared to JPEG or PNG.

5. Use lazy loading: This ensures that images load only when the user scrolls to them, speeding up the initial page load time.

5. Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly

More than half of hotel bookings happen on mobile devices. If your website doesn’t look good or work well on phones, you’ll lose guests.

Make sure:

• Your layout adjusts to any screen size
• Text is easy to read without zooming
• Buttons and forms are easy to tap
• Pages load quickly on mobile networks

Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check your performance.

6. Add Internal Links

Internal links help users move through your site and help search engines understand how your pages connect.

For example:

• Link your homepage to room pages
• Link blog posts to booking pages
• Add “Related Articles” at the end of each blog

This keeps visitors on your site longer and spreads authority across your pages.

7. Use Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Every page should guide the visitor to do something—whether that’s to book a room, explore amenities, or contact you.

Examples of strong CTAs:

• “Book Your Stay”
• “Check Room Availability”
• “View Our Suites”
• “Get Exclusive Offers”

Place CTAs in visible spots—especially near the top of pages and after important content.

Your website is your digital front desk. A well-optimized, easy-to-use site not only helps you rank higher but also turns visitors into paying guests.

4. Getting Links and Mentions (Off-Site SEO)

Once your website is fully optimized on the inside, it’s time to work on how the outside world sees your hotel. This is where off-site SEO comes in.

Off-site SEO refers to all the efforts that take place outside your website to boost your hotel’s authority and trust in the eyes of search engines—mainly through backlinks (links from other websites to yours) and brand mentions.

Search engines treat links like votes. The more quality links you earn, the more trusted your website becomes—and the higher it can rank in search results.

1. Guest Posting and Niche Edits

One of the most effective and scalable ways to build high-quality backlinks is through guest posting and niche edits.

• Guest posting involves writing helpful content for other websites in your niche and including a backlink to your hotel site.
• Niche edits are when you get your link placed naturally into an existing blog or article on a relevant site.

These methods help you earn contextual links from trusted travel, hospitality, and local blogs—boosting both visibility and domain authority.

Let OutreachMonks handle it for you. From expert guest posting to powerful link-building strategies, they offer white-hat SEO services designed to bring more direct traffic—and bookings.
👉 Check out their guest posting services to get started today.

2. Get Listed in Trusted Hotel and Travel Directories

Start with the basics. Make sure your hotel is listed on relevant travel directories and platforms like:

• TripAdvisor
• Yelp
• Google Business Profile
• Booking.com (for visibility, not just bookings)
• Local tourism websites
• National hotel associations
• Niche-specific platforms (e.g., wedding venues, pet-friendly stays)

Use consistent NAP info (Name, Address, Phone) across all listings to support your local SEO.

2. Earn Quality Backlinks from Relevant Sites

High-quality backlinks from trusted websites are a strong ranking signal for Google. But it’s not about quantity—it’s about relevance and authority.

Here’s how to earn backlinks:

• Reach out to travel bloggers or influencers to write about your hotel
• Collaborate with local businesses, tour companies, or restaurants—they may mention or link to you
• Get featured in local press or tourism news sites by promoting unique packages or events

Each relevant backlink improves your hotel’s credibility and search visibility.

3. Monitor and Respond to Online Mentions

All mentions aren’t links—but you’re still being counted. Whenever you’re being talked about as a hotel name on blogs, forums, or reviews, Google counts this as a sign of popularity and relevance.

• Monitor new mentions using tools like Google Alerts, BrandMentions, or Ahrefs Alerts
• Reach out to site owners and politely ask them to add a link when possible
• Respond to mentions and reviews—engagement builds trust with both users and search engines

4. Encourage Online Reviews

Reviews aren’t just about reputation—they also support your SEO. Google pays attention to review volume, frequency, and quality, especially on platforms like Google Business Profile.

Tips to build reviews:

• Ask guests at checkout or via follow-up emails
• Make it easy—provide direct links to leave reviews
• Always reply, especially to negative reviews (show professionalism)
• Highlight good reviews on your website and social media

More positive reviews = more trust = better local visibility.

5. Build Relationships in Your Local Area

Being active in your local community can lead to natural off-site signals and backlinks.

