Optimizing Local SEO for Hotels: Exploring Options Beyond Google

Local SEO for Hotels: Expanding Beyond Google – Image Credit TravelBoom Marketing

An intriguing statistic reveals that between 50% and 60% of travelers choose alternative platforms, aside from Google, to locate hotels. Although Google maintains its status as the primary force in local search, a singular focus on this search engine may hinder your hotel’s online visibility.

Platforms such as Apple Maps, Bing, and travel directories including Yelp and TripAdvisor play integral roles in broadening outreach and boosting bookings. This article delineates the first steps towards leveraging alternative local SEO strategies to maximize these benefits.

Why Hotels Should Broaden Their Local SEO Approach Beyond Google

DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, and specialized travel search engines offer diverse alternative channels for travelers seeking accommodations. DuckDuckGo serves privacy-minded users, while Yahoo remains a favorite among a dedicated demographic. Niche platforms such as Kayak, TripAdvisor, Priceline, and Hotels.com cater specifically to those hunting for lodgings, rendering them valuable for hotels aiming to enhance their listings.

Review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp are essential for hotel visibility and reputation management, as many prospective guests lean on these testimonials when deciding where to stay. To bolster both online standing and credibility, hotels should meticulously curate their profiles on these platforms, ensuring accurate information is available, encouraging satisfied patrons to provide feedback, and engaging with reviews both favorable and critical.

Given Apple Maps’ extensive user base—it’s the default navigation tool for the iOS ecosystem, boasting over 1.5 billion active devices worldwide—it is prudent for hotels to optimize their listings here to capture the attention of iPhone users searching for nearby accommodations.

Moreover, Bing commands about 6% to 9% of the U.S. search landscape, while the voice search phenomenon is skyrocketing; more than 50% of searches are now executed via voice commands.

Embracing local SEO for hotels by integrating these Google alternatives provides a plethora of advantages, including:

• Diversification of Traffic: Utilizing multiple platforms diminishes reliance on Google and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).
• Competitive Advantage: Smaller or recently established hotels may thrive by optimizing for Bing, Apple Maps, and travel directories, where competition can be less intense than on Google.
• Mitigation of Paid Result Reliance: An increasing emphasis on paid advertising by Google has rendered organic ranking more arduous, making diversification paramount.
• User Preferences: Certain travelers gravitate towards non-Google search engines or prioritize privacy-centric options such as DuckDuckGo.
• Voice Search Expansion: Digital assistants like Siri, Cortana, and Alexa source data from an array of platforms, impacting search visibility.

“Hotels that diversify their local SEO endeavors across varied search engines and directories will secure their online visibility for the future and enhance direct bookings,” asserts Alyssa Foriska, Director of SEO.

Optimizing Hotel Listings on Apple Maps

Apple Maps garners significant popularity among iPhone users and integrates seamlessly with Siri’s voice searches. Profiles on this platform are built using information from map data providers, crowdsourced inputs, user-generated content, and booking services like Yelp and TripAdvisor; however, inaccuracies may arise.

By directly managing your Apple Business Connect Profile (formerly Apple Maps Connect), you guarantee that the information available on Apple Maps is both accurate and comprehensive, thereby enhancing the likelihood of visibility in relevant search results to Apple users.

Steps to Claim and Optimize Apple Maps Listings

Claiming and managing your Apple Business Connect Profile and Apple Maps listing is a straightforward process.

1. Establish Your Apple ID: If your hotel lacks an associated Apple ID, visit the Apple Business Connect self-service portal to create an Apple Account, which will be applicable across relevant Apple services.
2. Verify Your Business: Log in to Apple Business Connect to validate your account.
3. Claim Your Business Location: Upon verification, locate and claim your hotel and initiate personalization of your listing.
   1. Ensure that your listing features accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number), alongside links to your website and social media, as well as detailed location information.
   2. Upload high-resolution images that effectively showcase your hotel’s amenities and accommodations, as compelling visuals can significantly elevate user engagement.
   3. Select the appropriate category to ensure your hotel appears in relevant search results.
   4. Encourage guests to leave reviews on Apple Maps; positive feedback can bolster rankings and attract new clientele.

Your Apple Place Card is visible throughout the Apple ecosystem, including in Maps, Siri, Calendar, and Messages. While direct bookings via Apple Maps are currently unsupported, it does connect with third-party reservation platforms like OpenTable and Expedia. Regularly updating your listing with accurate location details, recent images, and special promotions can enhance interaction and increase direct inquiries.

