how to rank #1 in google search results
TRANSCRIPT
Copyright © 2016 Leonardo Worldwide Corporation
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How to Rank on Page #1 in Google Search Results
February 23rd, 2016
Darlene Rondeau, VP, Best Practices, Online Merchandising, LeonardoAlicia Whalen, SEO Expert, Digital Marketing Strategist, Co-Founder, Hashtagio.comPercy Amaria, Director of Operations, Scott’s Inn and Restaurant
Technical Difficulties?Contact
Citrix GoToWebinar1-800-263-6317
Darlene RondeauVice-President, Best Practices, Online MerchandisingLeonardo
@darlenerondeau
Follow:
@VFMLeonardo
Tweets & Questions:
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Alicia WhalenSEO Expert, Digital Marketing Strategist, Co-FounderHashtagio.com
@Alicia_Whalen_
Percy AmariaDirector of OperationsScott’s Inn and Restaurant
Scott’s Inn and Restaurant
What is most challenging about SEO for you?
Key is how well your content aligns with a user’s query
Google changes its search algorithm around 500–600 times per year
93% of online experiences begin with a search engine
If there’s no content, there’s nothing to index and therefore no opportunity to be seen on search engine results pages, let alone the first page
You know your hotel, what attracts guests to stay with them, you can write that story better than anyone else
Search Engine Optimization Isn't Hocus Pocus,
Source – Google Think Travel, 2015#LeoWebinar
1. Accessibility: How easy is it to find your website and index it? 2. Relevance and Usability: How well does the page/content align
with the consumers' query?
What Search Engines Rely Upon
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Alicia WhalenSEO Expert, Digital Marketing Strategist, Co-FounderHashtagio.com
@Alicia_Whalen_
Hoteliers should focus on content on their websites that is optimized for in-destination mobile searches
Google Places optimization and Google Reviews will impact your Search Engine Rankings – critical for Mobile Optimization
Having a website that is Mobile optimized will impact search results (factors including usability, download time will impact SEO)
“Social Signals” have become more important in determining your property search ranking
What’s Changed for Search Engines and Consumer Search Behaviour
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Mobile Search43% of Travel Buyers are accessing Search in the middle of the buying cycle: Local search and mobile visibility
is more important than ever before
New Rules of Search Engine Optimization
#LeoWebinarSource – Google Think Travel, 2015
Optimize your website pages for your restaurant, spa, onsite retail Build the customer relationship while they are in-destination, and
continue the conversation to encourage a positive post visit review or post to social media
Mobile queries per user originating from a Hotel (in destination) have grown by 49% since 2014
New Rules of Search Engine Optimization
#LeoWebinarSource – Google Think Travel, 2015
It’s more important than ever for properties to have a Hotel Google Business listing
Positive Google reviews will also have an impact on your local search results
Google My Business Listings a Must
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What is a Social Signal? Likes on a Facebook page – This tells both the social network as well
as Google that your brand is gaining popularity Shares, Likes, & Comments on content published on Facebook Page
– It’s not enough to just have a page, you must publish engaging content for your followers with links back to relevant pages on the website
Social Media and its impact on SEO
#LeoWebinar
What is a Social Signal? Authority Of The Person Tweeting Your URL – Tweets and mentions
must come from active Twitter handles, they hold no authority as a share if they don’t
Likes, shares, retweets, +1’s, repins, on any page or post you make on a social network can all be a “social signal” to show search engines that your content is relevant and engaging
Social Media and its impact on SEO
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Tips to Increasing Your Social Shares
Source – Quicksprout.com#LeoWebinar
Make sure you verify your website in the Google and Bing Search Console to see what keywords are driving Organic search traffic, how you index for keywords.
Measuring Success and Indexing in Search Beyond Your Hotel Name
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Percy AmariaDirector of OperationsScott’s Inn and Restaurant
Scott’s Inn and Restaurant
Inn and restaurant in Kamloops, BC, Canada 52-room family-run property for over 30 years
Scott’s Inn and Restaurant
#LeoWebinar
Goal was to take control of digital marketing and online distribution
Specifically, we wanted to increase direct bookings and walk in traffic
Local web developer and designer was expensive and time consuming
Too much time making changes and to slow to update – taking me away from operations and service
Vizlly offered us a full website marketing platform that is easy to use, is SEO friendly and gives me the tools to get things done
Top Marketing Challenges
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Photos and reviews are the key to telling the hotel story Positive reviews in TripAdvisor and Google Reviews, as
well as in social media have a positive affect on our direct bookings and revenue
Photos are important, and content that speaks to the customer no matter what device they are using to find us
A mobile website allows us to target our information to a guest that is looking for property photos, a phone number or directions quickly
Visual and Local Storytelling Impacts Search Results
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Our strategy is about consistency: Create a compelling story on the website, be found in the search engines for key drivers of business, and tell stories in social media
Having a website designed with SEO best practices in mind helped us achieve results quickly. Plug and play solution was key
Optimizing our Google Business listing, and having a Mobile optimized version of the website helped us to appear in local searches, and has resulted in more walk in traffic
Leverage Facebook to promote the property – well known by locals for the restaurant
SoMo and SEO
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Google places/local listings and Google Reviews impact search ranking
Local SEO
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Manage reviews in TripAdvisor and in Google reviews
Local SEO
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We learned we needed a website that:o Was easy to updateo Had a mobile versiono Simple to manage so that we could focus on customer service
Now that our website can be found in search and is engaging to consumerso We have decreased our reliance on expensive OTA’so Allowed us to compete against larger branded properties in the area
We can now leverage our social media channels and website to highlight involvement in the local communityo Showcase our reputation as a “Local Favorite”
Progress and Learnings Along the Way
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Start with a website:o That is easy to build and updateo Has the required support to ensure you can concentrate on what you do best
Concentrate on:o SEO best practiceso Claim and update your Google Local places pageo Manage the Google reviews
Our positive reviews impact both ADR and our search ranking. We have seen a 50% increase in direct and walk in business since we launched the new website
“I used to get nervous about occupancy, but now I can focus on operations and service knowing that we are positioned well in the online marketplace”
Be patiento Implementing a best practice website with a strong focus on SEO will worko We have seen in a 2% increase in RevPar year over year since launching our new website
Don’t forget to stay socialo Manage your reviews and share your storieso Update your imageso ….And most importantly focus on the customer, that is the key to success in a connected world
SEO Advice for Other Hoteliers
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Connect With Us!
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leonardo.com1.877.593.6634@VFMLeonardo blog.leonardo.com
[email protected]@Alicia_Whalen_
scottsinnkamloops.caScott’s Inn and Restaurant
Alicia Whalen Percy Amaria
Questions & Discussion
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