2013 Top Hotel Internet Marketing Strategies

This year saw major changes in the search arena with algorithms being constantly tweaked to provide the best results for consumers and to reduce the impact of spam. It is because of these changes that Milestone felt compelled to put together the followin

Nature abhors a vacuum. The same holds true for search engines. This year saw major changes in the search arena with algorithms being constantly tweaked to provide the best results for consumers and to reduce the impact of spam. It is because of these changes that Milestone felt compelled to put together the following eight recommendations for hotels as they develop their online marketing plans for 2013.

1. Changes in Search Algorithms

  • Search engines introduced several key changes in 2012 to the search algorithms through Panda and Penguin updates. Most of the changes were focused on getting higher quality, original content to rank high, as well as to focus on the freshness and engagement of the web content.
  • In April 2012, Google launched Knowledge Graph, which was a major update to their search algorithm. Knowledge Graph puts the emphasis on semantic search and provides additional contextual information for the searched keyword using information from Wikipedia, Freebase, and websites.
  • Search engines also launched the use of schemas for tagging website content making it easier for search engines to index the website more efficiently.

For 2013, we recommend upgrading your websites to include schemas, adding different engagement features, and focusing on high quality original content that can constantly be refreshed. Engagement and freshness can be driven by including polls, contests, events calendar, blogs, and user generated content such as reviews on the website. Milestone recently launched the latest version of our Content Management System Platform Galexi CMS 5.0, which enables hoteliers to include several of these elements with relative ease.

2. Mobile

With 97.3 million mobile users per month logging in on the Internet, and experts predicting that almost half of the U.S. population will be using mobile Internet by 2015, it is critical for hotels to have an optimized mobile site plus have a presence in key channels that consumers are accessing through mobile. These include hyper-local channels, such as Yelp, and social media channels.

To read the full article, visit Milestone Insights.

About Milestone Inc

Milestone drives online discovery and customer acquisition for over 2,000 companies through an AI-native digital presence platform. Milestone's platform integrates a GEO-first CMS, AI Agents Platform, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Personalization Engine, AI Content Studio, Local Listings, Schema Manager, Analytics, and Performance Marketing services. Businesses across hospitality chains, management companies, and independent brands trust Milestone to enhance visibility and deliver engaging customer experiences.
Clients include leading brands such as Marriott, Choice Hotels, IHG, Velas Resorts, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, SeaWorld, and Sun Outdoors. Milestone powers over 300 million annual website visits, 540 million schema-powered content clicks, and 3.7 billion local searches. Recognized by Forrester, G2, the Adrian Awards, and the US Search Awards, Milestone is consistently ranked among the top MarTech platforms. Learn more at www.milestoneinternet.com.

View story source
Visioning 2013 USA & Canada United States California Santa Clara

Milestone helps businesses create, organize, and amplify their digital information by enhancing their digital presence to make information more accurate, consistent, and visible. We do this with a digital presence platform and add to it as much or as little service as you need to help you be everywhere your customers are. We work with major brands and mid-size businesses across industries to drive traffic, engagement, and revenue through...