The short version
- Start by asking your booking engine or channel manager to send your rates to Google, so your own website shows up with a price next to Booking.com and Expedia.
- Google says the prices and booking links on a hotel profile come from Hotel Ads and free booking links, and clicks on free booking links cost you nothing.
- Since May 12, 2025, the FTC requires lodging businesses that advertise a price to show the total price with all mandatory fees, such as resort or cleaning fees, upfront.
- Online travel agencies typically charge independent properties 15 to 30% or more per booking, so every guest who books on your site keeps that money with you.
- is the typical commission range online travel agencies charge per booking, depending on platform, market and your bargaining power.
- 15 to 30%
- Cloudbeds
- of consumers now use ChatGPT or other AI tools for local business recommendations, up from 6% a year earlier.
- 45%
- BrightLocal
Build your SEO plan for hotels
Choose what to tackle first. Your business details fill the templates, and completed checklist tasks leave your next-task list.
Your next tasks
1
Claim your hotel profile and fill in Hotel Details
Your Google profile is where travelers compare you with the hotel down the road before they ever reach a booking site. Google fills in amenities on its own, and wrong ones cost you bookings.
Start here: Go to business.google.com, find your property and finish verification. Estimated time: 45 min.
2
Get your own rate next to the booking sites
Without a connected partner, your profile shows OTA prices but no price for your own site. Google says clicks on free booking links cost nothing, so this is the cheapest direct booking you can get.
Start here: Ask your booking engine, channel manager or property management system whether it is integrated with Google free booking links. Estimated time: 30 min.
3
Show the full price and a reason to book direct
The FTC rule on fees requires lodging businesses to show the total price, with mandatory fees, more prominently than other prices. A clear total and a simple perk give guests a reason to finish booking on your site.
Start here: Open your own booking page and check that the first price shown includes every mandatory fee, such as a resort, cleaning or service fee. Estimated time: 45 min.
Your personalized template
Business Profile, Edit profile, Business information, Description Fill the bracketed details with your own facts.
Google Business Profile description
Your Business is an independent [hotel, inn or B&B] in Your City with [number] rooms, [walking distance or drive time] from [main sight or downtown]. Every room has [two or three room features], and guests start the day with [breakfast details]. We offer [parking details], [pet policy] and [one standout amenity]. Our team lives in Your City and is happy to suggest places to eat, walk and explore. Book on our website to see the full price with every fee included, plus [direct booking perk]. Check-in is from [time] and checkout is by [time].
545 characters
Take the plan with you
Download your profession's tasks and templates. Your choices stay in this browser.
What the search data tells hotels
Aranx compared this page's 14 selected searches. Use the counts to compare customer needs, then choose a topic that fits what you offer. National counts do not tell you how many customers you can reach in your own service area.
Compare searches from people ready to act
- hotels near me
- 11,100,000
- bed and breakfast near me
- 40,500
- inns near me
- 27,100
These are the largest reported action searches in this sample, measured as average monthly US searches. A larger count does not mean a page is easier to rank. Match the page to the customer's actual question and your ability to help.
Use seasonality to decide when to prepare
For "hotels near me", July 2026 had 16,600,000 searches. November 2025 had 9,140,000. The peak was 1.8 times the low. Compare this pattern with your own season and customer history before scheduling content.
Sources, method and limits
Prepared by Aranx. Search source: Google Ads search volume via DataForSEO, United States, August 2026. We rechecked all 416 distinct customer queries across the 30 playbooks on October 13, 2026. Location: United States. Language: English. Search partners are excluded.
This is an editorial sample, not a complete list or a survey of businesses. Google Ads counts are approximate and can group similar phrases. Ad prices vary by place, time and advertiser. They do not measure organic ranking difficulty or expected revenue.
The seasonal comparison divides the highest monthly count by the lowest in the series. The action-search comparison sorts the reported average monthly counts for searches labeled ready to act. These are Aranx calculations, not customer results.
Download the source data for all playbooks or read the source metric definitions.
Cite this analysis: Aranx, "SEO for hotels: search demand analysis", October 13, 2026. Permanent link.