Try:

• Partnering with local tourism boards or events
• Hosting workshops, weddings, or cultural activities
• Supporting local causes or charities and getting mentioned on their websites
• Offering discounts to nearby companies and asking for a backlink in return

The stronger your local presence, the more likely you’ll earn links that strengthen your SEO.

Off-site SEO helps search engines understand that others trust your hotel. By combining guest posting, directory listings, backlinks, and local partnerships, you boost your authority —and your rankings.

These efforts don’t just help with SEO—they also increase your exposure, build trust, and drive more direct bookings over time.

5. Fixing Technical Issues (Technical SEO)

Even the best content and quality backlinks won’t count if your hotel website is beset by technical issues. Technical SEO makes sure that your website is crawlable, indexable, and understandable to search engines—and, no less important, that it is running smoothly for your users.

Think of it as setting a strong foundation: if search engines can’t access or trust your site, your chances of ranking are low—even with great content.

Here’s what you need to focus on:

1. Make Sure Your Website Is Crawlable

Search engines employ spiders to crawl your site and determine which pages to rank and index. If you block these spiders, your pages will never appear in search results.

What to check:

• Use Google Search Console to see what pages are indexed and if they have any crawling errors.
• Check your robots.txt file so that valuable pages are not unwittingly blocked.
• Update the sitemap and resubmit it to Google so it understands what pages to crawl.

2. Fix Broken Links and Redirects

Broken links (404 errors) create a poor user experience and can damage your SEO. Redirects, when overused or misused, can also slow down your site and confuse search engines.

How to handle it:

• Regularly scan your site for broken links using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs.
• Redirect deleted or outdated pages to relevant live pages using 301 redirects.
• Avoid long redirect chains—keep it clean and direct.

3. Use HTTPS (Secure Site)

Security is a ranking factor. Google prefers secure sites, and users trust them more—especially when entering personal or payment information.

Make sure:

• Your site uses HTTPS (SSL certificate).
• All internal links point to the HTTPS version of your site.
• Mixed content warnings (HTTP resources on HTTPS pages) are resolved.

4. Optimize for Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are part of Google’s ranking signals and measure real user experience based on:

• Loading speed (Largest Contentful Paint – LCP)
• Interactivity (Interaction to Next Paint – INP)
• Visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift – CLS)
  

Use PageSpeed Insights or Google Search Console to test and improve these scores. Common fixes include image compression, faster servers, and cleaner layout code.

5. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Adding schema markup to your site helps Google understand your content better and can lead to rich results in search—like showing star ratings, prices, availability, or reviews.

For hotels, use Hotel schema or LodgingBusiness schema to highlight:

• Room types
• Check-in/check-out times
• Star ratings
• Guest reviews
• Location and amenities

Use Google’s Rich Results Test to make sure your structured data is set up correctly.

6. Avoid Duplicate Content

If the same content appears on multiple pages, search engines may not know which one to rank. This is common on hotel websites where room descriptions or location content gets reused.

How to fix it:

• Create unique content for each page
• Use canonical tags to tell Google which version is the “main” one
• Avoid copying content from booking platforms—write your own

7. Make Navigation Simple and Clean

Search engines (and users) need to move through your site easily. A complicated or confusing structure can hurt your SEO and frustrate visitors.

Tips:

• Keep your main menu clear and limited to essential pages
• Use breadcrumb navigation to help users understand where they are
• Use internal links to connect related pages and improve crawlability

Technical SEO is not always evident, but it is driving most of your hotel’s visibility and performance.

Resolving crawl problems, enhancing velocity, incorporating schema, and maintaining a secure, mobile-friendly website all contribute to establishing a solid, search-friendly website that Google and your visitors can rely on.

6. Showing Up in Local Searches (Local SEO)

For hotels, visibility locally is not a choice—it’s required. When someone looks for “hotels near me” or “best hotel in [city],” Google employs local SEO signals to determine what to display.

Local SEO gets your hotel on Google Maps, the Local Pack (those map listings at the top), and local-related search results. You want to be found by folks looking for a place to stay in your locale.

Here’s how to improve your local SEO and get found more often by nearby travelers:

1. Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most powerful tools in local SEO. It’s free and directly affects how you appear in local searches and on Google Maps.