Managing Hotel Listings on Bing Places

Bing boasts an estimated 100 million daily active users and serves as the default search engine for Microsoft devices. The Bing Travel Instant Answers feature provides pertinent information directly within search results, aiding users in making informed booking decisions.

Bing Travel also presents flight, hotel reservation, and trip-planning tools for global destinations, integrating with AI-powered search functions and the Microsoft Edge browser. By optimizing your Bing Places listing, you can effectively tap into Microsoft’s expansive ecosystem, which underpins search results for platforms like Windows devices, Cortana, and various third-party search engines.

Steps to Claim and Optimize Bing Places

1. Claim Your Listing: Navigate to Bing Places for Business to claim an existing listing—most businesses already have one—or create a new listing if your location is absent.
2. Verify Your Business: Request a PIN through email, telephone, or traditional mail to verify your listing and prevent unauthorized modifications.
3. Add Accurate Business Details: Ensure your listing comprises all essential information, including contact details, address, website, description, and photos.

How to Optimize Hotels for Voice Queries and “Near Me” Searches

Enhancing your hotel listing for voice search requires the inclusion of conversational keywords and “near me” phrases to facilitate discovery through AI-driven inquiries from Cortana and Siri.

Prepare your listings for voice search with the following strategies:

• Ensure your website is mobile-friendly: As voice searches predominantly occur on mobile devices, assessing and bolstering mobile compatibility during website audits is essential.
• Utilize conversational keywords: Voice searchers tend to employ phrases such as “hotel near me with free breakfast” or “luxury hotel with an indoor pool.” Incorporate conversational keyword phrases within optimized content and informative pages to effectively address these voice inquiries and boost discoverability.
• Adopt a Q&A format: Implementing FAQ schema markup increases the chances of your hotel being featured in snippets often utilized for voice search results.
• Capitalize on local intent: Including location-specific content, area-focused FAQs, and relevant local news within your website enhances optimization to meet potential guests’ needs.
• Encourage reviewers to cite the location: When reviews reference a location by name, it can bolster local SEO for hotels.
• Maintain focus on Google: Despite Siri, Cortana, and Alexa sourcing data from multiple outlets, Google Assistant still relies on Google My Business; thus, hotels must continue to refine their Google My Business listings.

Local Search Ranking Factors (Beyond Google)

Keeping hotel information current across diverse platforms—such as Google My Business, Bing Places, Apple Maps, and Yelp—is crucial. Nevertheless, other significant factors impacting local search rankings should not be overlooked.

• Reviews and ratings hold substantial sway in local search visibility; hence, maintaining vigilant online reputation management is vital.
• Consistent listing of business information across directories such as Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing Places, and travel-centric sites minimizes the potential for confusion from varied listings, signaling reliability to Google.
• Content such as blog posts, social media updates, event announcements, and other location-relevant details should actively contribute to your local SEO strategy.
• Once visitors access your Bing or Apple listing, ensure an exceptional user experience by monitoring click-through rates, active website duration, and site interactions like page views and bookings, as they serve as clear engagement indicators that bolster your ranking.

How Structured Data Enhances Search Rankings on Alternative Platforms

Implementing structured data markup, such as schema.org, assists search engines in interpreting and showcasing hotel information more effectively, thus rendering listings more appealing and informative for potential guests. Applying schema markup (including types such as Hotel, PriceRange, StarRating, and Review structured data) can boost visibility across Google, Bing, and Apple Maps, resulting in enriched search results and heightened engagement.

Ready to enhance your hotel’s marketing strategy beyond Google? A meticulously optimized presence on Bing, Apple Maps, and other platforms can yield increased direct bookings, elevate search visibility, and confer a competitive edge. Contact TravelBoom for expert content solutions to embark on optimizing your listings and distinguishing your establishment in the realm of local search!

About TravelBoom Hotel Marketing

TravelBoom specializes in crafting and executing tailored, data-driven marketing solutions designed to drive direct bookings and facilitate growth for clients. With over 25 years of experience in digital marketing for the travel and hospitality sectors, TravelBoom utilizes advanced data science and analytics to uncover insights and develop strategies that significantly enhance client outcomes while minimizing dependence on third-party channels.

Renowned as the host of the world’s leading Hotel Marketing Podcast and the quarterly Traveler Sentiment Study, both can be accessed at www.travelboommarketing.com.

Source link: Hotelnewsresource.com.