This document is a summary of a webinar about search engine optimization. It provides contact information for technical support and introduces the speakers: Darlene Rondeau from Leonardo, Alicia Whalen from Hashtagio.com, and Percy Amaria from Scott's Inn and Restaurant. The webinar covered topics like how search engines work, the importance of mobile optimization and local SEO, managing social media and reviews. Percy Amaria discusses the challenges their inn faced and how implementing SEO strategies helped increase direct bookings and walk-in traffic. The webinar encouraged attendees to focus on content, accessibility, and relevance to improve search engine rankings.

1. Copyright © 2016 Leonardo Worldwide Corporation
Technical Difficulties?
Contact
Citrix GoToWebinar
1-800-263-6317
support@citrixonline.com
How to Rank on Page #1
in Google Search Results
February 23rd, 2016
Darlene Rondeau, VP, Best Practices, Online Merchandising, Leonardo
Alicia Whalen, SEO Expert, Digital Marketing Strategist, Co-Founder, Hashtagio.com
Percy Amaria, Director of Operations, Scott’s Inn and Restaurant
Technical Difficulties?
Contact
Citrix GoToWebinar
1-800-263-6317
support@citrixonline.com

2. Darlene Rondeau
Vice-President,
Best Practices, Online Merchandising
Leonardo
@darlenerondeau

3. Follow:
@VFMLeonardo
Tweets & Questions:
#LeoWebinar

4. Alicia Whalen
SEO Expert, Digital Marketing
Strategist, Co-Founder
Hashtagio.com
@Alicia_Whalen_

5. Percy Amaria
Director of Operations
Scott’s Inn and Restaurant
Scott’s Inn and Restaurant

6. What is most challenging about SEO for you?

7.  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

8. 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
#LeoWebinar

9. Alicia Whalen
SEO Expert, Digital Marketing
Strategist, Co-Founder
Hashtagio.com
@Alicia_Whalen_

10.  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
#LeoWebinar

11. Mobile Search
43% 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
#LeoWebinar
Source – Google Think Travel, 2015

12.  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
#LeoWebinar
Source – Google Think Travel, 2015

13.  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
#LeoWebinar

14. 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

15. 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
#LeoWebinar

16. Tips to Increasing Your Social Shares
Source – Quicksprout.com
#LeoWebinar

17.  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
#LeoWebinar

18. Percy Amaria
Director of Operations
Scott’s Inn and Restaurant
Scott’s Inn and Restaurant

19.  Inn and restaurant in Kamloops, BC, Canada
 52-room family-run property for over 30 years
Scott’s Inn and Restaurant
#LeoWebinar

20.  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
#LeoWebinar

21.  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
#LeoWebinar

22.  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
#LeoWebinar

23.  Google
places/local
listings and
Google Reviews
impact search
ranking
Local SEO
#LeoWebinar

24.  Manage reviews in
TripAdvisor and in Google
reviews
Local SEO
#LeoWebinar

25.  We learned we needed a website that:
o Was easy to update
o Had a mobile version
o Simple to manage so that we could focus on customer service
 Now that our website can be found in search and is engaging to
consumers
o We have decreased our reliance on expensive OTA’s
o 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 community
o Showcase our reputation as a “Local Favorite”
Progress and Learnings Along the Way
#LeoWebinar

26.  Start with a website:
o That is easy to build and update
o Has the required support to ensure you can concentrate on what you do best
 Concentrate on:
o SEO best practices
o Claim and update your Google Local places page
o 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 patient
o Implementing a best practice website with a strong focus on SEO will work
o We have seen in a 2% increase in RevPar year over year since launching our new website
 Don’t forget to stay social
o Manage your reviews and share your stories
o Update your images
o ….And most importantly focus on the customer, that is the key to success in a connected world
SEO Advice for Other Hoteliers
#LeoWebinar

27. Based on today’s content,
will you attend future webinars?

29.  About Leonardo
 Invitations to
upcoming webinars
 Recording of this
webinar. Share it
with your colleagues
It’s a Wrap
#LeoWebinar

30. Connect With Us!
#LeoWebinar
leonardo.com
1.877.593.6634
@VFMLeonardo
blog.leonardo.com
hashtagio.com
alicia.whalen@gmail.com
@Alicia_Whalen_
scottsinnkamloops.ca
Scott’s Inn and Restaurant
Alicia Whalen Percy Amaria

31. Questions & Discussion
#LeoWebinar