Feeling the pinch of Google’s latest core update?
Search engine optimization is a critical part of any hotel’s digital marketing strategy. With almost three out of four travel bookings are now done online, having a strong Google presence can be one of the biggest factors contributing to the success of any given property. That’s why Google’s recent March 2024 Core Update deserves a lot of attention from the hospitality industry.
The March 2024 Core Update represents a significant change to Google’s search algorithms and policies. It aims to combat spam and low-quality content on the web. The rollout began earlier this month, with websites given a two-month window to comply with the new site reputation policy before potential penalties kick in.
So what exactly does this update entail? And what steps should hotels take to ensure they stay on Google’s good side?
Let’s break it down:
The primary building blocks
Most of the update focuses on making a fundamental change to how Google indexes and ranks content. Among these changes:
An improved ranking system: Google has refined its ranking systems to promote sites that offer a great user experience. It’s set up to prioritize content written with people, not search engines, as its primary audience. User satisfaction is the new benchmark for content success.
New spam policies: Content deemed “low quality” will face a more targeted demotion from top search results under the updated policies. Google is drawing a strong line against pages created solely for the “games” ranking.
Abuse of escalated content: A key focus of the update is the crackdown on mass production of unoriginal, low-quality work produced through automation tools or other lower-quality sources. Google wants to limit “content farms” that prioritize quantity over quality.
Abuse of site reputation: The update also aims to prevent trusted and reputable sites from hosting “spammy” third-party content just to take advantage of a given site’s established history of authority. Google considers this to be misleading to users.
Expired domain abuse: The practice of buying expired domains to increase the search ranking of low-quality sites will also be targeted. Domain history and trust signals are important.
Ultimately, it all adds up to Google working to combat troubling trends in online content in order to get everyone’s best digital footing, thereby attracting the most beneficial audience.
How hotels should respond
For years, Google’s advice on core updates has remained consistent: focus on creating engaging, high-quality content that truly fits your audience’s needs. This latest release simply reinforces that position, while providing more concrete examples of what Google considers “low-quality” material.
With this in mind, hotels should respond to the March 2024 update by:
Compelling Content Writing: Create web pages, blogs, and other materials that satisfy user intent by offering what people are actually looking for. Knowing and avoiding any of the spam tactics Google has asked for can help ensure your site finds the right audience.
Avoid AI-generated content: Artificial intelligence has made a lot of headlines lately for its apparent ability to create content instantly and out of thin air. It’s not exactly a magic wand, though. While using AI writing tools can be a valuable tool to help generate material, Google is clearly cracking down on the abuse of AI for the purpose of boosting search rankings. It will be better to lean towards human-created content when possible.
EEAT exhibition: Every piece of content should strive to build a four-pillar quality foundation. These pillars are: eexperience, eexperience, Aauthority i Toxidizability (abbreviated as EEAT). If your site contains questionable third-party content, it would be advisable to edit it (or even remove it completely) before May 5th to avoid possible penalties for manual actions, which can be difficult to recover from.
Focusing on quality over quantity: More content does not automatically mean better rankings. Simply flooding your site with walls of keyword-heavy copy no longer works. Instead, Google prioritizes creating accurate, high-quality content that provides real value and utility for your core audience.
Following Google’s best practices: Google provides extensive documentation on how to create content and websites that conform to their Search Essentials guidelines. You can learn more about these parameters in this link.
Ultimately, Google’s March 2024 Core Update reinforces what the search engine has prioritized for years: a great online experience for users. By cleaning out spam and low-quality pages, Google aims to show the most reliable, useful and relevant results for any given query.
For hotels in particular, this means a redoubled commitment to crafting quality content marketing that informs and engages travel buyers. Generic “filler” posts and thin, irrelevant content repurposed across hundreds of sites just won’t cut it anymore. User value must be the top priority now more than ever.
Need a hand to make sense of it all? Cendyn can help!
If you need a head start when auditing your hotel’s digital presence, updating your content strategy, or understanding hospitality SEO after that update, we recommend contact Cendyn today. Our experienced team of industry-savvy marketing experts can ensure your property stays ahead of the curve. We can also help you get the most out of your hotel’s advertising budget, customer engagement and marketing strategies, which is a direct path to improved guest satisfaction and increased revenue.
Apollos Gause – Innovator in SEO and growth. Connect with Apollos on LinkedIn.
About Cendyn
Cendyn is a global hospitality cloud-based technology company that enables hotels Find, book, grow – generate revenue, maximize profitability and create deeper connections with guests through its integrated solutions.
Serving hoteliers for nearly 30 years, Cendyn has more than 32,000 customers in more than 150 countries, including Outrigger Hospitality, Hyatt, IHG, Aman Resorts & Hotels, Relais & Châteaux, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Coraltree Hospitality and Onyx brands Hospitality Group. – generate more than $20 billion in annual hotel revenue. The company supports its growing customer base with offices around the world.
To know more, visit cendyn.com.
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