How to get your property to the top of every search

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February 27, 2026 by

Getting your property to the top of the search engine results page (SERP) can increase traffic to your website and net more direct bookings. Google understands that users are most likely to use their search engine and click on results when they can trust they’ll find what they’re looking for, whether it’s an ad or an organic result. To get your property to the top of relevant searches, you need to implement strategies that show Google that your site has exactly what its users want: helpful, reliable, quality, people-first content. 

Google is invested in serving technically sound, quality landing pages that match the context of a user’s search. Users trust Google to deliver highly relevant search results full of landing pages that are easy-to-navigate and give them the experiences they’re looking for. Maintaining this trust with its users is crucial for Google to keep its status as the most reputable and highly trafficked search engine in the world. With over 90% of the global search engine market share, demonstrable user trust is precisely what allows Google to attract its customers: the advertisers. 

At the end of the day, the real people providing value to your business are the same ones providing value to Google. So, to rank higher in Google search results, your site needs to demonstrate that it is precisely what those very real people you’re targeting are going to Google to look for. Take a three-pronged, people-first approach to improve your search engine ranking.

  1. Ensure that your site has strong technical health.
  2. Optimize your site for helpfulness, reliability, and quality.
  3. Provide search engines and AI bots with signals for the context of the site.

Ensure that your site has strong technical health

Before Google can show your site, it needs to establish that the users it shows your site to will have a good experience. Users are more likely to lose confidence in search results when they experience page errors, slow page load speeds, difficult site navigation, and other technical errors from pages they’ve been served by Google, diminishing their trust in the search engine. To protect user trust, Google prioritizes serving sites devoid of major technical errors.

Keep your site free of major errors like the ones listed here to make certain that search engines and AI bots can reach your content.

  • Fix broken links and page errors like 404s.
  • Ensure search engine crawlers and AI bots are not blocked.
  • Maintain a clear, logical site structure with internal links and updated sitemaps.
  • Improve mobile friendliness and site speed.
  • Hide outdated content from the SERP.

A healthy site devoid of technical errors gives Google confidence that it’s serving users with a solid landing page experience and relays to AI systems that the information on the site is likely to be valuable and authoritative. Ultimately, Google sees sites with strong technical health as reliable for its users.

Optimize your site for helpfulness, reliability, and quality

At the heart of it, people go to Google to be connected with sources that are helpful, reliable, and get to the gist of their query. Design and optimize your site with the experience of the very real people that patronize your business in mind. Doing so will signal to Google that your site provides quality to users. 

Try these suggestions to improve your site’s content by optimizing for a people-first experience.

  • Use human-centered content and conversational, natural-sounding copy.
  • Expand content depth to provide helpful answers for your prospective guests.
  • Publish content surrounding your local area and particulars about your business.
  • Build itineraries and travel guides for people planning to visit your area.
  • Add thorough FAQ content, including a dedicated FAQ page, Q&A sections on key pages, and applicable schema markup.

Everything you do to your site should improve your user’s experience or make it easier for them to find your content. Google rewards sites that are more likely to be relevant, helpful, and appealing to users by pushing them to the top of search results.

Provide search engines and AI bots with signals for the context of the site

Optimizing for search engines/AI and for a people-first experience are complementary pursuits. You can provide signals directly to search engines and AI bots to tell them about your site and the content on your page. While implementing these signals, it’s important to center people-first practices to not sacrifice page quality. 

Give AI bots and search engines rich, contextual signals by using the following methods:

  • Practice traditional SEO strategies with a strong keyword focus and page element optimization.
  • Implement schema markup across your site and on FAQ content.
  • Regularly update the information on your social media accounts and local listings to ensure accuracy and clarity.
  • Practice PR-minded online behaviors by engaging with content about your property on social media, in forums, and across the web.
  • Keep an active online presence by responding to reviews in a timely manner, making use of Google Business Posts, and posting regular, unique content on social media and on your site.

Rich, contextual signals help search engines and AI bots to interpret your content with clarity and understand its relationship to user queries. By explicitly providing these signals, you make it easier for Google to match your property with relevant searches. These signals greatly incentivize Google to place you at the top of searches coming from users who are more likely to convert.

Is this approach still applicable with AI searches?

Yes, a people-first approach is still applicable in the age of AI. Google has even said so itself in its Google Search SEO documentation, “You can apply the same foundational SEO best practices for AI features as you do for Google Search overall: making sure the page meets the technical requirements for Google Search, following Search policies, and focusing on the key best practices, such as creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.” 

Google’s foundation of user trust has not changed. Neither has what the search engine considers to be a relevant, quality landing page. As such, a people-first approach is the best method to reach the top of relevant searches.
In your pursuit to rank your site higher on Google, the team at GCommerce Solutions is here to help. We can provide additional resources, audit your site to find how it currently matches up, and offer thorough, practical solutions to reach your goals, whatever they may be. Tell us what goals you’re pursuing, and we’ll find a way to help you achieve them.

