| There’s a Fifth Element to building online | | | | how many links there are currently to your site and |
| revenues from your hotel web site, and without it | | | | from which sites. Go to Yahoo and type in linkdomain: |
| you will never appear on page one of Google, Yahoo | | | | (replacing with your own URL) and hit the Search |
| or MSN for the highest volume search | | | | button. Now, before you get all excited, do the same |
| terms…a Fifth you say? And the first Four | | | | on Google…using the slightly different |
| Elements are? | | | | command link: …and you will see a much |
| Well, the first Four Elements are: a | | | | smaller number. Each of the Search Engines evaluates |
| search-engine-friendly technical site structure, rich | | | | and counts links differently and Google is the fussiest |
| original content, appealing design and conversion | | | | of them all. |
| techniques focussed on converting lookers to | | | | How many trusted, on theme, relevant links with the |
| bookers…but even if you get these first four | | | | right words in the anchor text (getting the hang of |
| completely right, and you can, you still won’t | | | | this now?) do you need to march your web pages |
| appear on page one of Google, Yahoo or MSN for | | | | up the rankings? Whilst it does depend on how |
| high traffic generating search terms. Highly frustrating | | | | competitive your keywords are, about 30 links |
| I know - been there, done that, got the t-shirt; this is | | | | recognised by Google, and 600 on Yahoo and MSN |
| the answer you have been looking for… | | | | will suffice…and adding about 100 a month |
| The Fifth Element has nothing to do with anything | | | | means six months work and a lot of patience, |
| actually on you hotel web site; the Fifth Element | | | | although you will start to see results within a few |
| involves actively building more Inbound Links to your | | | | weeks. And please don’t try to add 600 links |
| web site from other web sites. In the simplest of | | | | in a week (or sign up for those “1000 links |
| terms, a Search Engine sees a link to your web site | | | | for $19.95 in a week” services); the Search |
| as being like a vote of confidence in your web site. | | | | Engines are smart enough to know the difference |
| Search Engines believe that if other websites are | | | | between reasonable, “natural” link |
| linking to your web pages, you must have something | | | | growth (some acceleration is acceptable) and web |
| good to link to and they will rate the page being | | | | sites that are trying to fudge the results and |
| linked to positively. | | | | compensate for that. |
| Search Engine robots or spiders continuously travel | | | | So, how do you go about building more Inbound |
| virally from web site to web site following links like an | | | | Links? Here are three simple, easy methods to start |
| enormous daisy chain; in fact Search Engines initially | | | | with: |
| discover your web site via a link from another web | | | | • talk to you suppliers and ask them to link to |
| site. Once your hotel web site has been found, each | | | | your web site…your suppliers web sites are |
| page of your site is then ranked by Search Engines | | | | likely to be on theme (they supply your industry), |
| based on a complex set of criteria known as an | | | | somewhat “trusted” (don’t |
| algorithm; a piece of computer code that takes into | | | | we all trust our suppliers) and will more than likely be |
| consideration on-site and off-site factors collected by | | | | happy to phrase the link text exactly the way you |
| the robots or spiders. Data is then assembled, | | | | want (and if you add this request into your final |
| collated and evaluated in order to come up with a | | | | negotiations it is difficult for them to say no) |
| Page Score or Rank. This is how a search engine | | | | • encourage your Conference and Events |
| determines which sites to present when someone | | | | team to ask their clients to link to your hotel web |
| types in “Hong Kong hotel with harbour | | | | site, that is, the venue for their upcoming |
| view” or “New York five star lodging | | | | conference, event or meeting…not so strong |
| near Wall Street”. | | | | on theme but usually they are trusted corporate or |
| All things being equal, when two hotel web sites have | | | | association sites and again, if you supply them with |
| similar structure and content, the site with the best | | | | the link and anchor text, there’s a pretty |
| links will be served up first. Note that I wrote | | | | good chance that they will simply add the link |
| “best links” not “most | | | | verbatim |
| links”. Some time ago, a site with the | | | | • talk to your local partners, attractions and |