Measure room bookings over 90 days
Download the results worksheet from the planner. Record your baseline before changing anything. Track website search clicks, inquiries and room bookings in separate columns.
Use Search Console for website search clicks. Record the source people report and the outcome you can confirm. A click count alone does not show whether more people chose your business.
Note changes to pages, ads, pricing, availability and seasonality. Review the pattern after 90 days and choose your next task. Keep customer names and contact details out of the worksheet.
What your customers type into Google
These are real searches people make when they need hotels. The last column is what businesses pay Google for one ad click. When your page ranks on its own, you get that click for free.
| What they type | What they want | Searches a month | Ad price per click |
|---|---|---|---|
hotels near me Ready to book | Ready to book | 11,100,000 | $2.44 |
pet friendly hotels near me Comparing options | Comparing options | 74,000 | $3.04 |
bed and breakfast near me Ready to book | Ready to book | 40,500 | $1.17 |
inns near me Ready to book | Ready to book | 27,100 | $1.33 |
hotel deals Comparing options | Comparing options | 27,100 | $4.94 |
hotels with jacuzzi in room near me Comparing options | Comparing options | 22,200 | $2.10 |
romantic getaways near me Comparing options | Comparing options | 22,200 | $1.38 |
weekend getaways near me Comparing options | Comparing options | 18,100 | $1.34 |
boutique hotels near me Ready to book | Ready to book | 6,600 | $1.29 |
what is a boutique hotel Looking for answers | Looking for answers | 2,900 | $2.59 |
what is a bed and breakfast Looking for answers | Looking for answers | 1,900 | $0.58 |
what is a resort fee Looking for answers | Looking for answers | 1,300 | $0.03 |
bed and breakfast vs hotel Looking for answers | Looking for answers | 260 | $1.47 |
is it cheaper to book directly with hotel Looking for answers | Looking for answers | 50 | $1.67 |
Google Ads search volume via DataForSEO, United States, August 2026.
When people search for “hotels near me”
Searches for hotels near me sat at 9.14 million a month from November to February and peaked at 16.6 million in July, so finish your photos, room pages and Google rates by April.
Busiest month: July 2026 with 16,600,000 searches.
Your first week: five tasks
Start here. None of these needs a developer. Tick each task when it is done. Your progress stays in this browser.
0 of 5 done
Claim your hotel profile and fill in Hotel Details
45 min
Your Google profile is where travelers compare you with the hotel down the road before they ever reach a booking site. Google fills in amenities on its own, and wrong ones cost you bookings.
- Go to business.google.com, find your property and finish verification.
- Pick the most specific category, such as Bed & breakfast, Inn or Motel, instead of plain Hotel when that fits better.
- Make the name match your sign exactly. Do not add words like "near the airport" or "with pool".
- Select Hotel Details, search for each amenity you offer, such as free breakfast, parking, pet rooms or EV charging, and select Save.
- Do not look for a way to set hours. Google treats hotels as open 24 hours and does not let you edit them.
- If your class rating or check-in times are wrong, contact Google Business Profile support from the Help menu.
Get your own rate next to the booking sites
30 min
Without a connected partner, your profile shows OTA prices but no price for your own site. Google says clicks on free booking links cost nothing, so this is the cheapest direct booking you can get.
- Ask your booking engine, channel manager or property management system whether it is integrated with Google free booking links.
- If yes, ask them to start sending your rates and availability to Google for your property.
- If no, use the partner finder at travel.google/partners/hotels/find-a-partner to compare systems that are.
- Make sure the landing page they use goes straight to your booking page with dates filled in.
- A week later, search your hotel name on Google and check that your site appears in the price list.
Show the full price and a reason to book direct
45 min
The FTC rule on fees requires lodging businesses to show the total price, with mandatory fees, more prominently than other prices. A clear total and a simple perk give guests a reason to finish booking on your site.
- Open your own booking page and check that the first price shown includes every mandatory fee, such as a resort, cleaning or service fee.
- Taxes can be shown separately, but list them before the guest pays.
- Read your OTA contracts for a rate parity clause before you offer a lower price on your own site.
- If parity applies, offer a perk instead of a discount, such as free parking, breakfast, late checkout or a room upgrade when available.
