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!