Hotel Business Review

Ms. Bressler

Technology

Five Steps in Utilizing Google Earth for Your Website SEO

By Hillary S. Bressler, Founder & President, .Com Marketing

Since Google Earth launched, millions of Internet users have traveled the globe in search of everything from Mount Kilimanjaro to their childhood homes, all from the comfort of their own computers. But, this popular satellite-based application is far more than a way to pass the time at work. When integrated into a website, Google Earth is a powerful tool that can boost Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and support the overall marketing strategy.

First, it's important to understand that SEO is the process of improving the natural or organic volume of quality traffic to your website from search engines. When a search is conducted, the higher a site appears in the list of results, the more likely the user will click on the link to view the site. In fact, statistics show that 68 percent of Web users click on the first page of search results, and 92 percent click on the first three pages.

While popular strategies to increase SEO range from updating Web content to posting blogs with backlinks (website URLs), most site managers are unaware of the benefits Google Earth presents. Below are five steps those in the hotel industry should take into account when considering Google Earth as a way to increase website SEO.

1. Revisit how your website supports the overall marketing goals

All too often, websites are created simply because an online presence is a critical component of doing business. More time is typically spent thinking about what pretty photos to upload rather than how the website should support the overall marketing goals. Who is the site built for? Do you want to increase online bookings? Are you trying to drive phone traffic? Is it necessary to promote particular products online? Does the site help build your property's brand? Before moving forward with any website enhancement, take time to revisit how the site supports the overall objective.

2. Determine how your audience is currently finding and utilizing your site

The old adage, "Don't fix what's not broken" certainly applies to Websites. Before you introduce any changes or additional functionality like Google Earth, you must first determine what works and what doesn't. Fortunately, there are a number of accurate ways to evaluate and analyze how people are currently finding and utilizing your website. A few of the most popular ones we look at for SEO are listed below.

• Total Site Traffic - The number of people who visited your site on any given day, week, month or year
  
• Percent of Traffic from Search - The total number of visitors who found your site via organic or natural search
  
• Keyword Rankings - The position that your site appeared in as a search result for particular keywords. The higher the position, the more likely visitors will land on your site. We look at placements in First position, TOP 5, 10, 20 and 30. Over time, these important benchmarks can help determine whether Google Earth and all your keywords are making an impact and delivering quality search traffic.
  Visitor Quality Measures:
  o Time on Site - The total amount of time visitors spent on your site
  o Average Page Views - The number of pages site visitors saw during a single session
  o Bounce Rate - The percentage of website visitors who landed on your site and left ("bounced away") versus those who went deeper into the site
  
• Click Path Analysis - The route visitors choose when navigating or clicking through your site. This is helpful in determining which pages are important and should receive additional attention, and which ones can be eliminated.

Benchmarking these metrics without the aid of an online marketing services company can be difficult, especially if you have not done any of this yourself. For the hospitality industry, you should expect these measurements to vary by season and based on other marketing activities you are deploying at any given time.

3. Leverage surrounding attractions to increase engagement

Some hotel guests select certain properties simply out of necessity (conference location, employer-mandate, etc.), while others evaluate the surrounding areas and attractions before making a booking decision. Google Earth presents a huge opportunity to capture and engage guests without booking restrictions or strong brand loyalties to your competition.

As you think about integrating Google Earth, consider the following points:

• Decide what to graphically showcase - Identify what attractions and amenities exist within a reasonable radius from your property, then determine which ones align most closely with your target audience. Are you close to critically acclaimed restaurants, safe walking/running trails, family attractions, exciting nightlife, high-end/bargain shopping, etc.? Would guests choose your hotel over others based on location? If so, then a graphical presentation can help shortcut the decision process.
  
• Display multiple hotels and activities in one spot - If you have multiple properties near a number attractions, then Google Earth can help userting a total solution (your hotel plus area amusements), you're enhancing your brand by leveraging the good will established by other well-known brands.s more easily evaluate their options. It also helps showcase your location when it's better or more desirable than that of your competition.
  
• Combine imagery and reality - It's one thing to list your amenities and proximity to desirable locations, but it's quite another to combine imagery and reality together. Engaging potential visitors by allowing them to search and view satellite imagery creates a sense of excitement. If done well, the experience allows them to become vested in your site and hotel, and more likely to actually make a reservation.
  
• Leverage prime brands - Anytime you link your brand with other quality brands (local attractions, etc.), the sum becomes bigger than the components.

4. Integrate image tags to boost SEO

Keyword-rich copy within Google Earth is just as important as it is on other areas of your site. When you embed labels, images and text copy into your Google Earth application, be sure to use the same search-friendly terms that have delivered results in the past. For example, the label that appears on the map should always be your brand name, and, if possible, a key descriptive term.

The pop-up window provides an opportunity to embed header titles, images and copy. All of these should be keyword-rich. Any image files should include "alt" for "alternate text" tags with the same keywords. This makes is easy for search engines to understand what is in an image which it normally cannot read. Also, be sure to use the keywords as anchor text whenever possible and link back to other places on your site.

5. Evaluate your results

In a performance-based world, demonstrating a return on investment is key. This is especially true in marking where funding lives or dies based on results. The measurability and accountability of online marketing also offers a strong framework for calculating the overall effectiveness of dollars spent marketing online, and for aligning the spending with tactics that are integrated with the overall marketing goals. And finally, whenever possible, use unique, user friendly and specific URL strings that are also keyword rich that can be measured and tracked.

As you work through your website strategy, consider Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/) as an important way to gain a competitive advantage and begin the total guest experience before arrival. By setting expectations on the website and living up to them from check-in to check-out, you're delivering more than a room, you're delivering an experience that could easily turn into repeat business and a healthier bottom line.

Hillary S. Bressler, is an authority on interactive marketing and a national online marketing pioneer. She is the founder and president of .Com Marketing, specializing in the travel, healthcare, and b2b industries. She established .Com Marketing in 1997 after identifying the need for the marketing of Web sites. Her interactive agency has served CVB’s, hotels and travel companies all over the U.S. such Marriott & Renaissance Offshore Resorts, Marriott Vacation Club, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Universal Orlando Resorts, City Pass, and Signature Travel Network. Ms. Bressler can be contacted at 407-774-4606 ext 203 or bressler@commarketing.com

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