Hotel Internet Marketing: Improve SEO with Google+

When Google+ launched in 2011, many business owners balked at the thought of populating and managing yet another social media site. However, by 2013 Google+ became the second-largest social media network in the world and shows a monthly user base of 235 million. With Google+ along with other Google products, hotel owners and managers can increase brand awareness, improve search engine rankings, and reach more perspective customers.

Why Hotels Need a Google+ Page

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

“+1” Button: When you create a Google+ page for hotel internet marketing, people can +1 your page, which is similar to “liking” a Facebook page. Google uses the number of +1s that your page accumulates to help it determine how popular your hotel is, making +1s an important “ranking signal” for Google search.
Google Authorship: Google+ is an important component of Google Authorship. Through Authorship, Google recognizes you as the original content creator. As your audience shares your quality postings, Google will recognize your expertise, and this will help boost your “Author Rank.”
Google Places: Google Places is a separate business listing page that is perfect for hotels. This page displays a map, reviews, images, and contact details. Your Google Places page will also be indexed, which will enhance your ranking in search results and help drive more traffic to your website.

Lead Generation

Circles: Circles allow hotel marketers to group followers according to their traveling preferences or any other criteria. For example, you can target business people attending a conference that is being held near your hotel or attract event planners to your reception halls.
Hangouts: Hangouts allow you to schedule online group events where multiple people can participate, just like a chatroom.
Events: Google+ Events work much like Facebook Events. However, Events allow for a higher level of interactivity. Invitations will automatically go out to whoever you select whether they are individuals or groups. Events are an effective way to promote things such as public conferences or exhibitions that are being held at your hotel.

Get the Most Out of Google+

Use Images

People respond more to posts that contain images or videos than they do to simple text posts. Google has introduced the ability to edit images that you upload. This is feature is helpful for those who don’t have image editing software.

Start a Community

The creation of a Community is quick and easy. Your Community can be set up to share information about your town; it can be based on a community event; or it can be to support a local charity.

Don’t make the Community solely about your hotel. If your content only promotes your amenities and services, people might not join your community, and you might lose the ones you have. As with all social media publishing, be sure to mix it up. One way to do this is by sharing other businesses’ content that is based on the same Community theme.

Facts about Google+

Pages can’t add people to Circles until the page is added first or “mentioned.”
The default privacy setting for elements on your business page is public.
Google+ pages automatically unfollow you if you unfollow them.
Pages can’t +1 other pages, nor can they +1 content on the web.
Pages don’t receive notifications via email, text, or in the Google bar.
Pages don’t have the option to share to “Extended Circles.”
Local pages have special fields that help people find the business’ physical location.

Get Started

Pages require a personal profile to act as the owner of a business page. However, the owner will remain anonymous to anyone interacting with your Google+ page. You can later add additional managers.

Click here to read Google’s comprehensive guide to creating a Google+ page for your hotel.

Although the full impact that Google+ has on SEO is still to be determined, many marketers and SEO experts believe that Google will place an increasing weight on related ranking signals (such as +1 and Authorship), making Google+ an important part of your hotel internet marketing strategy.