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 > Social Media Engagement | The Gen Z Effect on Direct Bookings

Social Media Engagement: The Gen Z Effect on Direct Bookings

In the previous blog, we explored how social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Meta ads can drive traffic. In this blog, we'll dive into the types of content you should create and the strategies to effectively convert that traffic into valuable engagement.

If there’s one thing the hospitality industry can’t afford to ignore, it’s Gen Z. Whether you like it or not, this digitally native generation is quickly becoming the biggest target segment for hotels, and what speaks to them more than anything else? Their phones and the endless scroll of social media.

From planning weekend getaways to choosing where to dine, Gen Z lives online. In fact, studies show that over 70% of Gen Z uses social media as their primary source of news and updates, a huge shift from traditional media. For hotels, this means that the path to direct bookings now runs straight through Instagram, TikTok, and even Snapchat.

So how do you leverage social media engagement to not only drive traffic but also convert it into bookings? Let’s dive in.

Why Social Media Matters for Hotel Bookings

For hotels, social media is no longer just a branding tool, it’s a traffic engine. A strong social presence can:

Increase direct website visits (through bio links, story CTAs, and ads).
Build social proof, making travellers trust your property before booking.
Engage with guests directly, turning casual followers into loyal customers.
Influence decision-making because travellers are more likely to choose a hotel they see others enjoying.

And let’s be honest - Gen Z doesn’t book blindly. They research, compare, and scroll through hundreds of user posts before making a choice. Which brings us to two powerful strategies: User-Generated Content (UGC) and Geotagging.

The Power of User-Generated Content

Imagine this: a guest posts a story of your infinity pool at sunset, tags your hotel, and adds a catchy caption. Their followers see it, get curious, and click through to your profile. That one post just did more than any ad could - it delivered authentic, peer-driven marketing.

Why UGC works for hotels:

Authenticity sells: Guests trust fellow travellers more than polished ads.
Cost-effective: It’s free marketing created by your own guests.
Engagement booster: UGC sparks conversations, comments, and shares.
FOMO factor: Seeing others enjoying your property makes new travellers want the same experience.

Pro Tip for Hoteliers: Create branded hashtags and encourage guests to use them. Repost the best content (with permission) on your feed to showcase real experiences. Not only does this build trust, but it also fills your social profiles with fresh, diverse content.

Geotagging: Putting Your Hotel on the Map

When was the last time you searched a location on Instagram just to see what it looks like? Exactly. That’s where geotagging becomes a goldmine for hotels.

Why geotags matter:

Discoverability: Travellers exploring a destination often check geotags before booking.
Community-building: Guests tag your hotel in their posts, making it part of their travel story.
Local SEO boost: Social signals from geotags can influence how people find your hotel online.
Influencer-friendly: It makes collaborations seamless, as influencers love tagging the exact location for their audience.

Pro Tip for Hoteliers: Make sure your hotel is listed and geotag-ready on all platforms. Encourage guests to tag your property in posts, reels, and stories.

Social Media Engagement Strategies for Hotels

To truly benefit from social media, hoteliers need to go beyond just posting pretty pictures. Engagement is key. Here’s how:

Run interactive campaigns: Polls, quizzes, or “this or that” posts keep audiences active.
Use short-form video: TikTok and Instagram Reels have insane reach, and Gen Z eats them up.
Reply to comments and DMs: Engagement builds trust and trust leads to bookings.
Highlight guest stories: Share testimonials, experiences, and special moments from your guests.
Leverage influencers: Micro-influencers (smaller but niche audiences) often bring better ROI than big names.

Social Media Stats Every Hotelier Should Know

95% of Gen Z owns a smartphone - their world revolves around it.
54% of social media users research products and services online before purchasing.
Travel content is one of the most shared categories on Instagram and TikTok.
UGC increases engagement by 4.5% compared to brand-only content.

These numbers aren’t just stats - they’re signals. The future of direct bookings lies in engaging the audience where they already are: scrolling on social media.

Wrapping It Up

Gen Z is redefining the travel landscape, and social media is their compass. For hoteliers, social media engagement isn’t optional anymore - it’s survival. By tapping into user-generated content, geotags, and authentic interactions, you’re not only boosting traffic and engagement but also creating a steady pipeline of direct bookings.

So, the next time you see a guest snapping a picture of your lobby, don’t just smile - encourage them to tag you. That one story could bring you your next booking.

Your hotel’s journey to higher website traffic and direct bookings starts with every like, comment, and share.