SEO for Hotels in 2025: A Complete Guide to Positioning Your Hotel Online

What is SEO for hotels and why is it important in 2025?

The SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) for hotels refers to the implementation of strategies to improve the positioning of a hotel website in search engines such as Google through keywords. 

The objective a priori is simple: to appear among the first results when a user searches for accommodation, experiences or services in a specific location.

• Search keywords and their intent in the hotel sector 

At this point, we must bear in mind that search keywords have several types of intent:

Navigation: Users seek direct access to a specific web page. Also called branding.

• Example: "Booking login o "Facebook"
• User objective: Find a specific website.

Informational: Users are looking for information on a topic or to resolve a question.

• Example: "What is local SEO" o "Best excursions in Tenerife".
• User objective: Learning or researching a topic.

Commercial: Users are considering a purchase or contract and are looking to compare options.

• Example: "Opinions about hotels in Tenerife". o "Best hotels with spa in Tenerife".
• User objective: Evaluate products or services before making a decision.

Transactional: Users are ready to perform an action, such as buying, booking or downloading.

• Example: "Book a hotel in Maspalomas". o "Buy hotel day pass in Tenerife south".
• User objective: Completion of a specific transaction or action.

Understanding these intentions is fundamental to designing SEO strategies that align with the user's needs at each stage of the search process.

Keyword research tools:

• Google Keyword Planner
• Ahrefs
• SEMrush
• AnswerThePublic

Tip: Prioritise keywords that have high search volume and low competition, especially those related to your location.

Practical example on geolocated keyword search:

Hotel in maspalomas____intention C______volume 1.900________KD 25

Hotel resort in maspalomas_____intention C_____volume 390______KD 19

Hotels in Tenerife south____intention T_____volume 6,600______KD 22

Where:

Intent "commercial", "volume" is monthly searches, "KD" is keyword difficulty of positioning depending on the number of competitors.

Why is SEO for hotels important?

Attracting natural or organic traffic is much more profitable for the hotel sector. The conversion or CTR of Google Ads in the hotel sector does not exceed 2% and is therefore not very profitable. The CPC (Cost Per Click) for some example keywords are as follows:

• luke's hotels in Tenerife (Geo located)___0,37€0.37
• Luxury hotels____0,30€.
• 5-star hotels____0,26€.
• Hotels in Maspalomas (Geo localized)____0,40€,40

Practical example of paid advertising campaigns:

Let's assume that for the keywords above we want to run a 1 month campaign to achieve the following results 100 leads from paid search concentrated on the following 3 keywords:

• luke's hotels in Tenerife (Geo located)___0,37€0.37
• Luxury hotels____0,30€.
• 5-star hotels____0,26€.

Results for 100 leads with the selected keywords:

• Clicks needed: 1,000 clicks

Estimated investment per keyword:

1. Luxury hotels in Tenerife (Geo located): 370,00 €
2. Luxury hotels: 300,00 €
3. 5-star hotels: 260,00 €

The total investment will vary depending on how many keywords you use in the campaign. Total cost if you use all three keywords: Add up the individual values (€930.00). From here the hotel should apply their own lead to customer conversion metrics to estimate how many customers convert per 100 and could project profitability. As we can see, hotel ad campaigns can be profitable, especially in the luxury sector, as the average ticket is high and they are margin businesses. This leads us to consider that paid campaigns should support SEO campaigns. 

The SEO positioning grows over time along with the business, unlike paid ads, which stop as soon as the campaign is paused, you disappear from the search results.

This makes the SEO campaigns is a very cost-effective way to generate more revenue for your hotel or resort and gain market share over your competitors. This is because we are targeting users with identified intent at multiple stages of the conversion funnel.

On the other hand, being first on Google for multiple searches boosts brand awareness and perception, thus improving conversion. In the hotel sector, conversion for those number 1 Google searches, is above the 40%.

4 Main benefits of SEO for your hotel

1. Increased visibility: More than 70% of users do not get past the first page of Google results.
2. Qualified organic traffic: With a solid SEO strategy, you will attract users interested in booking accommodation.
3. Savings in marketing costs: Unlike paid advertisements, SEO generates sustainable results in the long term.
4. Competitiveness: With the rise of OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) such as Booking and Expedia, it is crucial that your website is visible to attract direct bookings and increase your margin by cutting out the middlemen.

2. On-page optimisation for hotel websites

The on-page optimisation is one of the fundamental pillars for your hotel website to be visible in search engines and attract potential customers. This process involves adjusting and improving key elements on every page of your site to ensure that they are aligned with the SEO best practices.

From attractive title tags to the use of structured data, SEO optimisation improves your Google rankings and provides a smoother, more engaging experience for your visitors. Below, we explore the essential elements you need to optimise to maximise the impact of your SEO. SEO strategy.

