Hotel and hospitality SEO
Hotel SEO: more direct bookings. Fewer commissions to the OTAs.
Booking, Expedia and Airbnb bring you guests, but they keep a cut of every night. We position your hotel on Google, Google Maps and AI search so the traveler finds you, in English or in Spanish, and books with you.
5.0Real reviews from our clientsThe starting point
You fill rooms. But the commissions eat your margin.
Booking, Expedia, Hotels.com and the rest bring reservations, but in exchange for a commission on every night. You do the same work, you earn less. And the guest belongs to the platform, not to you.
Most travelers, before booking on an OTA, search for your hotel on Google to see your website, your photos and your reviews. If they find you at that moment and booking with you is easy, that reservation is direct, commission-free and with the guest as your own customer. And in Miami, Orlando or New York, a big share of those travelers search in Spanish.
What we do for your hotel
Everything that turns a search into a direct booking.
Six fronts working together every month so the traveler looking for a place to stay ends up booking on your website.
Google Maps and Google Hotels
Your profile optimized to show on the map and in Google’s hotel results, with a direct link to your booking engine.
SEO for your official website
Your own website showing up when people search your name or “hotel in your area”, ahead of the platforms bidding on you.
The traveler in two languages
Domestic, international and Hispanic guests plan from home, weeks ahead, in English or in Spanish. We reach them with a website in their language and presence in their search.
Reputation and reviews
A system to get recent reviews on Google and reply to all of them with care. In hospitality, trust decides.
A website that converts
Fast on mobile, with photos that sell and the booking button always in sight, so booking direct is the easiest option.
Get recommended by AI
When a traveler asks ChatGPT or Gemini where to stay, we work so your hotel is among the answers.
Two languages, one booking engine
Your guests plan in two languages. Be there before the OTAs.
Visitors from Latin America and Hispanic families from across the U.S. search for hotels in Spanish, and almost every independent hotel only ranks in English. A profile, a website and content in both languages put you in front of that traveler while he is still planning, before Booking or Expedia show him your competitors.
- U.S. teamYour contact is in your time zone and knows your destination.
- English + SpanishSeparate keywords, pages and content per language.
- One metricDirect bookings, not impressions.
Real reviews
Businesses that already work with us.
“The Yellow Rock team is undoubtedly incredible. They’re very attentive to their work, delivering results. The service is very personal and reliable. I’ve been working with them for a long time now, and we’re truly happy with the results they’ve brought to my restaurants. They’re serious people who are really dedicated to doing a great job. Many congratulations, guys! Keep it up! A big hug from the entire Urban Burger & B Team. Jay is a star!”Verified on Google
“Impeccable professionalism! I sincerely thank the entire Yellow Rock staff for what they’ve done for our stores in Spain and the Netherlands.”Verified on Google
“Teresa is the perfect marketing professional: helpful, skilled and always ready to help you grow your business.”Verified on Google
“I want to especially highlight the work of Teresa and her entire team. From the very first moment, the service has been excellent, not only professionally but also personally. They’ve helped us with all aspects of advertising, Google Ads, visibility and performance, but what I value most is the constant follow-up. Teresa is always attentive, keeps us informed, listens to our opinions and makes us feel involved in every decision. The management has been very quick and personal, and a trusting environment has been created that makes it a pleasure to work. It’s clear that there’s a committed team behind the scenes that truly cares about the project and achieving great results. Without a doubt, we are very happy with the support and the service we’ve received. Highly recommended! ♥️”Verified on Google
“I own a restaurant and I want to thank the YellowRock team for the great work they’ve done with the restaurant’s organic Google ranking. They’ve done an impeccable and professional job, and their customer service has been perfect, always answering and clarifying questions, along with follow-up and quarterly reports. Thank you, Jay, and thank you, YellowRock team! 🤝”Verified on Google
“Excellent service. Very good care, support and follow-up. Grateful to our manager, Teresa.”Verified on Google
“Great professionals: they help you move your business forward, teach you metrics and give you excellent advice. Thank you for your energy!”Verified on Google
“A very pleasant and professional experience, and easy for someone like me who doesn’t understand the digital world. I’m very grateful for their patience.”Verified on Google
“Super professional, totally recommended.”Verified on Google
Who it’s for
Any lodging that pays commissions it would rather keep.
The search strategy changes with the destination and the guest. The method is the same.
- Independent hotels
- Boutique hotels
- Resorts
- Bed and breakfasts
- Inns
- Vacation rentals
- Short-term rental managers
- Hostels
- Motels
- Extended-stay hotels
- Glamping and lodges
- Tour operators and experiences
Not on the list? If your guest looks you up on Google before booking, this works for you. See all the industries we work with.
How we work
From the first call to more direct bookings.
A clear process, no jargon, with your property and your destination at the center.
- Step 1
Free audit
We review your profile, your website, your reviews and who is taking the travelers in your destination.
- Step 2
A plan for your hotel
We tell you what we would do first and which plan fits where you are. No strings attached.
- Every month
Steady work
Profile, website, content, reviews and AI moving forward together, with one person who knows your property.
- Every month
Real data
A clear report on what we’ve done, your direct bookings and how you compare with your competitors.
Choose how to start
Three plans. One goal: more direct bookings.
All three take your business to the top of Google. The difference is how far you want to go.
Starter
Get found on Google and Maps in one language, English or Spanish.
- Website included
- Google Business Profile optimized
- SEO articles every week
- Review system
Growth
Full SEO strategy in English and Spanish, built to win your destination.