- Add a short "Why book direct" box next to your booking button with those perks.
Ask every departing guest for a Google review
30 min
Many of your reviews end up on the booking sites, where you do not control the page. BrightLocal found 68% of consumers only use businesses with four stars or more, so your own Google rating needs a steady supply.
- Get your review link or QR code from your Business Profile.
- Add the link to your checkout email, sent the afternoon of departure.
- Put a small card with the QR code at the front desk or in the room, next to the Wi-Fi details.
- Ask every guest the same way at checkout, including direct and OTA guests.
- Do not offer a discount, free night or gift for a review. Google prohibits reviews tied to any reward.
Reply to your last 20 reviews on Google and Tripadvisor
1 hour
BrightLocal found 89% of consumers expect owners to reply to reviews. A calm, specific reply under a bad review tells the next guest more than the review itself.
- Open the reviews in your Business Profile and on Tripadvisor and sort by newest.
- Reply to every review from the last three months.
- Name the detail the guest mentioned, such as the breakfast, the view or a staff member, and sign with your name.
- For complaints, say what you fixed and give a direct phone number or email.
- Never confirm room numbers, stay dates, charges or who the guest traveled with in a public reply.
Your 90-day SEO plan for hotels
After the first week, work through one phase at a time. Most businesses see their Google Business Profile move first and their website pages later.
Weeks 1 to 2
Fix your Google profile and rates
Make your profile complete and get your own price showing on Google.
- Finish the five first-week tasks above.
- Upload photos of every room type, each bathroom, breakfast, the outside at dusk and the view.
- If your restaurant, bar or spa is open to the public, give it its own Business Profile with a different name.
- Add your sustainability practices in Google if you have any. Google offers a section for them.
- Paste the business description template below and fill in the brackets.
Weeks 3 to 4
Make the website book rooms
Turn your site into a place guests can compare rooms and book without leaving.
- Build one page per room type with photos, bed size, max guests, view and the starting total price.
- Change your homepage title to match the search preview above.
- Put the booking button in the same spot on every page, and test the full booking on your phone.
- Write a "Getting here" page with drive times from the nearest airport, highway exit and main sights.
- Test your homepage and room pages in PageSpeed Insights, then set up Google Search Console.
Month 2
Line up every listing
Make every site that lists you show the same facts and photos.
- Claim your Tripadvisor listing and update photos, amenities and your website link.
- Check that Booking.com and Expedia show the same name, address, phone, room names and policies as your site.
- Claim Apple Business Connect and Bing Places.
- Ask your local tourism office and chamber of commerce to list you with a link to your site.
- If you run an inn or B&B, look at Select Registry and your state inn or B&B association, which list member properties.
Month 3
Publish for the trips people plan
Rank for the trip reasons and questions travelers type before they pick a place.
- Publish a pet policy page if you take pets. Pet friendly hotels near me averaged 74,000 searches a month.
- Publish a romantic getaway package page before winter. Romantic getaways near me peaked at 40,500 searches in January.
- Write two local guide posts from the ideas below.
- Email past direct guests two months before your busy season with a simple offer.
- Each month, write down how many bookings came direct and how many came from each OTA.
Copy-paste templates
Edit the parts in brackets, then paste. Each template follows the platform's rules and character limits.
Fill in your details once. Every template updates.
Google Business Profile description
Business Profile, Edit profile, Business information, Description
Your Business is an independent [hotel, inn or B&B] in Your City with [number] rooms, [walking distance or drive time] from [main sight or downtown]. Every room has [two or three room features], and guests start the day with [breakfast details]. We offer [parking details], [pet policy] and [one standout amenity]. Our team lives in Your City and is happy to suggest places to eat, walk and explore. Book on our website to see the full price with every fee included, plus [direct booking perk]. Check-in is from [time] and checkout is by [time].
545 characters
Review request text or email
Checkout text or email, sent the afternoon the guest leaves
Thank you for staying with us at Your Business. If you have a minute, a short Google review helps other travelers find a small hotel in Your City. [review link] If anything was not right, reply here and I will call you. [Your name]
231 characters
Reply to a negative review
Google and Tripadvisor review replies. Never confirm room numbers, dates, charges or companions in public.
