“ WE SEE
50 % to 75 %
OF OUR WEB TRAFFIC ORIGINATING FROM SEARCH , depending on the destination and market source .”
TECHNOLOGY : SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION , MARKETING
“ With Google ’ s constant updates to its algorithms , we ’ re working even more actively and aggressively on SEO , in all forms ,” says Stephan Keschelis , vice of e-commerce for NH Hotel Group , Madrid . “ Part of the solution is developing content to help with higher placement and to better serve customers . It ’ s become an important part of the business process .”
Keschelis isn ’ t alone . In the current SEO environment , content is definitely king , sources say . According to Kimpton ’ s Demoney , gone are the days of metadata keyword stuffing for higher placement , as the current weighting in search engines is now focused on having real and relevant content . This can be a challenge because , she says , today ’ s consumers find beautiful images more compelling than long blocks of text . For some , the solution is simply to stick to the basics of good website design .
“ Some of the really basic things , as boring as they sound , are almost the more impactful , like participating in location things like Google Maps ,” says Joshua Sloser , vice president of digital
“ WE SEE
50 % to 75 %
OF OUR WEB TRAFFIC ORIGINATING FROM SEARCH , depending on the destination and market source .”
– RIKO VAN SANTEN innovation at Hilton Worldwide . “ Make sure that your name , address , phone number and website citation are consistent everywhere . Make sure the content you have is quality content , and everything you do from a marketing or social media standpoint has value and credibility and have it linked back to the website . They ’ re all basic signals that bolster all the good work you do with your website , and I think that often , those basic things are heavily undervalued .”
But generating SEO-boosting content isn ’ t a clear-cut , by-the-numbers process . There are multiple facets to address and prioritize , depending upon the company and its desired objectives . The term “ content ” is often broadly used in the context of SEO , but exactly what type of content to develop is another question entirely .
“ One size does not fit all . What works well for one hotel need not necessarily work for the other ,” says Baldev Dhir , head of digital marketing , distribution and brand operations for ITC Hotels , Gurgaon , India . If the objective is to enhance website visits or average session duration , then creating multiple pages that offer informative content will be the key , Dhir says . “ Video will also play a crucial role , as content gets absorbed faster through videos than through the written word . On the other hand , if the objective is to increase bookings and revenues through SEO , then a visually driven website with high-res images highlighting the various facets of the hotel , coupled with attractive offers , will do the trick .”
Emerging platforms Mobile search also weighs heavily on current and future SEO strategy , since customers are increasingly turning to mobile devices to do their research and booking on the fly . All this and more is making companies like Kimpton evervigilant in the quest to keep up .
“ We are constantly balancing design decisions to satisfy both the human audience and the search bots ,” Demoney says . “ Google is also placing increasing emphasis on mobile optimization , which makes responsive design a top consideration for building new sites . Kimpton ’ s brand site was redesigned from top to bottom last summer with this in mind , and the results are staggering . Our revenue from mobile search has also seen a significant uptick .”
Aside from tailoring SEO-related content for the mobile space , there ’ s also social media and other various emerging online channels to account for . At Kempinski , assuring optimal placement in these realms is becoming increasingly essential , especially with the soaring popularity of social media apps .
“ We also are looking at optimizing visibility on other networks , such as YouTube or social networks ,” says van Santen . “ Here the algorithms are different , but the same concept applies : The more relevant exposure you get for your investment , the better .”
Local and regional factors also play a role in the SEO process , especially in developing parts of the globe . While sites like Google and Yahoo are fairly ubiquitous , in major overseas markets there are large engines that are relatively unknown in the U . S ., like Baidu in China or Yandex in Russia . Smaller , region-specific players are also starting to emerge .
Monitoring SEO for these channels is still another important function for e-marketers who do business in the applicable regions , as well as ensuring localized content is available on the relevant sites . In Africa , Mangalis Hotel Group , based in Barcelona , is an example of a
52 HOTELS March 2015 www . hotelsmag . com