Keywords for Hotel Industry
Hotel industry keywords are the search phrases travelers use to find hotels by location, brand, amenities, room types, experiences, and booking intent.
Key takeaways
- Hotel keywords are grouped by brand, location, amenity, and experience.
- Long-tail, local phrases often outperform generic high-volume terms.
- Map each keyword to the correct page type (homepage, rooms, blog, offers).
- Validate with Google Search Console and Keyword Planner before committing.
- Avoid broad terms without intent; focus on phrases travelers actually use to book.
For SEO practitioners, these keywords determine which pages can attract high-intent traffic from guests ready to compare or book.
Example: From Seed Phrase to Keyword Set
- Start with a seed: "hotel in Austin"
- Expand by category:
- Location: "hotel near South Congress", "hotel in downtown Austin"
- Amenity: "hotel with rooftop pool Austin", "pet-friendly hotel Austin"
- Experience: "boutique hotel Austin", "romantic getaway Austin"
- Add intent modifiers: "cheap hotel Austin", "best hotel Austin", "hotel near Austin airport"
- Validate with Google Keyword Planner: check monthly search volume and competition
- Map each keyword to a page: "boutique hotel Austin" → homepage or dedicated boutique page; "hotel near South Congress" → location page
Quick-Start: 5 Steps to Build Your Hotel Keyword List
- Brainstorm seed terms: your hotel name, city, neighborhood, nearby landmarks, amenities, and room types.
- Use Google Keyword Planner to generate keyword ideas and see monthly search volume.
- Review Google Search Console for queries already driving impressions to your site.
- Categorize keywords by intent: informational ("things to do in Austin"), commercial ("best hotel Austin"), transactional ("book hotel Austin").
- Prioritize long-tail, location-specific, and amenity-driven terms with moderate volume and low-to-medium keyword difficulty.
How to Judge a Hotel Keyword's Value
- Search volume: At least 50–100 monthly searches for a new page; higher for competitive terms.
- Keyword difficulty: Prefer terms with difficulty under 40 (on a 0–100 scale) for new sites.
- Relevance: Must match the page's content and user intent exactly.
- Commercial intent: Look for modifiers like "book", "best", "cheap", "luxury", "near me".
- Seasonality: Use Google Trends to spot peaks (e.g., "hotel in Miami" spikes in winter).
- Local modifiers: Include neighborhood, landmark, or airport names to capture local demand.
Common Mistakes in Hotel Keyword Research
- Targeting only broad terms like "hotel" instead of intent-rich local and long-tail phrases.
- Using the same keyword set on every page instead of matching keywords to the page’s purpose.
- Ignoring branded search, local modifiers, and amenity terms that often convert better.
- Choosing keywords by volume alone without checking relevance or ranking difficulty.
Next step
FAQ
What are hotel industry keywords?
Hotel industry keywords are search phrases travelers use to find hotels, such as 'hotels in New York' or 'boutique hotel with pool'.
Why are long-tail keywords important for hotels?
Long-tail keywords are more specific and less competitive, often attracting higher-intent traffic ready to book.
How do I find keywords for my hotel website?
Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console, and Ahrefs. Start with seed terms related to your location, amenities, and brand.
What is the difference between branded and non-branded hotel keywords?
Branded keywords include your hotel name (e.g., 'Marriott'), while non-branded are generic (e.g., 'hotel near airport').
Related topics
Sources
- Google Search Central — Best source for Google’s guidance on creating helpful, search-focused content and understanding how search works.
- Google Keyword Planner — Useful for directional keyword discovery and demand estimation.
- Google Search Console — Shows real queries already generating impressions and clicks for a hotel site.
- Google Trends — Helps spot seasonal shifts in hotel search demand and destination interest.
- Ahrefs — Widely used for competitor keyword analysis and keyword difficulty assessment.
Reviewed by Lucía Marín, Founding editor.