| “most links” would have won out, | | | | neighbours and ask them to link to you…they |
| however, although Search Engines may be blind to | | | | will be on theme (destination), relevant etc etc |
| images, they are not blind to webmasters | | | | You may be asked to provide a link back, and that is |
| manipulating their algorithms. They are continuously | | | | fine, but the preferred result is a “one way |
| fine tuning their spiders to exclude web sites that | | | | link” to your pages. In simple terms |
| attempt to “fudge” their results. | | | | “links in” minus “links |
| Remember that a Search Engine’s prime | | | | out” gives you a net link value from the |
| function is to deliver highly relevant results, not some | | | | Search Engines (in reality its more complex than that). |
| mysterious pharmaceutical products when you are | | | | Naturally, there is a lot more to building more Inbound |
| searching for that “boutique London hotel | | | | Links…we haven’t touched on |
| near Knightsbridge”. | | | | submitting to web directories, outbound links to |
| Search Engines today take into consideration several | | | | trusted sites, reciprocal links, link exchanges, buying |
| additional factors when rating Inbound Links to your | | | | links, renting links…in highly competitive online |
| site: | | | | markets you may need to use all of these tools and |
| • the reputation or “Trust” | | | | more. |
| value of sites linking to your hotel web site | | | | Oh, and sorry, but there IS a Sixth Element to |
| • the Theme or Relevance of sites linking to | | | | consider as you work your way up to page one on |
| you | | | | Google for your main keywords…patience. |
| • the “Anchor Text” (the | | | | You just can’t hurry along the Search |
| words that the link is embedded within) in links to | | | | Engines. The same way that the very best chefs |
| your site | | | | know that you need time and patience to create a |
| Trust – for example, a link from a | | | | culinary masterpiece, so you will need time and |
| government tourism site is highly trusted by Search | | | | patience to work your web site up to page one for |
| Engines, is “on theme” and will most | | | | your optimum search terms. There is no |
| likely have anchor text including your hotel name (and | | | | “quick fix” and anyone who promises |
| “destination + hotel” if you have been | | | | to achieve “a page one listing for high volume |
| e-smart or have read ahead). | | | | keywords in a month for $49.95” is a liar. |
| Theme or Relevance – a link from a | | | | Yes, short term results can be achieved through |
| destination guide web site that may also list other | | | | certain “black hat” techniques and I |
| hotels in your region is “on theme”; a | | | | know a lot of them…but the risk of having |
| link from your local scout troop site is of little value; | | | | your web site banned from Google, Yahoo or MSN, is |
| not “no value” but little value. | | | | just too great. Remember, if it sounds too good to |
| Anchor Text - this is now so critical in maximising | | | | be true, it probably is. The Search Engines employ |
| your site’s appearance at the top of the | | | | some of the smartest software engineers on the |
| Search Engines Results Pages (SERP’s) that | | | | planet and they are light years ahead of anything you |
| we recommend that, for online purposes, that you | | | | could think up to fool them. |
| include your destination in your official property name | | | | Starting today, now, put into practice the simple |
| eg The Stafford “Paris Hotel”. The | | | | methods I have outlined above to build relevant, |
| terms “destination + hotel” are usually | | | | theme-based links with the right anchor |
| among the major search terms that online searchers | | | | text…and watch as your web site starts |
| use for locating their accommodation options. The | | | | heading North over the following few weeks and |
| result of this is that links to your site embedded in | | | | months. Assuming you have the first Four Elements |
| you property name will also, almost always, have | | | | in place, the results of implementing your own Fifth |
| “destination + hotel” in the anchor | | | | Element, an effective Inbound Link building program, |
| text. Having your keywords in the anchor text in links | | | | will be rapidly growing visitor traffic to your web site, |
| to your web site will help you climb up to page one | | | | increasing online revenues and growth in RevPOV |
| on the Search Engines. | | | | (Revenue Per Online Visit). And don’t forget |
| There are already some links to your site from other | | | | to add in that elusive Sixth Element, a little time and |
| web sites, you just don’t know who and | | | | patience. |
| how many. Helpfully, the Search Engines can tell you | | | | |