The digital landscape is constantly changing, and your hotel marketing needs to keep pace, and in 2025, this is more important than ever, with the search landscape shifting yet again.

Google continues to change how it ranks content, understands user intent, and presents search results, not to mention the rise of LLMs (ChatGPT, etc).

With all these changes, however, the fundamentals of SEO can’t be forgotten, and they’re more important than ever.

In this post, we’ll explore what’s new, what still works, and how independent hotels should adapt.

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What’s Changed in Hotel SEO in 2025

1. The Rise of Google’s AI Search (SGE)

We couldn’t write about SEO trends without mentioning AI. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is quickly gaining traction and changing the world of search. Instead of just listing websites in the results pages, Google now uses AI to provide instant answers and suggestions.

For hotels, this could mean you might see a dip in clicks, but it’s not all bad – you can still appear in those AI-generated summaries. Structuring your content well, focusing on helpful and factual information, and answering common questions can increase visibility in these overviews, boosting impressions from Google.

You can find out more about Google’s SGE here.

2. Google’s Helpful Content Update

As we’ve seen a lot recently, Google continues to prioritise people-first content that aligns with its EEAT principles: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust.

That means content that’s heavily AI-written or stuffed with keywords is being pushed out. For hotels, the focus, therefore, should be on creating content that’s genuine, relevant, and driven by your knowledge of the local area and your property. Avoid filler and prioritise content that serves a clear purpose and adds value.

3. Page Experience Still Matters

Expertly built hotel websites that load quickly, display well on mobile, and keep users engaged continue to be rewarded.

For hotels, that means:

  • Fast-loading pages
  • Clear calls to action
  • Minimal popups
  • An intuitive user journey

Make it easy for people to find what they’re looking for, and encourage them to stick around.

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What Still Works in Hotel SEO

1. Keyword-Optimised Content

Pages targeting specific keywords still drive highly relevant, high-converting traffic. Here, focus on user intent, what someone is actually hoping to find, and ensure these pages are detailed, well-structured, and genuinely useful.

2. Quality Content That Answers Questions

Whether it’s blog posts, travel guides, or FAQs, content that helps visitors plan their stay is incredibly valuable. If users have to leave your site to find an answer, that’s a bad signal, both for SEO and user experience. Write to answer questions.

3. Technical SEO

It’s still vital that your website is:

  • Easy to crawl and index
  • Free from broken links and duplicate pages
  • Structured with proper headings and meta tags

Don’t overlook the technical foundation, because it supports everything else.

4. Internal Linking

Use well-thought-out internal links to guide both users and search engines around your site. Links should feel contextual, natural, relevant, and genuinely helpful; don’t add them for the sake of it.

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How Independent Hotels Should Adapt

Focus on intent. Think about what people are actually searching for, and build pages that answer those questions.

Use schema markup. Structured data helps highlight your offering and can enhance visibility on the SERPs.

Regularly update key pages. Keep blogs and travel guides up to date to show relevance.

Optimise images. Use descriptive filenames and alt text, compress for speed, and make sure your visuals reflect the guest experience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in 2025

  • Relying on AI-written blogs with no real insight
  • Leaving out key local or property-specific details
  • Ignoring branded searches (e.g. “[Your Hotel] reviews”)
  • Using one giant homepage image with little to no supporting content
  • Skipping SEO audits or ignoring slow page speed

Final Thoughts

Hotel SEO in 2025 is about balancing modern search additions with tactics that have always, and will always, work. If your website is fast, helpful, well-structured, and genuinely useful, you’re already ahead of the curve.

Need a second pair of eyes on your SEO strategy? Let’s chat.