Improving AI search visibility: A practical action guide for your hotel

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February 27, 2026 by

Improving AI search visibility: A practical action guide for your hotel

We’ve all heard it by now. AI search is the future, and your hotel’s discoverability is becoming increasingly dependent on visibility within AI search results. But what can you do about it?

Like many other marketing channels, the factors that impact AI search visibility fall under a variety of categories and optimizations, requiring a comprehensive multi-channel strategy to achieve success. But don’t let that scare you! While AI search visibility isn’t an exact science, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your hotel’s standings.

Here’s our list of the most important actions to take when trying to improve your hotel’s AI search visibility.

At a glance

There are 5 main categories where your hotel can optimize for improved AI search visibility:

  1. Website content
  2. Local business listings
  3. Schema
  4. Website structure
  5. Link network

We’ll dive into more detail with the rest of this article, but here are our top recommendations for each category:

Website content

AI models prioritize sources with a large volume and wide variety of content. Websites that cover a range of topics, and websites with a large amount of information to source from, are more likely to appear in AI search results. 

AI models also prefer page content that is reliable and thoroughly researched. Including links, quotes, and statistics into your web content can improve your website’s credibility, and therefore your hotel’s AI search visibility.

The contents of your website matter too. AI models prefer conversational, simple language to better align with their more casual search responses. They also prioritize easy-to-digest content, with a special preference towards high-demand items such as photos and frequently asked questions. 

Here are the immediate steps you can take to improve your hotel’s website content:

  • Start a blog to broaden your website’s scope and page count.
    • Cover topics around your hotel’s offerings and special features, things to do in the area, local events, and anything else that potential guests might be searching for.
  • Add quotes and statistics to your webpages.
    • For hotels, guest reviews and third-party articles are a great source of AI-friendly quotes.
  • Incorporate a more conversational tone into your content.
    • If formal language is a strong part of your hotel’s branding, consider simplifying some sentences to emulate a more casual tone without sacrificing brand voice.
  • Create or expand a photo gallery.
    • Prioritize high-quality imagery that features the most notable and unique aspects of your hotel. This may include dining options, waterfront views, or even amenities such as a pool or hot tub. 
  • Create or expand FAQs for your hotel.
    • Develop FAQs based on actual guest feedback and your own AI searches to determine what information your hotel’s potential guests are really looking for.
    • A standalone FAQ page is most impactful and may help your hotel’s visibility in traditional search, along with AI search results.
    • It’s also beneficial to add a set of 3-5 FAQs on topically relevant URLs. For example, add a few rooms-related questions to your hotel’s “Accommodations” page or include restaurant-related FAQs on the “Dining” page.

Local business listings

When recommending businesses, AI models tend to rely heavily on local listings such as Google Business Profile. Both business information and customer sentiment from these listings are used by AI models to offer the best options to users within AI search results.

Therefore, it’s incredibly important to optimize and maintain your hotel’s local listings over time. The following tactics are likely to increase your hotel’s AI search visibility, especially when completed on an ongoing basis:

  • Audit and update your hotel’s local business listings to ensure accurate and up-to-date information.
    • Be sure to prioritize listing accuracy on the following websites:
    • Sign up for a local listings management service to add and update your business information across hundreds of websites simultaneously, including those listed above. Examples of these services include:
  • Increase your hotel’s review count across various websites. Potential ways to generate reviews include:
    • Post on-property signage asking guests to leave a review.
    • Encourage guests to leave a review within post-stay emails or receipts.
    • Provide direct review links and QR codes to make the review process seamless for guests.
    • Be cautious with incentives such as discounts, loyalty points, or giveaways based on reviews. This may violate platform guidelines or terms of service, leading to penalties for your hotel’s listings.
  • Improve your hotel’s review rating across various websites. To achieve this, try the following:
    • Respond to your hotel’s reviews. For the most significant impact, follow the best practices outlined in our article on How to respond to Google reviews.
    • Provide an easy way for guests to offer negative feedback to your hotel directly. If guests can privately address issues with your staff or on your website, this may bypass the need to post a public negative review.
    • Take negative feedback from guests into consideration, and make an effort to solve recurring issues within your hotel’s operations.

Schema

Schema variables outline your hotel’s offerings and web content in a way that’s easy for AI models to read and digest. By incorporating well-structured, clean schema into your website, you increase the chances of showing up within AI search results.

