How do I do keyword research for a hotel?
Short answer
Hotel keyword research starts with what travellers actually ask and search, not with a tool's volume estimates. Collect guest questions from your team, reviews, and enquiries; look at the queries already bringing impressions in Search Console; and note the specific combinations travellers use — location, audience, amenities, occasions. Group searches by intent (planning, choosing, booking), then map each group to one page: a room page, location page, offer, or guide. Use third-party volume figures only as rough, labelled estimates, and judge success by your own Search Console data.
By Lodging Engine Editorial Team· Reviewed by Eric Zwanenburg· Last reviewed
Sources of real search language
- Search Console Performance report: queries already showing your pages, with impressions and clicks.
- Guest questions: emails, calls, chat, front desk.
- Reviews: words guests use to describe what mattered.
- Booking data: why people chose you, who they are, when they travel.
- Search suggestions and related searches for your area (as ideas, not data).
Types of hotel searches
| Type | Example | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | "[hotel name]" | Homepage |
| Location + type | "boutique hotel [old town]" | Homepage / location page |
| Need | "hotel with parking near [landmark]" | Location or amenity page |
| Audience | "family hotel [area] with pool" | Audience or room page |
| Occasion | "[festival] hotel" | Event page |
| Planning | "how to get to [area] from the airport" | Guide |
Map one topic to one page
Avoid several pages competing for the same intent. Decide which page should rank for each group, and make it the most complete answer.
Be careful with volume estimates
Third-party tools estimate search volume and difficulty differently and can be far off for local hotel queries. If you use them, treat figures as rough comparisons and label them as estimates. Your own Search Console data is first-party and more reliable for queries you already appear for.
Use the language in titles and content
Use the words travellers use in titles, headings, and body copy — naturally. Google warns against keyword stuffing in titles.
Common mistakes
- Targeting only "hotels in [city]".
- Building pages around estimated volumes with no guest evidence.
- Several pages for the same search.
Checklist
- Guest questions collected
- Search Console queries reviewed
- Searches grouped by intent
- One page mapped per group
- Volume estimates labelled as estimates
Sources
- Performance report (Search results): overview — Search Console Help
- SEO Starter Guide: the basics — Google Search Central
- Influencing title links in Google Search — Google Search Central