Semantic search has profoundly changed the nature of Internet search for hotels and travel businesses. Semantic search means that what appears on page 1 of a search result is now different for every search query, every mobile device, and every desktop.
There are now three ways that you can connect to customers in the age of semantic search.
1. Use clear and distinct brand positioning
It is no longer desirable to be all things to all people. A clear brand position does more than help you in a cluttered market on the semantic web where everyone is telling their customers that their product or destination is unique. A consistent and differentiating brand position tells the search engines what you are about.
Brand consistency and strength, including language, tone of voice and imagery all help the search engines place context around your hotel, service or destination. It helps ascertain whether your destination or business is family-friendly, romantic, pet friendly, or for the adventurous.
2. Publish a variety of quality content as often as you can
Content marketing is not a marketing craze. It should be at the centre of your online tactical strategy. At its most simplistic, words, images and videos help the search engines understand what your business is about.
Those who regularly share a variety of content with consistent messaging that appeals to their target market are more likely to be recognised as influencers, and therefore more likely to be matched to a relevant search query.
Smart hoteliers now post a variety of content as often as they can. They ensure that the content is compelling and relevant to their target markets. They do not post content for content’s sake.
3. Content, search and social media are now inextricably related
Social media activity helps generate a clearer understanding of the meaning behind the content by the better indexing of content, providing authority and trust, and indicating the contextual value.
When content is shared, commented on, liked, tweeted, re-shared and interacted with, the search engines use this as an indicator of the quality of the content, particularly as it relates to target audiences.
If your content has a track record of interaction, it is now much more likely to be presented to a user when he or she conducts a search.
David Amerland, author of the book, Semantic Search, writes, “While social signals do not directly act as a ranking signal in search, a strong social signal helps Google establish confidence in its indexing of websites which then does lead to higher visibility in search.”
He adds: “A robust, carefully crafted Twitter presence can significantly aid your visibility in search by helping define your website’s relevance.”
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