Keep the following in mind when implementing schema variables:

  • For hotels, the following schema types are most beneficial:
    • Local Business schema outlines information about your hotel, dining establishments, and other offerings such as spas and golf courses.
    • Product schema can be used to describe room types, offers, and packages.
    • FAQ schema is an important element for hotels, especially when used in tandem with an FAQ landing page on your website.
    • Article schema highlights blog posts, press releases, and third-party buzz about your hotel.
  • Where possible, incorporate a somewhat conversational tone and allude to topics where you want to improve AI search visibility. Similar to on-page content, highly relevant and easy-to-use schema variables increase your hotel’s likelihood of appearing in AI search results.
  • Make sure to keep your schema variables up-to-date with the most recent information about your hotel. 

Website structure

AI models are fairly efficient at reading website content and understanding code. However, a clean and optimized website structure reduces friction, making it easier for AI models to digest your content correctly and thereby increasing your AI search visibility.

For optimal performance within AI search results, consider these website elements:

  • Add bot-friendly documentation to your website, including the following:
    • Implement an llms.txt document, used by Large Language Models (LLMs) to find your most important and relevant content.
    • Create a sitemap.xml file outlining all URLs on your website for maximum discoverability.
    • Highlight your sitemap.xml file in a robots.txt document so it’s easy for AI models to find.
  • Resolve technical issues such as:
    • Redirect 404 pages to land on live content.
    • Update outdated and broken links to include up-to-date URLs.
    • Remove and redirect outdated webpages to ensure fresh, accurate content.
    • Minimize duplicate content across webpages, title tags, and meta descriptions.
  • Optimize your website’s code, with a particular focus on the following:
    • Utilize a clean, intuitive, sub-folder structure so navigation of your website is seamless.
    • Ensure that website elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, and H1s are placed in the correct order and location of your code.
    • Improve your website’s average page speed to reduce friction for AI models.
  • The following tools may help you maintain your website’s technical health:
    • Identify potential issues with your website’s structure using site audit and SEO crawling tools from SEMRush and Screaming Frog.
    • Yoast SEO and RankMath offer creation and management features for llms.txt, sitemap.xml, and robots.txt files.
    • The WordPress plugin Redirection can assist in cleaning up 404 pages, duplicate content, and outdated webpages.

Link network

Incoming links, outgoing links, and brand mentions associated with your hotel can improve AI search visibility by boosting website credibility, streamlining discoverability, and increasing mentions of your website within AI model databases.

To improve your hotel’s link network, consider the following:

  • Incorporate internal links to other pages from your own website.
    • For example, link to your restaurant’s landing page when discussing the establishment in your FAQ or Amenities list.
  • Add external links to outside resources where applicable.
    • Highlighting your hotel’s third-party awards, press features, and partnerships is an easy way to boost your external link count.
  • Reach out to local businesses, blog owners, news sites, or even influencers to request a collaboration or content feature which includes a link to your website or otherwise mentions your brand.
    • Oftentimes, collaborations involve both websites linking to each other, providing the extra benefit of increasing your own website’s external link count.
  • Utilize your hotel’s social media to post blogs, press features, and other links to your website. Social media links still count towards overall link building.

Takeaways

Improving AI search visibility requires a well-rounded strategy across a variety of website elements and marketing channels. While no single change is likely to move the needle on its own, a number of small optimizations working in tandem will give your hotel the best chances of showing up in AI search results.

If you want to learn more about AI search visibility or you’re ready to get started, reach out to GCommerce today. We’d love to discuss your current AI search strategy and help set up your hotel for future success.

How data platforms turn brand authority into durable AI visibility

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February 26, 2026 by

In the first two posts in this series, "Why AI visibility ultimately collapses back to data" and "AI doesn’t rank hotels. It learns which ones to trust," we reframed how AI visibility actually works.

We explored why AI-driven discovery collapses back to data, not prompts or shortcuts. We examined how brand authority is inferred from patterns in that data rather than declared through content or optimization tactics.

That brings us to the most practical question in the series:

If AI visibility depends on performance-backed authority, how do hotels actually improve the performance that creates it?

Brand authority isn’t created in AI. It’s earned in marketing.

Most hotels already generate demand.

They attract travelers.
They invest in media.
They drive traffic.
They convert bookings.
They earn repeat stays and reviews.

Brand authority isn’t missing. It’s being earned every day through marketing performance.

The challenge is that this performance data lives across many systems and is rarely analyzed together in a way that leads to better decisions.

AI doesn’t need perfect data from hotels. It simply observes outcomes.

Hotels, however, do need visibility into their own performance if they want to improve those outcomes intentionally.

What a data platform actually does

A data platform does not aggregate the signals that power AI results. It does not feed AI systems. It does not act as an intermediary between hotels and discovery engines.

Instead, its role is upstream and operational.

A data platform ingests a hotel or resort’s own marketing and performance data and turns it into insight that enables better optimization decisions.