How to optimize it:

• Fill in accurate details: name, address, phone number (NAP), website, hours, and check-in/check-out times.
• Select the right categories like “Hotel,” “Resort,” or “Boutique Hotel.”
• Add high-quality photos of your rooms, amenities, and location.
• Keep your profile updated with any changes.
• Use the Q&A and posts features to engage with users.

2. Get More Google Reviews

Online reviews are one of the biggest local ranking factors. Google trusts businesses that have recent, consistent, and high-quality reviews.

Tips to build reviews:

• Ask guests after check-out or in follow-up emails
• Make it easy by sending a direct link to your review page
• Always respond to reviews—especially negative ones—with professionalism

Reviews help with both rankings and trust—so never ignore them.

3. Use Consistent NAP Across the Web

Your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) should be exactly the same wherever your hotel appears online—whether it’s on your website, directories, or review platforms.

Inconsistencies can confuse Google and hurt your local visibility. Use tools like Moz Local or BrightLocal to scan and fix listings.

4. Add Local Keywords to Your Content

Use local phrases throughout your site like:

• “Hotel near Central Park in NYC”
• “Pet-friendly hotel in downtown Toronto”
• “Beach resort in southern California”

This helps you rank for local queries and target travelers who are searching within your area.

5. Create Location-Based Pages and Blog Content

If you serve multiple areas or attractions, create separate pages or blog posts targeting those spots. For example:

• “Hotels near Times Square”
• “Top Things to Do Near Our Hotel in Rome”
• “Family Travel Tips in Bangkok”

This increases your chances of showing up for specific local searches and gives visitors helpful information.

6. Get Involved Locally (and Talk About It)

If your hotel sponsors local events, partners with nearby businesses, or hosts community gatherings—mention it on your website. Create a page for events or news, and share updates through a blog or press section.

This shows search engines (and potential guests) that you’re active and relevant in your area.

When guests are ready to book, they search locally—and quickly. Strong local SEO helps your hotel show up right when it matters.

These 6 hotel SEO strategies—keywords, content, on-site tweaks, off-site links, technical fixes, and local visibility—work best when combined. Together, they don’t just boost rankings—they bring in the right guests and drive more direct bookings, the smart way.

Ways to Track Your Hotel’s SEO Progress

Doing SEO is great—but what matters is knowing if it’s actually working. Here’s how to track the real impact:

1. Organic Traffic: Track how many visitors are coming from Google. Use Google Analytics to measure growth in users, sessions, and traffic to key pages.
2. Keyword Rankings: Use tools like Ubersuggest or Ahrefs to monitor if your hotel is ranking higher for important keywords like “hotel in [your city]”.
3. Conversions: Measure actions that lead to bookings—form fills, clicks to booking engines, or completed reservations. Set up goals in Analytics to track these.
4. Local Visibility: Check your Google Business Profile insights. Are more people calling, clicking, or finding you on Maps?
5. Revenue: Use booking data to see if organic traffic is driving actual revenue. Check if bookings increased after new content or SEO changes.

SEO success isn’t just rankings—it’s traffic, leads, and bookings. Track these regularly to see what’s paying off and where to improve next.

Choosing the Right Hotel SEO Agency

If you’re short on time or want faster, expert-level results, working with a hotel SEO agency can be a smart move. But not every agency understands the unique challenges of the hospitality industry.

Here’s what to look for:

• Experience with hotels or travel brands
• Proven results (case studies, client reviews)
• Clear strategy focused on bookings—not just traffic
• Transparent pricing and regular reporting
• Focus on local and content-driven SEO

An experienced agency won’t just help you rank higher—they’ll help turn your website into a consistent booking channel.

Conclusion

Hotel SEO isn’t just about showing up on Google—it’s about showing up for the right people at the right time.

When done right, it helps your hotel get found by real travelers, builds trust, and brings in more direct bookings without relying on ads or third-party platforms.

Whether you’re starting small or ready to scale, focusing on the right SEO strategies can keep your rooms filled and your business growing—long-term.

Be seen. Get booked. Grow smarter.

FAQs About Hotel SEO