Keyword research for hotels: what guests are really searching for

«Hotel Zermatt» or «Hotel Luzern» — anyone who relies on Hotel SEO for terms like these alone is competing against the world's largest OTA platforms and has almost no chance of ranking well. Yet most guests today search far more specifically than many hoteliers assume. Those who understand what people are actually searching for can find a way past the big platforms straight to the guest.

The problem in everyday hotel practice

Many hotel websites are optimised for exactly the search terms that seem most obvious: the hotel's own name, the place name, perhaps «Hotel» plus a region. The problem: these generic terms are precisely the most fiercely contested on the entire web. Booking.com, Expedia and Tripadvisor have invested millions for years to rank at the very top for «Hotel Zermatt» or «Hotel Genf». A single hotel has almost no realistic chance against this market power. At the same time, many businesses overlook that a large share of guests who are actually ready to book search quite differently — with much more specific phrasing, where the competition is far smaller.

Current findings from research and practice

Several recent analyses of search behaviour in the travel and hotel sector show a consistent picture:

Almost 44 percent of all search queries with 1,000 to 9,999 monthly searches consist of three or more words — so-called long-tail search terms are therefore no longer a niche but a large part of actual search volume.
Long-tail search queries have a lower search volume per term, but a significantly higher conversion rate, because the intent behind them is clearer. Someone entering «family-friendly hotel with pool in Valais» is usually much closer to a booking than someone simply searching «Hotel Valais».
Guests increasingly describe their wishes in natural language rather than in individual keywords — driven by AI-based search systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Google's AI mode, where entire sentences are entered instead of keywords.
For a typical place name such as «Hotel Rosenheim», there are around 5,000 monthly search queries — for a more specific combination such as «Bio Hotel Berlin», often only around 100. This smaller search volume does not mean fewer chances of success: for these more specific terms, competition is often so low that a single hotel can realistically appear near the top.
Search queries with a clear reference to facilities, target group or occasion — such as «dog-friendly hotel near the airport» or «wellness hotel Allgäu with sauna» — signal a particularly high intent to book and can be addressed far more easily with targeted content than generic location searches.

What does this mean for your hotel?

1. Think in three search levels instead of just one

Generic search terms such as «Hotel Zermatt» form the highest but also the most fiercely contested level. Below that is a middle level with reference to facilities and target groups, such as «wellness hotel Zermatt with spa» or «family hotel Zermatt at the ski lift». The lowest but most valuable level consists of true long-tail phrases such as «boutique hotel Zermatt old town for couples with breakfast». Those who cover all three levels with matching content capture both reach and booking intent.

2. Use your own guest enquiries as a source of ideas

The questions guests ask every day on the phone, by email or at reception are often the most honest source of real search terms. «Is there parking directly at the hotel?» or «Is the room suitable for wheelchair users?» are phrases that are entered on Google in exactly the same way — and that translate excellently into your own content, for example a well-structured FAQ page.

3. Search Console shows what guests are already searching for

A free but rarely used tool: Search Console shows exactly which search terms users are already using to land on your own website — including ones you never actively optimised for. This data often provides surprising insights into which long-tail phrases are already working for your property and can be developed further.

Common mistakes

Optimisation focuses exclusively on the place name and hotel name. This puts you in direct competition with OTAs and major portals — a contest a single hotel can practically never win.
Long-tail search terms are ignored because of their low search volume. A low search volume per term does not mean low potential — taken together, many small, specific search queries often account for more traffic than a single major term, and the conversion rate is significantly higher.
Keywords are forced into texts instead of appearing naturally. Repeating search terms and squeezing them unnaturally into texts harms readability for guests and is increasingly rated worse by Google than clearly formulated, helpful content.

Conclusion

Hotel SEO does not begin with the question «How do I get to the top for ‹Hotel [Place]›?», but with the question «What are my guests actually asking?». Those who move away from generic location searches and instead specifically address the specific, often multi-word search queries that actually lead to a booking will find a way past the major OTA competition. The effort required is manageable — often a closer look at your own guest enquiries and the free data from Search Console is enough. A good occasion to look at your own keyword strategy from the perspective of the searching guest rather than your own.

Sources

Further articles

Local SEO for tourism regions: how small places compete against big names
Why ChatGPT recommends your hotel — if you have this one page on your website
Content clusters instead of individual articles: how tourism websites build topical authority
Do you really know your guests? Why buyer personas will matter more than ever in 2026