Search engine optimisation techniques for booking websites
Why take an interest in Search engine optimisation techniques when you manage a booking site?
Book a room, a table, a ticket or even a car. rental site is now just a few clicks away. But before the click, there's the search: 8 out of 10 travellers start their journey on Google or Google Maps. If your page doesn't appear in the first three results, you're letting revenue slip away... and indirectly financing the major intermediation platforms.
So good SEO is not just an «extra», it's the new sinews of commercial war. The good news is that Search engine optimisation techniques They are based on clear principles that can be applied to any size of business - as long as they are approached methodically.
To put these principles into practice, we will be drawing on the expertise of Hotel Web Design, French agency 100 % Hotels & Tourism. Their pages dedicated to hotel SEO, UX and Google Ads will serve as a common thread and living proof throughout this article.
Understanding the playing field: Google Search, Maps and Travel
Before we talk about optimisation, let's look at the three main areas where visitors see your offer:
| Google Zone | Where the traveller sees her | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Classic“ results” (SERP) | After the query «hotel spa Marseille» | Title tags, meta description tags and content decide clicks |
| Google Maps | In the mobile app or the maps tab | Local search: filter by price, rating, distance |
| Google Travel / Hotels | Side module + dedicated page | Compare prices, read your Hotel Center tariff feeds |
Without visibility in these three areas, a booking site will always be dependent on greedy OTAs or expensive advertising.
Foundations: 7 Search engine optimisation techniques not to be missed
Search Keyword “intentions”
Hotel Web Design reminds us of this in its post SEO for Hotels : everything starts with a good mapping of requests: transactional («4-star hotel Nice sea view»), informational («what to do in Nice in winter») and brand («Hôtel Riviera Azur»). hotel-webdesign.com.
Field tips Target 20 transactional expressions and 10 informative ones to start with. Classify them in a “keyword / volume / target page” table.
Title & meta tags, film tagline style“
On his page How to improve your hotel referencing (FR), Hotel Web Design insists: a title < 60 characters with the keyword in front, a meta description 155 car. evoking the benefit and a call to action often make the difference hotel-webdesign.com.
Clear, accessible content
No jargon: explain your services as if you were describing them to a friend. Avoid blocks of text: one paragraph = max 5 lines.
Internal “signposted path” network”
Each page should point to a neighbouring offer: the “Deluxe Rooms” page points to “Spa”, the “Restaurant” page to “Breakfast”. Google follows your links like a visitor.
Speed and Core Web Vitals
Google now measures LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift). On its Hotel SEO, Hotel Web Design puts technical performance on the same level as semantics hotel-webdesign.com.
Mobile First
80 % of hotel searches come from the smartphone. Check it out:
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Font ≥ 18 px.
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Buttons big enough for a thumb.
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Booking form in < 3 steps.
Structured data
Hotel“ or ”LodgingBusiness“ Schema markup helps Google to understand your rates, your reviews and your services. Hotel Web Design integrates it by default in its website creations. hotel-webdesign.com.
SEO trends for booking sites
3.1 Free Booking Links: free traffic on the rise
Since 2021, Google has been displaying free booking links under paid ads. Hotel Web Design, a Google Hotels partner, systematically activates these feeds for its customers. hotel-webdesign.com.
3.2 End of commission-per-stay (CPA)
On 20 February 2025, Google abolished the commission model. Hotels have to juggle CPC and CPS. Without ROAS tracking, the budget will skyrocket. Here again, the agency offers cost-per-click management. hotel-webdesign.com.
3.3 Mandatory tariff transparency
Californian law SB 478 requires the final price, including tax, to be displayed before data is taken. Google applies the same rule worldwide: suspended feed = price widget disappears. Hotel Web Design has developed a “price-accuracy” module to prevent discrepancies.
3.4 Short video & “Shorts” carousel”
Vertical mini-videos lasting 15-30 seconds are already appearing in some mobile results. Turning your lobby into a “story” format can boost time spent on page.
3.5 Green Booking
Sustainable establishment“ filters in Google Travel. Displaying your labels (Clef Verte, Ecocert) becomes a competitive advantage.
Ten good practices that make a difference
| # | Best practice | Why it works | Example Hotel Web Design |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Home page in 90 sec max scroll time | Users give up quickly | Sleek design, lightweight video hero |
| 2 | Testimonials photos + first names | Immediate social proof | Notice section integrated into each room page |
| 3 | CTA repeated 3 times / page | More opportunities to click | Sticky “Book” button on mobile phones |
| 4 | Destination blog“ | Capture information requests | Article “What to do in Annecy” hotel-webdesign.com |
| 5 | Voice FAQs | Voice search on the rise | Short questions, answers < 45 words |
| 6 | WebP image optimisation | Speed + SEO | All photos compressed at HWD |
| 7 | Collection of QR code notices | Fresh notes influence 26 % clicks | QR on room card |
| 8 | Multilingual content | +25 % traffic outside France | Basic bilingual FR/EN site hotel-webdesign.com |
| 9 | Regularly updated Google Business page | Direct impact Maps | Weekly posts “Chef's menu” |
| 10 | Local netlinking | Authority + traffic | Exchanges with the tourist office |
Essential functions on an optimised booking site
5.1 Commission-free booking engine
Every click paid to an OTA is a lost euro. Hotel Web Design's in-house engine connects to the PMS at no extra cost. hotel-webdesign.com.
Synchronised calendar
No more overbooking: your schedule is updated in real time with Airbnb, Booking, channel manager.
Instant quote
A dynamic form calculates the price in real time: number of nights, type of room, extras. More transparency = more trust.
3-click UX tunnel“
Offer page → Calendar → Secure payment
Beyond that, the drop-out rate soars.
Customer dashboard
History of stays, invoices, preferences. Useful for relationship marketing.
Live chat
A “Need help?” bubble reassures and attracts hesitant prospects.
Focus on three key articles from Hotel Web Design not to be missed
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“How do you keep good reviews on your Google page?” Techniques and advice for keeping good reviews on your Google my Business page and raising the profile of your business. hotel-webdesign.com.
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“Hotel SEO: How to get listed on Google” (in French)” Learn how to put your hotel at the top of Google and boost your hotel SEO thanks to the expertise of Hôtel Web Design. hotel-webdesign.com.
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“Examples of booking sites” -Examples of booking sites, create a booking site with online payment and calendar synchronisation hotel-webdesign.com.
These free resources are a gold mine for fine-tuning your Search engine optimisation techniques.
Practical advice for moving from theory to action
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Block 2 hours this week to list your 30 keywords.
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Rewrite your titles + meta descriptions with the formula : Keyword | Profit | Brand.
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Compress and rename all your images (eg: chambre-deluxe-vue-mer.webp).
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Install a cache plugin and activate HTTP/2 if your web host allows it.
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Activate Free Booking Links via your engine; Hotel Web Design can do this in 48 hours.
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Ask for 5 Google reviews from satisfied customers this week: reply within 24 hours.
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Publish a Google Business post every Thursday (weekend offer, special menu).
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Measure your “Itinerary” and “Call” clicks from Search Console to adjust your local texts.
Conclusion
We've laid the foundations: understanding the Google zones, applying the 7 major SEO techniques, following trends, integrating key functions and exploiting the resources of Hotel Web Design.
