A beautiful hotel website only brings bookings if travellers can find it. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is how you make sure your site appears when someone searches for a place to stay in your area. Here are ten essentials we check on every hotel and villa website we build.
1. Write a clear title and description for every page
The page title is the blue link people see on Google. Include what you are and where you are, for example “Boutique Villa in Unawatuna with Pool | Your Villa Name”. Each page needs its own title and a short description that makes people want to click.
2. Give every room type its own page
Separate pages for each room or suite let you describe them properly, show more photos, and rank for searches like “family room Galle” or “villa with private pool Thalpe”.
3. Mention your location naturally
Travellers search by place. Talk about your town, nearby beaches and attractions, and how to get to you. A page about your area, with real local tips, helps both guests and Google.
4. Make it fast, especially on mobile
Large, uncompressed photos are the most common reason hotel sites are slow. Resize and compress images, use modern formats like WebP, and avoid heavy sliders and animations. A faster site ranks better and converts more visitors.
5. Use one heading structure per page
Each page should have one main heading (H1) that says what the page is about, with clear subheadings below it. This helps search engines and screen readers understand your content.
6. Add descriptive image text
Give every photo a short description (alt text), such as “Deluxe double room with garden view”. It improves accessibility and helps your images appear in Google Images.
7. Add hotel schema markup
Structured data tells Google your business type, address, phone number, location and more, in a format it understands. It can help your site appear with richer details in search results.
8. Connect your Google Business Profile
Your website and your Google profile should link to each other and show exactly the same name, address and phone number. Read our Google Business Profile checklist for more.
9. Keep your website secure and up to date
Use HTTPS, keep your software updated, and fix broken links. Outdated or insecure sites can be flagged by browsers, and guests will leave.
10. Add fresh, useful content
An occasional article about local events, things to do nearby, or a seasonal offer gives Google a reason to visit your site again and gives guests more reasons to book.
SEO takes time. Most improvements take weeks or months to show in rankings. The good news is that the work keeps paying off long after it is done.
Want us to check your website?
We offer SEO reviews and ongoing SEO services for hotels, villas and businesses in Sri Lanka. Get in touch and we will show you where you can improve.