In today's competitive hospitality landscape, your hotel website needs to be more than just a booking platform. It needs to be a comprehensive travel resource that captures attention before the booking decision is even made. Destination content is one of the most powerful yet underutilized strategies for hotels looking to differentiate themselves online.
Why Destination Content Matters
As we all know, travelers don't just book a hotel; they book an experience. Their time in your destination could make or break their trip and overall experience. We've heard from GMs of guests looking for further problems after a bad day out puts them in a bad mood.
Before selecting accommodations, they research the destination extensively. They are seeking local insights, hidden gems, and authentic experiences that will define their trip. By providing this information directly on your hotel website, you position your property as not just a place to stay, but as a gateway to the destination itself. Doing so will drive traffic to you, convert it and enhance the overall guest experience.
The SEO Advantage
Search engines reward websites that provide genuine value to users. When potential guests search for "[City] things to do" or "best restaurants in [Neighborhood]," your hotel website can appear in these results, capturing attention at the early stages of trip planning. This upper-funnel visibility creates brand recognition that pays dividends when booking decisions are eventually made.
Generation Engine Optimization (GEO) is the art of being found in tools like Chat-GPT and Gemini by guests trip planning. This differs slightly to SEO and even search engines themselves are adpting their ranking algorythm based on changing search habbits. GEO foccuses on natual language and descriping your hotel and surounding location in normal human ways likley to be used in answers to common questions.
Search is an evolving landscape and increasingly engines reward pages that have a great user experience and valuable content. It's not enough to stuff keywords in or build pages only for search engines, you must ensure these landing pages offer genuine value and will retain users that enter.
Building the Perfect Destination Content Strategy
The most effective destination content is:
Authentic – Written by people who truly know and love the area
Specific – Offering insights beyond what can be found in standard travel guides
Seasonal – Updated regularly to reflect changing events and attractions
Localized – Focused on the immediate neighborhood, not just city-wide attractions
Content That Converts
Beyond standard "things to do" lists, consider developing:
- Thematic itineraries (The Foodie's Day Out, Family Adventure Day)
- Insider guides from staff members
- Seasonal event calendars
- Neighborhood spotlights
- Local business partnerships highlighted through content
Measuring Success
The ROI on destination content comes in multiple ways throughout the funnel. While you should track metrics like time on page and content engagement, Obvlo measures value for our clients in ways like
- Increased organic search visibility
- Conversion rate to bookings +
- Average booking value +
- Extended average stay duration
- Improved guest satisfaction
The Bottom Line
In the digital age, your hotel website must serve as both a sales platform and a trusted travel resource. Destination content bridges this gap, connecting with potential guests earlier in their planning journey and establishing your property as an authentic, knowledgeable host before the first interaction even occurs.
Investing in quality destination content isn't just about SEO, it's about creating the foundation for meaningful guest relationships that begin long before check-in and continue well after checkout.
