Lately, we’ve been curious about how seriously the US hotel industry takes Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and their direct channel websites. It seemed to us that SEO was being overlooked, and direct hotel websites weren’t getting the attention they deserved. This raised a question that we couldn’t ignore: do hotels prioritize SEO?
To find the answer, we embarked on a mission. We decided to survey 3341 properties across 32 major US destinations and dive deep into the world of SEO. Our team meticulously benchmarked each website on over 100 distinct SEO data points. The early months of 2023 were spent analyzing the results, and what we discovered was quite eye-opening.
Our comprehensive survey and subsequent analysis revealed that the average SEO performance score for these websites was only 58.3% – the equivalent of a High School ‘Grade F’. This statistic not only highlights the urgent need for improvement but also confirms our initial assumptions.
While putting together this white paper, one of our Founders, Ben Hanley, pointed out “Hotel revenue and booking managers might be unknowingly missing out on a big chunk of their direct market share because of some avoidable SEO mistakes”.
The white paper delves into these common SEO errors and provides practical recommendations that any hotel website can implement. With the right technical assistance, you can make immediate improvements to your website’s visibility and performance.
Echoing this sentiment, Tristan Heaword, another Founder of three&six, suggested “In a world where most independent hotel websites are underperforming, even small improvements can make a huge difference”. He believes that there has never been a better opportunity for hoteliers to grab a bigger share of the market.
Not only can you download your copy of our white paper below, but you can also benchmark your own property against the overall results. We’re offering you a FREE 100-point SEO audit for your hotel website. Just click the link below, enter your URL, and you’ll receive a personalized report with tailored recommendations straight to your inbox.
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