It helps hotels understand:

  • Which channels are actually driving incremental demand
  • How different media investments affect direct bookings
  • Where pricing, availability, and messaging create friction
  • Which efforts are efficient and which are quietly eroding ROI

In short, a data platform helps hotels improve what they already control.

AI benefits later by observing the results.

Optimization is the mechanism that strengthens authority

Brand authority is inferred from outcomes, not intentions.

Those outcomes are shaped by everyday optimization decisions:

  • How budgets are allocated
  • Which channels are emphasized
  • How pricing and availability interact with demand
  • How effectively direct booking paths convert

When hotels lack a unified view of performance, optimization happens in silos. Channels are judged independently. Success is measured locally. Tradeoffs remain invisible.

A data platform breaks that pattern by connecting marketing performance across channels and tying it directly to business outcomes, especially direct bookings.

This doesn’t create authority. It amplifies the authority a hotel is already earning.

Why direct bookings are the clearest signal to optimize

In an AI-driven ecosystem, direct bookings matter for more than margin.

They represent:

  • Brand preference
  • Trust in pricing and availability
  • Confidence in the guest experience
  • Reduced dependency on intermediaries

By ingesting media, conversion, and booking data, it enables hotels to:

  • See which efforts truly drive direct demand
  • Identify friction in the direct booking journey
  • Optimize spend toward efficiency, not just volume
  • Reinforce patterns that consistently lead to direct choice

AI doesn’t see optimization decisions. It sees the outcomes of those decisions.

Repeated direct bookings are one of the strongest indicators that a brand is trusted and preferred. Smarter decisions = stronger visibility.

Where AEO fits, clearly and honestly

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is not where authority is created. It’s where authority is expressed.

AEO helps ensure that what a hotel has earned through performance and optimization is accurately represented in AI-driven discovery environments through structured content, schema, and distribution formats.

The data platform informs AEO by clarifying:

  • What actually performs
  • What positioning is reinforced by outcomes
  • What messages align with real demand

Without this insight, AEO risks amplifying assumptions. With it, AEO reflects reality.

Optimization strengthens authority. AEO communicates it.

From optimization tactics to durable advantage

AI-driven discovery hasn’t eliminated marketing fundamentals. It’s raised the stakes on them.

Content still matters. Media still matters. Distribution still matters.

But the hotels that win will be the ones that:

  • Optimize intelligently
  • Understand their performance deeply
  • Invest in direct demand
  • Reinforce what works over time

A data platform doesn’t change how AI works. It changes how well hotels perform.

And performance is what AI ultimately learns from.

Playing the long game

AI will continue to evolve. Interfaces will change. Discovery paths will shift.

What won’t change is this: AI infers trust from outcomes. Outcomes are shaped by optimization. Optimization depends on insight.

The hotels that win in AI-driven discovery won’t be chasing visibility directly. They’ll be investing in systems that help them make better decisions, drive more direct bookings, and strengthen the authority they already earn every day. AI visibility may feel new, but durable advantage still comes from performance.

Contact GCommerce Solutions to start connecting your AI visibility with your data.

Strength in numbers: How hotels win by combining media, data, and technology

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February 24, 2026 by

Hospitality has always been centered on connection. It connects people to places, guests to experiences, and brands to communities. Today, connection also describes something else. It describes the relationship between media, data, and technology.

These three elements increasingly determine how hotels and resorts compete, how they increase direct bookings, and how they measure performance within modern hospitality marketing.

In many organizations, however, these elements operate independently. Media campaigns produce one set of results. Data teams generate separate reports. Technology platforms automate tasks without a complete strategic framework. The result is fragmentation. When systems are disconnected, it becomes difficult to see which efforts truly drive growth.

Properties that consistently improve performance tend to share one characteristic. They bring media, data, and technology together into one connected system. Sustainable growth does not come from any single component. It comes from the intelligence that emerges when all three work together.

The operational impact of disconnected systems

When hospitality marketing systems operate in silos, several challenges arise.

First, marketing investment becomes harder to optimize. A property may be active in Google hotel ads, hotel metasearch, paid search, and social media, yet still lack a unified understanding of return on ad spend. Without standardized reporting and shared attribution models, reallocating budget with confidence becomes difficult.

Second, decision-making slows. Hospitality demand patterns shift quickly. Booking windows fluctuate. Competitive pricing changes daily. When data must be manually exported and consolidated before analysis, insights arrive after opportunities have passed.

Third, strategic clarity suffers. Metrics may be available, but they are not always contextualized. Leadership teams often need answers to broader questions. How does direct revenue compare to OTA contribution? Which channels are driving incremental bookings? Where should future investment be concentrated? Fragmented systems rarely provide consistent, portfolio-level answers.

These challenges are not caused by a lack of effort. They are caused by a lack of integration.

