Home > Blogs > The ABCs of SEO for hotels

The ABCs of SEO for hotels

At Simplotel we have built websites for over 2,000 hotels, and every single time we have been asked about how we drive traffic to a website. We have been asked by those who are usually suspicious of SEO because they paid for such services in past and may or may not have seen results. And we have been asked by our customers who see a 3x plus growth in their website traffic after coming to our platform – as to how we do it. While SEO can be a deep subject, today we will attempt to outline how one must think about SEO in this post.

At a high level SEO depends on three things –

Technology and layout of the website
The content on the website
Things happening outside your website

Technology and layout of the website

In order to determine the relevance of a website for a search term (also known as a keyword) search engines have a piece of software called a Bot (derived from the word Robot) that crawls (think of it as reads) content on your website. The Bot then stores the keywords that a website is most relevant for. This is known as indexing of a website.

Unlike users, bots see the code of the website and not what users see on a website (you can view the code of most websites by right clicking on a webpage and selecting view page source). The easier this code is for the search engines to understand, the better chance you have of conveying your content to the search engines and making sure that your content gets indexed correctly. Here again there are hundreds of things that matter. These include the load time of a website, the structure of website code, mobile friendliness, proper tags and sitemaps. Detailing these is a topic for a future blog.

The layout of your website also plays an important role in search engine optimization. Clean and simple navigation, easily readable content – they all add up towards SEO friendliness.
To get these things right a website must be built for SEO from the ground up – retrofitting these things can often mean redoing the website. The good news is that Simplotel, out of the box, takes care of all this for your hotel website.

The content on your website

Now that we have gotten the technical aspects covered, the next most obvious thing about SEO is the content of the website. If your website’s content is about ice cream cones then your site will be indexed for ice cream cone searches and not for hotels. If your content is about a luxury hotel, then you won’t be indexed for budget hotels and consequently it is unlikely that you will show up for searches related to budget hotels.

Content also comes in many shapes. It includes the text on the website, the images that you put, the links you provide and the various tags (page titles page descriptions etc.). Each one of these have a significance and how and where you place them also matters. Content that is higher up on a page matters more than the content that is below. On things like page titles, the content that is to the left matters more than the content that is to the right. How you structure your content with various Headers (much like a word document) matters. How you name your images, how you name the links – they all matter.

All content on your website should be original content – copying of content from another website hurts your traffic – as the search engines and users skip past you believing you have nothing new to say. Adding fresh and relevant content has also shown to impact the SEO of a website.

There is also data about your hotel (meta data) that you can provide on your website, it is not visible to your customers but tells the bots the location, name, etc. of your hotel. Once again, Simplotel does this out of the box for your site. Our experts write the content for your hotel website so that it is all set up well. This is another reason why our customers see a 3x plus growth in traffic.

Things happening outside your website

After the technology and the content on the website, there are things that happen outside your website that impact search engine optimization. These include your guest reviews, your listing on Google Maps and local listing sites, your mention in travel blogs, etc. – they all matter. Here are some suggestions,

Verify and own your Google My Business (GMB) page and make sure that the map marker is accurate.
Ensure that your hotel’s name, address and contact info is exactly the same on all online channels – your social media pages, local listings and classified listings.
Get good reviews by taking care of customers and encouraging customers to write a glowing review. Also, respond to your reviews on various review channels time to time.

There are few silver bullets in SEO – so you must skin it with a thousand paper cuts. Please let us know your comments, questions and feedback at hello@simplotel.com.

Home > Blogs > 7 Key Futuristic Trends Shaping Hotels By 2030

7 Key Futuristic Trends Shaping Hotels By 2030

The hospitality industry is on the brink of a revolution, one where digital innovation, sustainability, and evolving guest expectations converge to create a new standard of travel. As we look ahead to 2030, hotels are no longer just places to sleep; they are becoming immersive, intelligent, and emotionally resonant environments that cater to the modern traveler’s every need.

Let’s explore the key trends transforming the future of hospitality and how hotels can stay ahead of the curve.

