There  is massive amount of misinformation out there about Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Understandably, many hoteliers have misconceptions about what exactly what SEO entails.  We routinely encounter that with our own customers and prospects.

Recently, Mark Buckingham published a list of 10 SEO Myths.  Well, Here are 5 SEO Myths that we hear regularly.  May this help improve your understanding.

1. High Google Page Rank = High Rankings
Google PageRank (PR) does not equal your ranking. The idea that a high PR means you’re going to rank across the board for everything is simply not true. PR is just one of hundreds of factors that influence search engine rankings.

“For certain keywords a lower PR page might outrank a higher PR page, but the rankings don’t specifically go in exact PR order”, says Matt McGee, Search Engine Land’s executive news editor. Having a high PageRank is nice but it doesn’t automatically mean high rankings, and it certainly doesn’t automatically mean you’re traffic or bookings.

2. Meta Tag Keywords Matter
A perennial favorite misconception is the keywords meta tag. Google’s head of Webspam and all-round search sage, Matt Cutts, sums it up simply when he says: “Google doesn’t use the keywords meta tag in our scoring at all.”  Meta tag descriptions, and certainly titles, matter, but the keyword tag is completely useless across the board.

3. Spending Money on Google AdWords Boosts your Ranking
The assumption that spending money on AdWords will somehow engender you to Google and thus advantage your organic search listings is an understandable, but untrue, idea. Google has said so many times over the years, but the myth never seems to go away.  Don’t just take Google’s word for it, there has never been any evidence, ever, that Pay-Per-Click advertising improved a site’s rankings.

4. Keywords…Cram Them In
The notion that keywords must appear on a page a certain percentage of time to outrank the competition is a fallacy. Says Matt McGee: “I’ve always said you do have to use the keywords, you need to have pages that talk about the products and services you sell. There’s no perfect number; it’s not that if you mention the keyword seven times on this page I’m automatically going to rank well. It doesn’t work that way; there are so many other factors. The notion that there’s a perfect percentage for keywords simply isn’t true. ”

Your copy should be persuasive, informative and have a clear call to action.  Be verbose and create opportunities to talk about your property and local market, but never be repetitive.

5. High Rankings Guaranteed
Anyone who is offering a guarantee in this business is more interested in your money than your results.  I am well know for saying, “If you hear Guaranteed and Google in the same sentence walk away.”  There are hundreds of factors that influence rankings and the environment is constantly changing.  No company or individual could control all of these to the point where they can honestly offer a guarantee.  If you hear that word, beware.

If you still don’t believe me, check out Mark’s full article at: www.netmagazine.com/features/top-10-seo-myths.  You’ll see that I’m not making this stuff up!

Is your SEO "White Hat"?

Google recently has publicly admonished and penalized high profile companies for manipulation of search engine results.  In the wake of these cases it is important to step back and examine your own search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.  There are a number of manipulative techniques often referred to as “Black Hat” or “search engine spam“.  In a recent article, Chris Birk gives some important tips for keeping the high ground.

1. Hold your SEO specialists accountable
They should be able to detail their activity and results.  Also beware of “guarantees”, this is not a field where that is possible.

2. Hold the line on links
Links are the currency of search marketing, but too many links too quickly raise red flags.  Stick to legitimate methods for link building and you will be fine.

3. Watch your anchor text
Don’t focus too much on the anchor text of your links.  A variety of anchor text is a signal that the links were developed naturally.  An abundance of exact match anchor text in your links may be a signal that your links are web spam.

4. Breadcrumb trail
Launching a slew of websites and dropping links back to your main hub is a recipe for disaster.  Don’t do it, plain and simple.

5. Bloated Title Tags
The title tag is not your wish list.  Long title tags jammed with lots of keywords will do more harm than good.  Focus on the most relevant keywords and keep your title tags less than 65 characters for the best results.

6. Comment Spam
Avoid saturating blogs and comments fields with links back to your site.  This is a surefire way to stir up trouble.

Instead of these, stick to Hotel SEO tactics that add value to the visitor especially updated and relevant content.  These “White Hat” techniques will get you results AND keep you out of trouble.

Read the full article at:
https://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/article/6-sem-strategies-guaranteed-to-go-wrong-chris-birk

Hotels are generous. In the course of business you support a variety of charitable causes. You donate room nights, donate food, and sometimes make direct financial contributions. This is good business and helps reinforce ties with the community. But you are missing an opportunity.

In today’s digital age each of these charitable organizations have a website. They have the ability to list your property on their website with a link to your website. These “mentions” have significant value in the world of search engine optimization. I mean HUGE!

Here is an easy way to take advantage of this opportunity:

1. Write a form letter

Have a basic form letter written up. It should simply say:

We are happy to support your organization. Thank you for the contribution you make to the community. We do ask that you list our hotel in an appropriate way on your website. This listing should include:

Your Hotel Name
Your Address
Your Phone Number
Your Website

Thank you for your attention to this matter. When the listing is posted please email you@yourhotel.com with a link to the relevant page.

Regards,

2. Give this letter to EVERY organization you support

It does not matter whether it is a big donation or something very small.  It does not matter whether you are dealing with a small organization or the largest non-profit in your area.  You must get in the habit of asking for a link.  It must become part of your regular course of doing business.

3. Follow Up (Optional)

Keep a folder with a copy of each letter that you send.  When you receive a confirmation email, mark the letter accordingly to keep track.  Once a month send out emails reminding people to follow through and place the link on their website.

Honestly, if you don’t have the resources to follow up you will still see benefit from the link building program.  Most important is to have the letter written and develop the habit of asking for the link.  Regardless of follow up, if you get in the habit of asking for links you will make more progress in a year than you ever have before.

Start asking today!

The power of reviews for improving search engine ranking and influencing customer decisions is undeniable.  Noted local search expert, Mike Blumenthal, recently wrote about how he observed reviews from a hotel’s website showing up in their Google Places listing.

There are valid complaints about how this contradicts Google’s public recommendations, but none of that is important for a Hotelier.  A hotel just needs to know:

1. Posting reviews on your website can positively influence visitors generating more revenue.
2. Reviews on your website can also be indexed by Google and displayed on your Google Places page.  This can positively influence your local search ranking.

There is no downside to posting reviews on your website.  Do NOT include Google’s Rich Snippets in the code of your hotel website and you keep the high ground.  Google can never accuse you of manipulation and you get both of the benefits outlined above.

Adding reviews to your site is an easy change with valuable benefits.  Contact your webmaster today.

Read Mike’s full article at:
http://blumenthals.com/blog/2011/02/07/google-places-testimonials-as-reviews-now-viewed-as-spam