Why integration changes outcomes

A connected approach to hospitality digital marketing establishes a shared infrastructure for performance. Rather than layering tools on top of one another, it aligns media execution, data intelligence, and technology activation.

This philosophy reflects the evolution of GCommerce into a Hospitality Data Platform and aligns with our repositioning pillars of data as infrastructure and intelligence into action .

Media creates measurable demand

Paid media channels such as Google ads, hotel metasearch, and paid social are essential drivers of visibility and direct bookings. However, their effectiveness depends on the quality and accessibility of performance data.

When booking data flows directly into media optimization systems, campaigns can be adjusted in near real time. Budget allocation decisions become based on revenue contribution rather than surface-level metrics such as clicks or impressions.

Data provides context and insight

Data becomes more valuable when it is standardized and aggregated across properties. When marketing data from thousands of hotels is structured into a consistent framework, it enables benchmarking, trend analysis, and portfolio-level visibility.

This level of intelligence helps hotels and resorts understand how they perform relative to market conditions and peer groups. It also provides leadership teams with a clearer view of long-term growth patterns.

Technology enables activation

Technology connects insight to execution. API-driven solutions, such as multi-property and channel rollup integrations , eliminate manual reporting and create centralized visibility across properties and channels.

Automation tools can adjust campaigns based on booking behavior and defined key performance indicators. Reporting can be delivered directly into business intelligence systems without repetitive exports or spreadsheet consolidation.

When these systems are unified, hospitality marketing becomes more efficient and more transparent.

The practical benefits of a unified approach

Integration produces measurable operational advantages.

Greater efficiency

When data informs media decisions and reporting is consolidated, teams spend less time on manual analysis. Budget allocation across hotel metasearch, Google hotel ads, and paid search can be adjusted based on actual revenue performance rather than assumptions.

This approach supports more disciplined investment strategies and reduces unnecessary spend.

Improved clarity

Unified reporting creates a single source of truth. Management companies can review performance across multiple properties without merging separate reports. Channel-level insights clarify how each source contributes to overall revenue.

Clarity supports stronger communication between marketing teams, revenue managers, and ownership groups.

Increased confidence

When performance is measurable and transparent, leadership teams gain confidence in their hospitality marketing strategy. Automation reduces operational complexity, allowing teams to focus more attention on guest experience, creative strategy, and long-term brand positioning.

Why this approach is especially relevant now

The hospitality landscape continues to evolve. OTA investment remains significant. AI-driven discovery tools influence how travelers research and compare properties. Competition for digital visibility continues to increase.

At the same time, pressure to demonstrate return on investment has intensified across the industry . Marketing leaders are expected to justify budget allocation with greater precision.

In this environment, disconnected systems create risk. Hotels and resorts that integrate media, data, and technology are better positioned to:

  • Understand where each booking originates
  • Optimize investment across hotel ads and metasearch channels
  • Identify trends earlier through structured performance data
  • Scale strategy across single properties or portfolios

Integration is not simply an operational improvement. It is a strategic advantage.

From marketing services to marketing infrastructure

Traditional models often separate agency services, data reporting, and technology platforms. A Hospitality Data Platform model consolidates these functions into one connected ecosystem .

This structure supports:

  • Performance-based media management
  • Strategic hospitality marketing services
  • API-driven data products such as multi-property and channel rollups

For independent hotels, this means greater visibility into how to increase direct bookings. For management companies, it provides portfolio-level transparency. For partners and resellers, it offers structured, hospitality-specific data integration.

Rather than adding complexity, the goal is to reduce it. A centralized data foundation supports scalable, outcome-aligned growth.

The human dimension of data-driven marketing

Although technology plays an essential role, hospitality remains a people-centered industry.

Data does not replace human judgment. It strengthens it. When marketers understand guest behavior patterns and booking trends, they can develop more relevant messaging. When reporting is transparent, collaboration improves. When insights are timely, strategy becomes more deliberate.

This balance between system and strategy reflects our brand commitment to being data-first, outcome-aligned, and hospitality-native .

There is strength in numbers. In hospitality, those numbers provide clarity. With the right integration, they also support connection, performance, and long-term growth.

Ready to connect your media, data, and technology into one intelligent system? Partner with GCommerce to build a performance-driven strategy that increases direct bookings and delivers measurable growth for your property. Contact us today.

How to write AI Search optimized content for hotels

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February 19, 2026 by

Getting your hotel’s content and brand included in generative AI answer engines for relevant prompts comes down to ensuring it’s crawlable, well-structured, answers questions concisely and directly, and is contextually rich. But how does your hotel produce or revise its content to ensure it’s best structured for visibility in AI search engines?

Our team has put together this guide on how to write content that is well optimized for AI search engines, but doesn’t ignore the importance of traditional search engine optimization, which is still an essential tool for brand success and bookings. 