Personalisation at Scale: Knowing Your Guests Better Than Ever

One-size-fits-all is a thing of the past. The future is hyper-personalised.

By 2030, hotels will use AI and data analytics to craft tailored experiences for every guest. From remembering a traveller’s pillow preference to automatically adjusting room temperature and lighting on arrival, personalisation will be seamless.

Staff will have access to rich guest profiles, enabling them to greet visitors by name, understand dietary needs, and even recommend activities based on previous stays. This goes beyond good service it’s about emotional intelligence powered by technology.

What once felt like luxury will become the norm.

Frictionless Technology & Fully Connected Stays

Technology will be embedded into every guest interaction but done right, it’ll fade into the background.

Smartphones will act as room keys, remotes, concierge, and booking platforms. Mobile apps will control lighting, entertainment, and room service. Digital check-ins will replace front desk queues entirely.

Voice assistants, AI-powered chatbots, and predictive algorithms will offer guests what they need before they even ask.

Hotels will invest in IoT-enabled infrastructure automated climate control, occupancy-based energy savings, and real-time housekeeping updates.

The goal? Reduce friction. Guests want convenience, not complexity.

Sustainability Isn’t a Trend. It’s a Requirement!

Sustainable practices will be embedded in hotel DNA not just as a branding exercise, but as a core business imperative.

Travelers are actively seeking out eco-conscious brands. Hotels will need to phase out single-use plastics, use renewable energy sources, and incorporate nature-inspired designs (like biophilic architecture) that promote wellbeing and reduce environmental impact.

Energy sensors that adjust settings based on occupancy, greywater recycling systems, and digital over paper communications will be the industry standard.

And sustainability isn’t just good for the planet it’s great for business. Guests are willing to pay more for green stays, and governments may offer incentives to support eco-forward operations.

The Rise of Bleisure & the Work-life Blend

The traditional division between business and leisure travel is dissolving. Welcome to the era of bleisure where guests check in for a meeting and stay on for the weekend.

Hotels of the future will offer multi-functional spaces: think co-working lounges by day, social hubs by night. Suites will double up as quiet offices, equipped with video conferencing tools and ergonomic setups.

And for the digital nomads? Hotels will increasingly serve as long-term residences, complete with communal kitchens, wellness amenities, and networking events.

The "hotel" is evolving into a lifestyle space adaptable, modular, and always connected.

Wellness & Mental Health in the Spotlight

The modern traveler doesn’t just want rest they want to feel renewed.

By 2030, wellness will go far beyond spas and gyms. Guests will expect access to mental health experiences, holistic retreats, sleep-enhancing tech, and clean, nutritious dining.

Hotels will offer curated wellness programs, mindfulness workshops, and even in-room meditation guides. Partnerships with wellness influencers or visiting practitioners may become a selling point.

This focus on mental rejuvenation turns a hotel stay into a personal journey and makes wellbeing a competitive advantage.

A Human-first Approach to Talent

Amid all the tech talk, one truth remains: people make hospitality human.

While automation will handle repetitive tasks, it’s the empathy, creativity, and intuition of staff that will define great experiences. The challenge? Attracting and retaining this talent.

Hotels must reimagine their workforce strategies offering flexible hours, skill development, diversity, and roles with purpose. Gen Z employees are looking for more than a paycheck; they want to be part of something meaningful.

Investing in employee wellbeing, training, and career paths will directly reflect in guest satisfaction.

Digital Discovery & Direct Booking Dominate

Travel inspiration starts with a scroll.

By 2030, 80% of travelers will begin their journey with a Google search. They’ll browse reviews, compare rates, and dig deep into social media. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and even Reddit will be the go-to travel guides.

Hotels must prioritise their digital presence. This includes:

Mobile-optimised booking engines
Transparent direct vs OTA pricing
User-generated content integration
Interactive, fast-loading websites

Guests prefer direct bookings when offered exclusive perks, better rates, and personalised loyalty benefits. And with Google’s upcoming features consolidating reviews, maps, and booking links, having control over your digital strategy is more important than ever.