Key elements to optimise on your website:

1. Title tags and meta descriptions:
   Be sure to include relevant keywords such as "hotels in madrid" and make them attractive to increase the CTR (Click-Through Rate).
2. Headings (H1, H2, H3):
   Organise your content with clear, keyword-optimised headings. Example:
   • H1: "Hotel in Tenerife: Book your perfect holiday".
   • H2: "Enjoy the best luxury hotel with SPA in Tenerife".
3. Optimised content:
   Create unique descriptions for each page of your website, avoiding duplicate content.
   • Home page: Highlight the strengths of your hotel.
   • Room pages: Details amenities, prices and attractive photos.
   • Blog: Publish useful articles, such as "The best luxury shops in Tenerife South".
4. Images:
   • Optimise images with descriptive names in the ALT text of the file (e.g. "habitacion-lujo-hotel-tenerife.jpg"). Remember that images rank in "Google images", especially in the hotel sector, images and videos drive traffic to the website.
   • Use ALT tags that include relevant keywords.

Structured data (Schema Markup):
Implement structured data for hotels, this allows Google to display key information such as prices, availability and reviews directly in the search results.

3. Technical SEO for hotels

A fast and functional website is essential to keep users engaged. Here are the key areas to optimise:

1. Loading speed:
   • Use tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights to identify problems.
   • Implement image compression and use a caching plugin (e.g. WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache in the case of WordPress CMSs).
2. Responsive design:
   More than 60% of bookings are made from mobile devices, so your site must be fully responsive.
3. HTTPS:
   Make sure your site is secured with an SSL certificate.

Broken links and redirects:
Perform regular audits to identify 404 errors and correctly redirect old pages. Technical errors lead to keyword ranking losses.

4. Is local SEO important for hotels?

Local SEO is essential for any hotel, as searches for accommodation are often geolocated. Many people from their home countries search on maps to review photos of the hotel, reviews with photos from customers, ratings given to the hotel by those customers, responses from the hotel to customers in order to make a purchase decision.

Therefore, it is essential to be well positioned with our map tab. That is, to place the best keywords in the first 3 tabs of the map results. Beyond the third tab, the results are only visible if the customer clicks on "more results" which almost nobody does. Being in the top 3 is synonymous with quality and these are the results that get 100% of the clicks.

Google Business Profile (Google map sheet):

• Claim and verify your file.
• Complete all information, including name, address, telephone (NAP), opening hours, photos and categories.
• Post frequent updates, such as special offers and events.
• Encourage customers to leave reviews
• Answer all reviews including negative ones
• Create geo-located landing pages
• Generate citation maps
• Register in local directories

5. Content strategies for hotels

Content is the engine that drives visibility and connection with your potential customers. For a hotel, a well-designed content strategy is a priority to attract organic traffic, and thus position your hotel as a reference in the destination.

From local guides that inspire travellers to answering frequently asked questions that make their decision easier. Content should be useful, relevant and aligned with their needs. Below, we explore key ideas for creating engaging content that will improve your seo web positioning and turn your visitors into guests.

• Local guides: Publishes articles on tourist attractions nearby, key places to go or things to do in your catchment area.
• Local events: Create content about upcoming events in your city and how your hotel is a great place to stay.
• FAQs: It answers common questions such as "How to get to the hotel from the airport" or "What's included in the breakfast".

Tip: Use a blog to rank for long-tail keywords and attract organic traffic.

6. Link building for hotels

The link building is an essential strategy in SEO which consists of obtaining inbound links to your website from other relevant and quality sites. For hotels, these links are fundamental to increase the domain authorityThey also reinforce the trust of search engines and increase organic traffic.

Leveraging local partnerships, getting listed in relevant directories and attracting media attention are key tactics for building a strong link network. Below, we explore effective link building strategies that will help you stand out in a competitive market.

Effective link building strategies:

• Local collaborations: Establish agreements with local businesses to exchange links.
• Press and media: Send them press releases about special events at your hotel.

Quality directories: Appear in sites such as Yellow Pages or high authority tourist directories.

7. Performance measurement and adjustments

SEO is a continuous process of optimisation. To ensure success, it is crucial to regularly measure the results of your efforts and make adjustments based on concrete data.

Analysing metrics such as organic traffic, ranked keywords and conversion rates allows you to identify what is working and what needs to be improved. With tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console y SemrushYou can monitor your progress and adjust your strategy to maximise the impact of your SEO. Here's how to do this effectively.

• Google Analytics: To analyse traffic and user behaviour.
• Google Search Console: To monitor keywords, ctr, average position, impressions and technical errors.
• SEMrush: To track your position in the SERPs and analyse possible technical problems.

Key SEO metrics to track for hotels:

• Organic traffic.
• Positioned keywords.
• Conversion rates.
• Direct bookings.
• Information forms

Design your SEO strategy for hotels in 2025

The SEO for hotels is a strategic investment that can make a difference to the number of guests you receive and the quality of your online presence.

With a well-planned and executed strategy, you can position yourself against the competition, attract more direct bookings and reduce your dependence on OTAs and travel agencies.

Start today

👉 Do you want to optimise your hotel for SEO? At Marketzilla SEO AgencyWe help you design a customised strategy that increases your visibility and bookings, contact us now for a free audit!