1. Ensure each page is focused on a specific topic or intent focus

LLMs prefer clearly presented and specific content that answers a question. Prioritize developing pages focused on a specific topic, then answer that question directly and thoroughly.

Examples of pages with a clear, specific focus:

  • Location page: focuses on specific information, providing direct answers about where this hotel is and what is nearby, including attractions, demand drivers, the airport, and more.
  • Amenities page: what does this hotel offer, and who is it best for
  • Pet-friendly page: highlights the policies and reasons why your hotel is a great choice for people travelling with pets

Tip: Avoid mixing sales copy, policies, and other content that doesn’t directly answer that intent

2. Consider using a standard, repeatable content format designed for LLMs and humans

Well-formatted content is not only beneficial for LLMs and AI visibility but also preferred by humans! It’s critical not to lose sight of optimization for people as well as bots. This structure enables AI engine bots to crawl and consume content in chunks while allowing humans to quickly scan and find the information and answers they are looking for on the topic.

An example of great LLM (and human) structured content could look something like:

These are a few examples of hotel page content structure types that do this well:

3. Your page intro paragraph should stand alone as an answer

A great start to an LLM (and human) structured content page is to use your opening paragraph as a standalone answer. Follow these guidelines:

  • Strong intro paragraph rules for your hotel’s page
    • 2–3 sentences max
    • Clear, specific language (avoid vague, marketing language)
    • Directly answers what, where, and who
  • Example (for your hotel’s location page intro paragraph)
    • ❌ “Experience the perfect blend of comfort and convenience in the heart of the city.”
    • ✅ “The hotel is located in downtown Denver, two blocks from Union Station and within walking distance of restaurants, museums, and public transit.”

4. Treat each H2 section as an “answer node”

LLMs prefer a direct and clear response to a specific question. Use your page’s H2 header tags to do just that. Here’s how you can approach using your page’s H2s to answer specific questions or topics:

Here are some good H2 examples for your hotel’s content:

  • “Where the Hotel Is Located”
  • “Parking and Transportation Options”
  • “Who This Hotel Is Best For”
  • “Nearby Attractions and Distances”
  • “What Guests Should Know Before Booking”

Here are some poor H2 examples for LLMs:

  • “Why You’ll Love Staying With Us”
  • “A Truly Unique Experience”
  • “Luxury Redefined”

Optimizing page content for LLMs can produce similar concerns as optimizing for search engines. These bots prefer direct, informational text, which can conflict with a hotel brand’s preferred language and brand voice on the page. It’s important to consider this impact from both an AEO/SEO perspective and a brand voice perspective. 

Tip: If an H2 cannot be phrased as a question, it’s probably weak for AI search optimization.

5. Keep paragraphs short and to the point

Just like humans in today’s short-attention-span world, LLMs prefer short and concise answers. Use this to guide your page’s paragraph length.

  • Keep your page’s paragraph content to 2–3 sentences max
  • Focus on answering just one idea per paragraph
  • Utilize concrete details over adjectives or marketing jargon

Here’s an example showcasing a poorly crafted paragraph for LLMs vs a well-optimized one:

  • ❌ “Our hotel offers convenient access to Nashville attractions while providing guests with a peaceful and comfortable stay thanks to our attentive staff and thoughtful design.”
  • ✅ “The hotel is within a 10-minute walk of downtown Nashville attractions. Many guests choose the property for its quieter rooms compared to other downtown hotels.”

6. Use lists and tables

LLMs prefer content that is easily consumable in the format of tables, bullets, and numbered lists. This is because content formatted as lists helps LLMs identify attributes, steps, and groupings. As a human, it also makes the content much easier to scan, consume, and find what you’re looking for.

Here are a few ideas on the best uses for lists on your hotel’s pages:

  • Amenities
    • Room features
    • Policies
    • What’s included / not included
    • Itinerary steps

Here’s a specific example for a hotel’s amenities page list section:

  • Amenities Include:
    • Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property
    • On-site fitness center
    • Underground self-parking (daily fee)
    • Pet-friendly rooms (fee applies)
    • This format makes it easy for AI to extract and restate.

7. Include a list of FAQs at the end of the page

Tieing into the understanding that LLMs prefer concise answers to specific questions, tap into this by adding a short FAQ content block to the end of your hotel’s page. When adding FAQs to your page, make sure to:

  • Add around 3-5 FAQs
  • State the question followed directly by a specific, informative answer
  • Make sure the FAQs are related to answering questions about that page’s specific intent or topic

8. Use a natural language URL structure

The impact of keywords within URLs has diminished over time when it comes to traditional SEO. Interestingly enough, the use of natural language and specific keywords in URLs is proving to be more important for LLMs and AI search. Make sure to incorporate the full title of your content piece and use semantic URLs. 