Hi [first name], thank you for taking the time to write this. I am sorry [issue in general terms] fell short. That is not how we want anyone to feel at Your Business. We have [specific fix, such as replaced the mattresses or changed the breakfast hours]. I would like to hear more and make it right. Please call me at [phone] or email [email]. [Your name], owner
363 characters
Room type page outline
One page per room type on your website
Title tag [Room name] at Your Business | Your City Page heading [Room name], [bed type], sleeps [number] 1. Photos. Six or more, including the bathroom and the view. 2. The basics. Bed size, room size, max guests, floor and accessibility. 3. In the room. Bath or shower, jetted tub, coffee, desk, TV, fireplace. 4. Price. Starting total price per night with every mandatory fee included. 5. Policies. Pets, kids, minimum stay, cancellation. 6. Book button with dates, plus your direct booking perks. 7. Two or three short guest quotes about this room, with permission.
570 characters
Why book direct box
Next to the booking button on your website
Book direct with Your Business and get: - [Perk 1, such as free parking] - [Perk 2, such as late checkout when available] - The full price upfront, with every fee included - A direct line to our front desk in Your City for any change
233 characters
12 blog posts your customers are searching for
Each post answers a question people ask Google before they choose a business. One helpful post a week adds up to a site that ranks for hundreds of searches.
Traveling with your dog: our pet rooms, fees and nearby trails
Search: “pet friendly hotels near me”Comparing options
Rooms with a jetted tub, with photos and how to book them
Search: “hotels with jacuzzi in room near me”Comparing options
Our romantic getaway package, and exactly what is included
Search: “romantic getaways near me”Comparing options
A two-day weekend getaway plan, with where to eat and walk
Search: “weekend getaways near me”Comparing options
Where to stay near downtown, with walking times from our door
Search: “hotels near me”Ready to book
What breakfast looks like here, and what each room includes
Search: “bed and breakfast near me”Ready to book
When our direct rates are lowest, month by month
Search: “hotel deals”Comparing options
What is a boutique hotel, and how is it different from a chain?
Search: “what is a boutique hotel”Looking for answers
What is a bed and breakfast? What to expect on your first stay
Search: “what is a bed and breakfast”Looking for answers
Bed and breakfast vs hotel, and how to choose for your trip
Search: “bed and breakfast vs hotel”Looking for answers
What is a resort fee, and why our price includes every fee
Search: “what is a resort fee”Looking for answers
Is it cheaper to book directly with a hotel? Our honest answer
Search: “is it cheaper to book directly with hotel”Looking for answers
No time to write them?
Aranx finds the searches your customers make, writes posts like these in your voice with images and links, and publishes them to your WordPress or Shopify blog on a schedule you set.
See how Aranx worksHow to show up in ChatGPT and Google AI answers
Travelers now ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews for very specific stays, such as "quiet inn within two hours of Boston with a fireplace and dog-friendly rooms." BrightLocal found 45% of consumers use ChatGPT or other AI tools for local recommendations, up from 6% a year earlier. These answers name a few places, so details decide who gets picked.
Give the tools facts they can repeat. Fill in every amenity in Hotel Details on Google. Build one page per room type that lists beds, tubs, views, pet rules and the full price. Make your Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Expedia listings say the same thing as your site, because a traveler who checks will see any mismatch.
Test it once a month. Ask ChatGPT and Google for the kind of stay you sell in your area, such as "romantic B&B near [your town]." If you are missing, look at which sites the answer cites, then claim or update those listings and add the missing detail to your room pages.
Listings and directories to consider
Customers find you on these sites, and Google checks them to confirm your business details. Use the same name, address and phone number on every one.
Google Hotel Center partner finder(opens in a new tab)
Lists booking engines and channel managers that can send your rates to Google, so your own site shows a price on your profile.
Tripadvisor(opens in a new tab)
Claiming your free listing is the first step to manage photos, details and review replies in the Tripadvisor Management Center.
Booking.com for Partners(opens in a new tab)
Commission-based, so keep it for reach, but make the details match your site and Google profile exactly.
