How to ensure your hotel website works with Google

Google's main target with the latest update is low-quality sites – those that aim to match up to common search terms to pull in more traffic. The company will now focus on content quality, something they've called the helpful content update. It means that when you search for something, the search engine results pages will deliver results that are useful, original and credible.

For a hotelier, the bottom line is that you should be creating content with your audience in mind and the user search should very much be an afterthought in the process. Content includes descriptions about the property, its amenities, services, a calendar of events, destination, local activities and attractions that are being delivered to targeted audiences through various channels.

The channels – online travel agents or OTAs – spread the word about the hotel and reach markets with its value proposition as travellers enter the browsing phase (looking for images, amenities and so on) before locking down their must-haves – such as spa treatments, entertainment or sports.

Put simply, hotels with websites that have outdated or duplicate content will lose out

Just like any other business, hotels rely on a correct and accurate description of the product, whether that's content describing the facilities, the rooms, amenities, ancillaries and so on. The problem for hotels, however, is that information changes. New services are added, images are updated and there are changes to facilities.

So, how significant is this latest Google update and what does it mean for a hotel? Put simply, hotels with websites that have outdated or duplicate content will lose out. They will fall behind those that have deep, original content.

Google is indexing and showing pages that have original information, which means that duplicate content will inhibit the user experience. In hospitality, a typical example of duplicate content would be providing descriptive content to OTAs or third-party channels that is identical to the hotel's own website. When Google discovers this same content on two sites which one does it go with? Unless you are part of a multinational brand, it'll likely be the OTA, which has the higher authority and larger audience, meaning that the hotel's website gets ignored.

Providing content to third parties

Third parties such as OTAs add benefits, extend market reach and provide backlinks, which is all great, but hotels should try to avoid offering them duplicate content. So, take a look at your site. Listing the number of rooms, floors, bars and restaurants you offer is fine, but when it comes to descriptive content – facilities, spa treatments, local activities, policies, accessibility details – mix it up and change the content to make it unique.

Put simply, check your website, check your content, and avoid the easy copy and paste option or your guests will go elsewhere.

Fred Bean is the founder and chief executive of HotelPORT (www.hotelport.co)