Here are a few good semantic URL structure examples:

  • /best-family-friendly-activities-san-diego/
  • /things-to-do-san-diego-mission-bay/
  • /2-bedroom-san-diego-hotel-suite/

Here are a few examples of poor URL structure:

  • /post?categoryid=18456
  • /page13
  • /product/roomtype1

9. Update past content and the publish date

Recency of content and publish date influence visibility in AI search. This includes revisiting and updating past content, such as itinerary guides and blogs, to reflect new information. Along with updating the content, make sure to update the publish date on the page. 

10. Avoid JavaScript for rendering important page content

JavaScript-heavy pages are less likely to be cited or summarized in AI search engines. LLMs and AI crawlers prefer static pages and more often extract content from HTML. While JavaScript is acceptable for uses such as UI, form validation, and analytics, it should be avoided for rendering main content on the page or loading your hotel website’s primary navigation. 

11. Incorporate citations and quote sources

Answer engines like Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT prioritize fact-based, well-sourced, and contextually reliable content. Citations and direct quotes support your content and signal credibility. For hotels, this can include:

  • Quoting and linking to guest reviews
  • Trust signals from awards like Conde Nast or TripAdvisor, and linking to the award page on the publisher
  • On-property policies, certifications, and features that are verified by a 3rd party organization 

Bonus tip: Looking for new content ideas, such as itineraries, features, amenities, and demand drivers that are important to your potential guests? Dig into your guest sentiment analysis to extract real guest insights on the likes, dislikes, reasons to stay at your property, and more.

AI, AEO, and GEO for hotels: Questions every property should ask

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February 16, 2026 by

Artificial intelligence is reshaping hospitality marketing, but for many hotels and resorts, the real challenge is knowing where to start. Between AI tools, evolving search behavior, and rising pressure to increase direct bookings, it can be difficult to separate meaningful opportunities from unnecessary complexity. 

This guide breaks down practical AI use cases for properties at any stage, with a focus on paid media, hotel metasearch, Google hotel ads, and data-driven visibility. The goal is simple. Help hotels and resorts apply AI in ways that drive measurable performance, strengthen direct bookings, and support smarter hospitality marketing decisions without overhauling their entire tech stack.

What is the best AI use case for hotels just getting started?

For hotels and resorts beginning their AI journey, the most effective starting point is AI-driven performance analysis for paid media and hotel metasearch. These channels already generate measurable demand, which makes them ideal for applying AI without introducing unnecessary risk or complexity.

AI can analyze large volumes of campaign data across paid search, hotel metasearch, and Google hotel ads to uncover patterns that are difficult to spot manually. This includes identifying which markets convert at the highest rate, where spend is being wasted, and how booking behavior shifts by device, length of stay, or booking window.

Because these insights tie directly to revenue and direct bookings, they offer clear attribution and faster proof of ROI. For many properties, this creates internal confidence to expand AI into other areas of hospitality marketing over time.

Can AI help increase direct bookings for hotels and resorts?

Yes, when applied strategically, AI can play a meaningful role in helping hotels and resorts increase direct bookings. The value comes from improving efficiency and visibility rather than replacing human decision-making.

AI supports direct bookings by:

  • Optimizing media spend across hotel metasearch and paid channels.
  • Improving visibility in Google hotel ads by reinforcing performance signals.
  • Aligning content, offers, and messaging with real traveler demand based on search and booking behavior.

When AI insights are connected to booking data, properties gain a clearer understanding of which investments drive incremental direct revenue versus traffic that would have booked anyway. This allows marketing teams and hospitality marketing agencies to focus on growth that actually impacts the bottom line.

Do hotels need a large tech stack to benefit from AI?

No. A large or complex tech stack is not required to benefit from AI. What matters most is data quality, structure, and integration.

Even smaller properties can see value from AI when their core marketing and booking data is centralized and accessible. AI works best when it has consistent inputs, not when it has more tools to navigate. In many cases, simplifying the stack improves results by reducing data silos and manual reporting.

For hotels and resorts, this means prioritizing systems that connect booking data with paid media, hotel metasearch, and Google hotel ads performance. Once those connections are in place, AI can generate actionable insights regardless of property size.

Check out our blog on this, “Navigating the hotel marketing tech stack: Why hotels need the right experienced partners”. 

How does AI impact hotel metasearch strategy?

AI enhances hotel metasearch strategy by replacing assumptions with evidence. Instead of relying on static benchmarks or manual analysis, AI evaluates performance across markets, devices, and booking behaviors in near real time.

With AI, hotels can:

  • Identify which metasearch channels drive the highest converting traffic.
  • Understand how pricing, availability, and length of stay influence conversion.
  • Adjust budgets and bids dynamically to improve efficiency and visibility.