Expedia Group Partner Central(opens in a new tab)
Commission-based like Booking.com. Check that room names, photos and policies match your own site.
Select Registry(opens in a new tab)
A membership portfolio of boutique hotels, B&Bs and inns. Worth a look if you run a small inn that fits its standards.
Apple Business Connect(opens in a new tab)
Controls how your property looks in Apple Maps and Siri, which iPhone travelers use for directions.
Bing Places(opens in a new tab)
Controls your listing on Bing search and maps. You can import your Google profile to set it up quickly.
5 SEO mistakes hotels make
No price for your own site on Google
If only OTAs show prices on your profile, ask your booking engine to connect to Google free booking links, or switch to a system that can.
Hiding the resort or cleaning fee
The FTC fees rule requires the total price with mandatory fees to be the most prominent price. Show it on your site and in every ad.
Location words in your Google name
Google lists names like "Holiday Inn (I-93 at Exit 2)" as not acceptable. Use the name on your sign and put location details in the description.
Hotel restaurant in the same profile
Google wants a restaurant or bar inside a hotel to have its own profile with a different name, if the public can visit it.
Undercutting OTAs without reading the contract
Some OTA contracts include a rate parity clause. Check yours, and offer perks like parking or breakfast if you cannot offer a lower price.
Questions hotels ask about SEO
How long does SEO take for a hotel or inn?
Profile fixes and photos can show within days. Getting your own rate on Google depends on your booking partner, and Google says your profile needs to be complete first. Ranking your website for searches like "romantic getaways near me" usually takes three months or more of room pages, guides and reviews. Start before your slow season so the work is in place when searches rise in spring and summer.
Can a small hotel really win bookings away from Booking.com and Expedia?
You will probably still need the OTAs for reach, and that is fine. The goal is to win the guests who already found you and are deciding where to click. Put your own rate on Google with free booking links, show the full price on your site, add a perk for booking direct and email past guests. Track the share of direct bookings each month so you can see whether it moves.
Should I pay for Google Hotel Ads?
Start with free booking links, which Google says cost nothing per click. Paid hotel ads are an optional extra step in Google Hotel Center and make sense once your free link works and you know what a direct booking is worth to you. For context, "hotels near me" cost about $2.44 a click in our data, and that is before a single booking.
Why can't I change my hotel's hours or star rating on Google?
Google treats hotels as open 24 hours, so hotel profiles do not have editable business hours. Google also sets the class rating for hotels it has evaluated. If your rating is wrong or missing, or your check-in times are wrong, contact Google Business Profile support. Put your check-in and checkout times in your description and on your website too.
Do I have to include resort or cleaning fees in my advertised price?
Yes, if the fee is mandatory. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees requires hotels, motels, inns and short-term rentals that advertise a price to show the total price, including mandatory fees, more prominently than other prices. Taxes can be left out of that total, but you must disclose them before the guest pays.
Can I give a discount or free night for a Google review?
No. Google prohibits reviews influenced by a payment, discount, free goods or services, and it treats offering them as fake and misleading content. You can ask every guest for an honest review in your checkout email, with a card in the room or at the front desk. Ask everyone the same way, including guests who booked through an OTA.
What should I do with my Google profile if I close for the winter?
Google's guidelines say seasonal businesses should keep their regular details during the season and mark the profile temporarily closed in the off-season. Say in your description which months you are open. Keep your website live with your opening date and a way to book ahead, and reopen the profile the week you open.
Does my hotel restaurant need its own Google profile?
If people who are not staying with you can eat or drink there, yes. Google lists a restaurant, cafe or bar inside a hotel as a business that should have its own profile with a different name and its own category. The hotel profile should keep the hotel category only. This lets the restaurant show up for local dinner searches on its own.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Manage your hotel's details
- Google Hotel Center Help: Hotel owners (Step 2: Share your rates)
- Google Hotel Center Help: About hotel free booking links
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews
- Federal Trade Commission: The Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees: Frequently Asked Questions
- Cloudbeds: A guide to OTA commission rates in 2026
- BrightLocal: Local Consumer Review Survey 2026
Search data: Google Ads search volume via DataForSEO, United States, August 2026. Facts checked on .