The most cost-effective way to drive traffic to your hotel website is organically, so it’s no surprise that hotel marketers want to learn more on how to do this effectively. Driving overall traffic to your website is important, but driving quality traffic should also be a priority. By “quality traffic,” we mean visitors who are likely to book a hotel in your area in the near future.
But how do you find these people? Or, more accurately, how do they find you? By tweaking your SEO strategy to focus more on long tail keywords, you’ll be able to drive more quality website traffic that is more likely to convert.
What are Long Tail Keywords?
Long tail keywords are search terms that consist of 3 or more words. They are more specific than commonly searched keywords like “hotels,” which are known as ‘head terms.’ Many hotels will try in vain to rank for head terms because they are searched more frequently. However, this also means they are more competitive. Long tail keywords, on the other hand, are less competitive and likely to drive more qualified traffic.
Here’s why: Head keywords tend to be informational in nature. Someone searching for “Miami Hotels” is likely in the research stage of the travel shopping journey. They are simply looking for what hotel options are available. Since these searches are largely research based, the visitors you receive from them aren’t likely to book, at least not right away.
Long tail keywords, on the other hand, are more targeted and transaction-based in nature. A long tail search for something like “kid-friendly Miami hotel near the zoo” indicates that the travel shopper has already identified their main hotel shopping criteria. They know the location and type of hotel they want to stay in, and are likely ready to book. A study by SEO & SaaS company, Conductor, found that long tail keywords convert 2.5 times better than head terms.
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