This results in smarter spend allocation and stronger performance across hotel metasearch, without relying on guesswork. For properties focused on increasing direct bookings, AI-driven metasearch insights help ensure visibility is earned where demand is most likely to convert.

Is AI replacing hospitality marketers or agencies?

No. AI is not replacing hospitality marketers or a marketing agency for hotels and resorts. Instead, it is shifting how work gets done.

AI handles data processing, pattern recognition, and speed. Human expertise provides context, strategy, and accountability. The strongest results come when AI insights are paired with hospitality-specific knowledge, distribution expertise, and clear performance goals.

In this model, AI becomes a force multiplier for hospitality marketing teams, not a substitute for them.

How should hotels measure AI success?

AI success should always be measured against business outcomes, not tool usage. The most meaningful benchmarks include:

  • Growth in direct bookings.
  • Improved efficiency across paid media and hotel metasearch.
  • Clear attribution between spend and revenue.

If AI insights do not lead to better decisions or measurable performance gains, they are not delivering value. Hotels and resorts should evaluate AI initiatives with the same discipline they apply to any digital marketing agency investment.

What is AEO, and why does it matter for hotels and resorts?

Answer engine optimization, or AEO, focuses on optimizing content so it can be clearly understood, summarized, and surfaced by AI-powered answer engines and conversational search tools. For hotels and resorts, AEO ensures that when travelers ask questions like “Where should I stay in Austin?” or “Which hotels have pet-friendly rooms and on-site parking?”, your property is accurately represented.

AEO matters because AI-driven discovery is increasingly shaping the traveler journey before a user ever clicks a traditional search result. Properties that structure content clearly, answer common questions directly, and maintain consistent data across the web are more likely to appear in AI-generated answers, supporting awareness and future direct bookings.

How does AEO support direct bookings?

AEO supports direct bookings by influencing early-stage discovery and consideration. When AI tools confidently reference your property, they act as a recommendation layer that builds trust before the booking decision is made.

For hotels and resorts, AEO strengthens direct bookings by:

  • Ensuring property details are accurately summarized by AI tools.
  • Reducing reliance on third-party descriptions that may be outdated or incomplete.
  • Reinforcing brand authority before travelers compare rates or channels.

While AEO may not drive immediate clicks, it plays a critical role in shaping demand that later converts through hotel metasearch, Google hotel ads, or direct channels.

What is GEO, and how is it different from traditional SEO?

Generative engine optimization, or GEO, focuses on optimizing content and data so generative AI models can create accurate, helpful responses about your property. Unlike traditional SEO, which prioritizes rankings and keywords, GEO prioritizes clarity, structure, and context.

For hospitality marketing, GEO means ensuring your property’s content is written in a way that AI models can confidently interpret and regenerate. This includes clear descriptions of amenities, location context, and unique value propositions.

Traditional SEO still matters, but GEO extends that effort into AI-generated environments where answers are synthesized, not just ranked.

How do AEO and GEO connect to hotel metasearch?

AEO and GEO influence hotel metasearch indirectly by shaping demand upstream. When travelers encounter your property through AI-generated answers, they are more likely to search for it by name or engage with metasearch results later.

This creates stronger performance signals across hotel metasearch platforms and reinforces visibility within systems connected to Google, including Google hotel ads. In short, AEO and GEO help ensure the right travelers enter the funnel, while metasearch converts that demand into direct bookings.

Do hotels need separate strategies for AI, AEO, and GEO?

No. The most effective approach is a unified strategy rooted in strong data, clear content, and performance accountability. AI, AEO, and GEO all rely on the same fundamentals:

  • Accurate and centralized property data.
  • Clear, well-structured content that answers traveler questions.
  • Consistent performance signals across paid media and hotel metasearch.

Rather than treating these as separate initiatives, hotels and resorts should view them as interconnected layers of modern hospitality marketing.

How can hotels get started with AEO and GEO without overhauling their website?

Hotels can begin improving AEO and GEO by focusing on high-impact updates rather than full redesigns. This includes:

  • Expanding FAQ sections with clear, concise answers.
  • Updating property descriptions to reduce ambiguity.
  • Ensuring amenities, policies, and location details are consistent across platforms.

When paired with AI-driven performance insights, these updates help properties improve visibility in AI-powered discovery while continuing to increase direct bookings.

How should success be measured for AEO and GEO?

AEO and GEO success should be measured through downstream impact rather than direct attribution alone. Key indicators include:

  • Growth in branded search demand.
  • Improved performance across hotel metasearch and Google hotel ads.
  • Increased engagement and conversion on direct booking channels.

When these signals improve together, it indicates that AI-driven discovery is reinforcing, not competing with, your broader hospitality marketing strategy.


To get your property started with an optimized AEO strategy, contact GCommerce today.

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