- Website in both languages
- Keywords of both languages, worked separately
- Advanced AI search visibility
- Monthly report and direct contact
Authority
For the hotel group or resort that wants to lead its destination, not compete in it.
- Everything in Growth, at maximum
- AI search leadership and citations
- Multi-property ready
- Strategy sessions
Not sure which one fits? Request your free audit and we recommend one based on your business.
Guide
Hotel SEO: how to win direct bookings without depending on Booking and Expedia
If you run a hotel, a boutique hotel, a B&B, a resort or vacation rentals, you know the relationship with the big platforms well: they bring reservations, but in exchange for a commission on every night and for keeping the relationship with the guest. Hotel SEO is the strategy to win that margin back: the traveler finds you on Google and books directly with you.
Traveler behavior works in your favor. Most guests, before booking on an OTA, search the hotel’s name on Google to see its official website, its photos and its reviews. If at that moment your website shows up, is well built and makes booking easy, that reservation can be direct. In the U.S. there is one more layer: a large share of those travelers search in Spanish.
Direct bookings: your biggest margin opportunity
A direct booking is much more than a commission-free booking. It’s a guest whose data you own, who you can contact and invite back. When the reservation comes through a platform, the customer belongs to the platform; when it comes direct, he is yours. That’s why every point you gain in direct bookings weighs so much on your property’s profitability.
Google Business Profile and Google Hotels
Your hotel’s Google Business Profile appears on the map, shows your photos and reviews and can link directly to your booking engine. On top of that, Google increasingly shows its own hotel module with prices and availability. This is what we work on:
- Photos that sell: rooms, common areas, views, pool and breakfast. The traveler buys with his eyes.
- Reviews handled with care: recent reviews on Google, steadily, and professional replies to all of them, in English and Spanish.
- Link to your booking engine: so booking direct from the profile is immediate, with your best rate.
- Complete information: amenities and attributes such as pool, parking, pet-friendly or free breakfast, which make you show up in more searches.
The traveler in two languages
In destinations like Miami, Orlando, New York or Washington D.C., a big part of the guests are visitors from Latin America and Spain, plus Hispanic families from across the country, who plan the trip from home, weeks or months ahead and in Spanish. Reaching them before they reach the platform is one of the biggest advantages a property can work on: a website in their language, content about your destination and presence in the searches they make while preparing the trip. With the Growth and Authority plans we work both languages separately.
Online reputation in hospitality
In hospitality, reviews are the currency of trust. A traveler who doesn’t know your hotel relies on what others say, on Google, TripAdvisor and the OTAs. A good score and recent reviews convince the traveler and also improve your position on Google. We help you build and maintain a solid reputation that turns into bookings.
The new factor: getting AI to recommend your hotel
More and more travelers plan their trip by asking ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity where to stay. Those tools recommend specific properties. Working on that presence is called AEO (answer engine optimization), and today almost no hotel does it. It’s your chance to get ahead.
Mistakes that keep you dependent on the OTAs
In our free audits we see the same issues again and again:
- Booking on your website is harder than on Booking: if the process is slow or confusing, the traveler goes back to the platform.
- Your official website doesn’t show up when people search your name: then the platforms bidding on your brand win.
- Forgetting the Spanish-speaking traveler: not having the website in his language is leaving the booking to someone else.
- Reviews left unmanaged: in hospitality, reputation costs dearly if it isn’t looked after.
- Not being in AI answers: the new trip planners already recommend properties.
Why an SEO agency that knows hospitality
Hotel SEO has its own rules: the battle for the direct booking, the international and Hispanic traveler, seasonality, reputation and the booking engine. At YellowRock Marketing we understand the hospitality business and design the strategy for your property, your destination and the traveler you want to attract. Every month you get a clear report on what we’ve done and how you compare with your competitors, and we keep a limited portfolio so every client gets the time it deserves.
Questions
What hotels ask us most.
Before you start, the answers that matter.
Do I have to leave Booking and the OTAs?
No. They are still a useful shop window. The goal is to depend less on them: the more direct bookings you get, the fewer commissions you pay and the more profitable your property is.
Does it work for small hotels, B&Bs or vacation rentals?
Yes. Small and independent properties are the ones that feel the commission most, and SEO lets them compete and win margin. For vacation rental managers we work the brand and the direct booking site alongside Airbnb and VRBO.
What if most of my guests are international or Hispanic?
Even better. We work your presence to reach the traveler while he plans the trip from home, in his language. With the Growth and Authority plans we work English and Spanish separately, and more languages can be added.
How long does it take to see results?
The first improvements on Google Maps usually show within a few weeks. A solid position is built over a few months and, unlike what you pay in commissions, it’s an asset of yours that lasts.
What does the free audit include?
We review your Google profile, your website, your reviews and the properties taking the travelers in your destination, and tell you what we would do first. Free and with no strings attached.
Which plan does my hotel need?
Starter is the way to start showing up in one language. Growth works both languages with a full strategy, and it is what most independent hotels choose. Authority is for groups and resorts with several properties that want to lead their destination. In the free audit we recommend the one that fits you.
Do you work with my destination?
Yes. We work with properties across the United States, with a focus on the East Coast: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Atlanta. Local SEO doesn’t depend on where we are, but on how your guest searches.
Your first step
Your next guests are searching for you on Google.
Start with a free audit of your property: we show you where you stand today and how to win direct bookings. No strings attached.
- Verifiable work every monthA report with what was done and what moved.
- Limited portfolioWe take on the businesses we can serve well.
- Reply within 24-48 hA real answer, not an automated one.