SEO Overview & Keyword Analysis

Presented to

by Ron Callari

Using SEO to put heads in beds

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization is the process of enhancing a website on site and off site to improve the volume of traffic that is produced by search engines.

Why is SEO important?• The majority of web traffic

today is driven by the major commercial search engines – Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.

• A website visitor is your most qualified customers, because they are ready to buy!

• If your hotel does not appear high on the rankings, you are allowing your competition to book your customer!

• No other marketing initiative can produce an ROI as significant as SEO!

Why is SEO important for the Travel Industry?

• Surveys show that up to 84% of travel research and planning in the U.S. is conducted via the Web (eMarketer/TIA).

• In 2009, over 40% of all revenues in hospitality will be generated by the Internet, and another third of hotel bookings will be influenced by the Internet but done offline

Why is Local Internet Marketing so important for franchised hotels?

• Local events that generate overnight stays: county fairs, festivals, sports events, concerts and performances

• Local group and social event planning • Local search – over a third of all search via the major search

engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN is local in character • Online yellow pages and directories • Links and sponsorships on directories and portals • Email marketing and sponsorship opportunities • Local feeder market and key customer segment initiatives

Local Internet Marketing Strategy • Property website optimizations (both the mini-site

on brand website and the independent property website if the hotel has one)

• Local search marketing • Local strategic linking • Email marketing to the hotel’s own op-in list • Key customer segment online initiatives • Feeder market online initiatives • Local online sponsorships • Local event-based and attraction-based online

revenue opportunities

Why optimize local website?

• Unfortunately for a number of franchised properties, many visits to the property website turn out to be the “last point of contact” with the customer. For this reason, enhancing and optimizing the hotel website should be the first step in developing the Local Internet Marketing Strategy for the franchised property.

FACT OR FICTION? More and more online travel shoppers use hotel websites than

online travel agencies (OTAs).

While this belief is widespread in the travel industry, it is simply untrue, according to PhoCusWright, the travel industry research firm. In terms of popularity, online travel agencies are making a comeback!

(source: The PhoCusWright Consumer Travel Trends Survey Tenth Edition or "CTTS10").

GOOGLE – dominant player

Percentage of U.S. Searches Among Leading Search Engine Providers

Rank Domain Aug-08 J ul-08 Aug-07

1. www.google.com 71.01% 70.77% 64.03%

2. search.yahoo.com 18.26% 18.65% 22.89%

3. search.msn.com 5.32%* 5.36%* 7.98%*

4. www.ask.com 3.45% 3.53% 3.50%

Source: Hitwise United States - hitwise.com

User Generated Content• User Generated Content is the most critical element

of Web 2.0 strategies and the single largest influencer for consumers looking to book hotel rooms.

• The first generation of internet applications offered rate transparency across different hotels and the next generation of applications are going to separate good products from the not-so-good ones.

• The most popular channels include: Trip Advisor, WikiTravel, Yahoo Answers, Askville by Amazon, etc. Hoteliers can create utilities on their own websites that allow consumers to post comments.

Search has changed the Rules of Engagement

within the Hotel Industry

• Your competition is no longer your Star Report’s comp set!

• Today’s comp set is every hotel ranked higher than your hotel on the 1st page above the fold for a specific keyword search in a specific locale!

• And it doesn’t matter if you are a limited service hotel and they are 4 star property, website visitors rarely search past the 1st page!

PATIENCE• Misconception that SERPs will appear automatically after keywords have been created

(“if you build it, they will come!”)• Depending on how competitive your market and search phrases are, it can take weeks,

months or even a year to rank well on Google.PERSISTENCE• Search engine optimization is a marathon, not a sprint. It's not a single act, but a long

series of interrelated actions. • However, differing from PAID Search, once you rank ORGANICALLY you retain your

position over the long haul. With Paid Search you only appear as long as you have a budget.

PROGRESS• The web is in a constant state of evolution, so the way we practice search engine

optimization must evolve as well. Yesterday’s answers are not tomorrow’s solutions.• To progress over time, you have to keep learning over time. Continue learning, and you'll

commit yourself to success.

SEO Options for Hotel Management Companies• Address internally• Advertising/PR Agencies• Booking Engine Companies• Hire SEO Generalists• Hire SEO Specialists in the Travel Industry

What makes up SEO?

BLOGs expedite optimization• Higher Ranking – Posting a Blog pings the search engines

every time new content is posted. This results in frequent search engine spider visits and much higher optimization and ranking.

• Networking in the community - Blogs help in securing quality links from other relevant Blogs by track backs, comments, etc. Blogs help gain link popularity and drive relevant traffic.

• Blogs help in establishing credibility and trust – Blogs establish a credible platform for online customer interaction. By creating a blog for your hotel, you will be able to attract visitors looking for things to do in your destination. Milestone recommends developing blogs that are “destination centric” - meaning that they are pages discussing dining, local attractions, transportation, local events, etc. List your hotel as the featured property situated within the destination.