When done correctly, social media can be a powerful tool to boost your hotel’s SEO power.
NB: This is an article from Travel Media Group
With better SEO, your hotel’s website will rank higher on Google, and you’ll be able to drive more traffic and direct bookings. However, if you’re not posting the right things in the right way, you won’t be maximizing the potential of your social media.
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Ways in which you can boost SEO with social media include backlinks and linkless mentions. We’ll go into more detail on both, but they are essentially how Google tracks your hotel’s online presence and makes decisions about your reputability and ranking.
Social Media’s Impact on SEO
When you choose to add social media to your hotel’s SEO strategy, you create an organic connection with potential guests. That connection increases the chances of a customer converting in the long run. But how does this affect your SEO? Good question. Here’s how:
- When users share your content on social media, Google considers your content more relevant because not only are people interested, but they want to share it.
- An increase in your followers shows Google and other search engines that internet users consider your content worth receiving.
- Traffic generated to your website from social networks can also increase your ranking on search results. If people find your website on social media and visit it, they’ll want to find it on Google, too.
What Are Backlinks?
Backlinks are simply when another reputable website links to your website. If a website has a lot of traffic or has been around a long time, it is well-trusted; a link from a well-trusted website to you indicates that they are endorsing you, and you are also trustworthy.
Backlinks can come from many places, including when someone writes a blog and links your website, but we’re going to talk specifically about how backlinks tie into social media.
Some ways that you receive backlinks from social media include:
- Linking to your website from your social media profiles: For example, you can put your website link in your bio section on Instagram.
- Linking to your website in social media posts: If you post about one of your rooms, include a link to the page on your website with more details about that room.
- When a social media user shares your hotel website in a post or comment: Travelers are constantly sharing their adventures and may post pics of your hotel during or after their stay.
- When a social media user shares a post you created with a link to your website: A guest may retweet your post to share with friends and family. This is a great way to get seen by people who aren’t even following you.
What Are Linkless Mentions?
It used to be that a link was the only way for Google to recognize that text on a website was referring to another website. However, Google now can recognize “implied links,” also known as linkless mentions.
This means when someone talks about your brand online by typing your business name, Google recognizes it’s you and attributes it to your website. All mentions of your business online, not just links, build credibility for your website.
You can increase the number of linkless mentions by:
- Building brand awareness with consistent social media posting: Frequently posting content shows that you are active and provides more material for travelers to interact with.
- Asking for more online reviews and responding to both negative and positive feedback online: Getting more reviews for your hotel means more times your hotel’s name is mentioned online. Respond to these reviews to show you care in addition to boosting your online presence.
- Encouraging guests to share photos and comments about their stay on social media: When guests share photos or write comments about your property, they’re further adding to your online profile. Google will see that your property was mentioned and consider it for ranking purposes.
- Engaging with social user-generated content, like Instagram and Facebook posts: Engagement helps boost content and spread your hotel’s online presence. The more you interact with your guests online, the more likely you will be discovered by new travelers.
Manage Your Social Media
It seems like hoteliers are busier than ever these days between the labor shortage in the hospitality industry and the return of post-COVID travel. We know how difficult it can be to keep up with your hotel’s social media presence while ensuring a perfect experience for all your guests.
