In our recent webinar, Industry Director, Travel for Google, Jennifer Wesley joined us to discuss Google’s latest research into the modern traveler’s path to purchase, and share strategies for how to get in front of the right consumers at the right time, to drive qualified traffic that converts. We also covered 5 essential elements of a high-converting hotel website, to ensure you can capitalize on all the new traffic heading your way.

1. Technical Difficulties? Contact Citrix GoToWebinar 1-800-263-6317 support@citrixonline.com
Copyright © 2017 Leonardo Worldwide Corporation
Google & Leonardo
Provide Smart SEO
Strategies to Drive
Direct Bookings
June 20, 2017
Darlene Rondeau, VP, Best Practices, Online Merchandising, Leonardo
Jennifer Wesley, Industry Director, Travel, Google
Technical Difficulties? Contact Citrix GoToWebinar 1-800-263-6317 support@citrixonline.com
Copyright © 2017 Leonardo Worldwide Corporation

2. #LeoWebinar
Darlene Rondeau
VP, Best Practices, Online Merchandising
TWITTER: @darlenerondeau

3. Follow:
@VFMLeonardo
Tweets & Questions:
#LeoWebinar
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4. #LeoWebinar
Jennifer Wesley
Industry Director, Travel
get.google.com/trips/
linkedin.com/in/jennifer-wesley-7747a1

5. Organic Traffic is Valuable
#LeoWebinar *Skift, 2016

6. Two Things To Know
#LeoWebinar

7. #LeoWebinar
Jennifer Wesley
Industry Director, Travel
get.google.com/trips/
linkedin.com/in/jennifer-wesley-7747a1

40. Long-Tail Keywords
 Google’s job: Match the best content
to a user’s search query
 86.4% search terms in United States
are long-tail (3+ more words)
 e.g. “Kid-friendly Miami hotel near zoo”
 More specific in nature to drive more
qualified traffic
#LeoWebinar *Ahrefs, 2017

41. Long-Tail Keywords
 Convert 2.5x better than head
terms like “Miami Hotels” *
 Less competitive to rank for
 Move up higher in search
rankings: 11 positions (long
tail) vs. 5 positions (head
terms) **
#LeoWebinar
*Conductor; ** HitTail

42. Which Long-Tail Keywords Should You Target?
 What type of guests stay at your hotel?
 What are they looking for?
 Online tools like Google AdWords
Keyword Planner
#LeoWebinar

43. Write for Humans, Not Robots
 Web content that’s original,
relevant and useful
 Branded hotels: write your
own unique copy
 Capture your unique story
 Avoid keyword stuffing
 Include other page elements
that match targeted keywords
(e.g. images, video)
#LeoWebinar

44. Other SEO Factors
 Page speed
 Overall user-experience (UX)
 Logical navigation
 Prominent calls-to-action
#LeoWebinar

45. Mobile More Important Than EVER
 Google switching to a mobile-first
index at some point (perhaps 2018)
 Google will crawl your mobile website
first
 Will continue to crawl & collect from
desktop
 If you have a responsive website,
you’re golden
#LeoWebinar

46. Elements of a Great Mobile Website
#LeoWebinar *Google, 2017

47. 5 Elements of a
High Converting
Website

48. 1: Tell Your Unique Story
 Your website is your digital
storefront
 Distinguish what makes your
hotel better
 Use visual storytelling (words,
images, captions, videos) to
create an emotional connection
 Be authentic and genuine
#LeoWebinar

49. 2: Lead With Guest Rooms
 We analyzed more than 500
million pieces of media
 Guest Rooms are the #1
most viewed image
 Lead with guest rooms on
your homepage
 Include photos taken at
every angle
#LeoWebinar

50. 3: Provide Social Proof
 Social Proof = independent third-party
feedback about your hotel
 e.g. Guest reviews, awards, ratings
 53% travelers won’t book without first
reading reviews *
 76% pay more for hotel with better
reviews *
 Embed reviews on your website
#LeoWebinar
* ReviewPro

51. 4: Promote Special Offers
 Reward travel shoppers for booking
direct
 Doesn’t have to focus on price
 A special offer creates value in the
mind of a consumer
 Call special offers out everywhere on
your website
#LeoWebinar

52. 5: Be Mobile
In 2016, 1 in 5 reservations made on
mobile device.*
Your mobile website should include:
 Clear call-to-action on every page
 Booking engine integration
 Click-to-call functionality
 Google Maps integration
 Local area suggestions
#LeoWebinar Skift, 2016

53. Let’s Summarize
 Target long-tail keywords
 Understand your guests to identify
keyword opportunities
 Create original content that speaks
to humans
 Mobile optimized website
Website:
1. Tell your story
2. Lead with guest room images
3. Social proof
4. Special offers
5. Mobile optimized
#LeoWebinar

54. #LeoWebinar

55. Questions & Discussion
#LeoWebinar

56. It’s A Wrap
 Recording of this
webinar. Share it with
your colleagues!
 Vizlly Blog:
www.vizlly.com/blog
 Stay tuned for our
next webinar.
#LeoWebinar

57. Connect With Us
#LeoWebinar
Jennifer Wesley
linkedin.com/in/jennifer-wesley-7747a1
get.google.com/trips/
Darlene Rondeau
leonardo.com
1.877.593.6634
TWITTER: @darlenerondeau
vizlly.com/blog