What is natural referencing?
Le natural referencing is the set of actions taken by the webmaster to obtain the best "natural" ranking (non-paying, as opposed to "paid"). sponsored referencing ) on search engines. These actions fall into two main categories: operations on the site ("onsite" optimisation) and "offsite" operations, which consist of "getting the word out" about the website. On-site operations will focus mainly on optimisation (keywords, loading time, cleaning up the code, writing optimised content, etc.), while the aim of "external" actions will be to build solid links leading to the hotel's site on the web. This is achieved through partnerships with similar sites (exchange of links, registration on specialist directories, writing articles with links to external pages, etc.).
Competition from OTAs
Since hoteliers have had to contend with the rise of the OTAs, the number of booking channels has multiplied while hoteliers' share of revenue has fallen. The OTAs (Booking, Expedia, hotels.com, etc.) are new players that have grown considerably in a short space of time and have rapidly established themselves in the hotel market. It may seem complicated for independent hotels and tourist structures (travel agencies, tour operators, etc.) to catch up in terms of online visibility and reputation. Today, we are all aware of the importance of the web for the hotel industry and its impact on sales. These new dinosaurs have succeeded in imposing a rapid transition in booking methods through the dematerialisation of reservation services, and are now establishing themselves as key players in the sector.
However, OTAs often rank below 'official' sites in the natural results! The advantage they enjoy lies in buying keywords related to your establishment and setting up sponsored booking links from Google: they spend money to appear before you on Google. There is one way of countering them: through campaigns. campaign and by adding a free booking link from Google: it's brand new!
Although OTAs undeniably have a significant advantage when it comes to the resources they use, independent hotels are not doomed to remain powerless in the face of these web giants: Since Google was condemned for abuse of a dominant position for advertising (including hotel advertising), but also for "misleading nature of hotel classification (Google then ranked hotels, from 1 to 5 stars, according to its own criteria), Google seems to be willing to "ease up" and send out signs of reconciliation to the European regulatory bodies. In March 2021, the web giant announced the possibility of introducing free booking links for independent hoteliers from the hotel files (ask us how). A real revolution in the hotel industry! The future looks brighter for independent hotel listings on Google.
Natural referencing for a hotel
Le Natural referencing (SEO)* is essential in the sense that it's an investment that will be free for you in the long term. Whether it's writing blog articles (like this one! ), optimising your site or exchanging links, all these actions, the effects of which are sometimes difficult to measure, are nevertheless spread over time. So each operation carried out to improve your SEO will have a long-term effect, and each click on your site from Google resulting from these actions will always be free.
For example, a page dedicated to tourist activities or notable monuments in the direct vicinity of the hotel can channel traffic from customers who have done a search for the activity or monument in question, but who would not necessarily have thought to go to a hotel website to look for this information. As they find their way around, they will also have access to the hotel's rates and, of course, the booking tool. Example: the Diane's residence or theAuberge du Basilico at Aime la Plagne
This method has proved its worth and gives you a significant competitive advantage. What's more, as this page is written in several languages, the hotel's site is positioned very effectively on search engines for queries coming from the country or browser using the language in question. In this way, you can internationalise your hotel in a relatively simple way, and gain an effective competitive advantage over all your competitors who have not translated their site.
Around 50% of visitors enter our clients' sites thanks to the natural referencing work we have put in place. The remainder search directly using the hotel name.
Since March 2021, all hotels have been able to benefit from the free Google booking link.
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