Armin Gögele, last updated 22.12.2022
Types of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) in the Hotel Industry
Search Engine Marketing is a subset of online marketing strategies in the hotel industry and is divided into two different areas:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is the abbreviation for "Search Engine Optimization" and describes an organic method to improve the ranking of a hotel website on Google. This is done by optimizing the website content for specific keywords, as well as improving the loading time and overall user experience on the hotel website. - SEA (Search Engine Advertising)
Search Engine Advertising (SEA) refers to the placement of online advertisements on search engines (e.g. Google Ads) in order to generate more awareness, visibility and sales. Search engines such as Google, YouTube, Bing or Yahoo are particularly suitable for this purpose. - SMM (Social Media Marketing)
Social media marketing is a separate area of online marketing, but it can also be considered as a part of search engine marketing, although it is not traditionally seen as part of it. Hashtags on social media platforms such as Instagram or TikTok have a similar effect to keywords, and YouTube is a perfect example of a combination of search engine and social media platform. YouTube offers a combination of specific search queries and visual content creation in the form of videos, and is ideal for an emotional approach to the target audience.
Importance of Search Engine Marketing for Hotels
Search engine marketing for hotels is very important in the marketing strategy to achieve proper visibility and awareness in the industry and to produce content that is more relevant to the target audience. Search engines, such as Google, want to provide valuable and value-added content to readers and rank hotels higher if they meet the preferences/desires of the target audience. This is very important for the hotel industry to stay competitive or even get ahead of other hotels in the hotel industry. An SEO agency can help and assist with this.