Latest News

Tips to help you improve your website’s ranking

16th February 2015
Home | Latest News | Tips to help you improve your website’s ranking
 

Your website is your main marketing tool but how do you make it stand out from the crowd? Without getting too technical, we’ve come up with a few hints and tips to help you stay ahead of your competitors and top of the search rankings.

Know your market

It might sound obvious, but find out what your guests want. Do your research. Ask questions. Why do people book your property? What do they expect you to provide for them while they stay with you? How long do they usually stay for? What groups/party sizes book most often, and when? And, what do they like to do when they’re on holiday. Once you know this information, it will be much easier to plan your web content and target them accordingly.

Keyword research

SEO keywords are the key words and phrases in your web content that enable people to find your website organically via search engines. You need to know what these keywords are in order to understand where you get most of your traffic from. Google Keyword Planner is a good, free tool to help with your keyword research. It’s important you understand and use keyword themes in your content nowadays, however, not just the same keyword.

For instance, if most of your guests find your website by searching for “wedding venue Yorkshire”, then you must of course include “wedding venue Yorkshire” in your page title, headings and content, but don’t fill your page with repeated mentions of it. Talk around the theme. Talk about castles, stately homes, marquees, local caterers and photographers who all play a part in your ‘theme’ – you get the idea.

Create good, useful content

Once you know your target audience and your keywords, you can create more relevant content for your site. Content is Google’s number 1 ranking factor. It should be in-depth and interesting. The more detail you include, the more Google likes you, and the higher you rank. Here are some tips:

  • Headlines should be catchy and engaging. Focus on your guests’ needs and be concise.
  • Your main copy should lead with your Unique Value Propositions (UVPs) – ie: what do you offer, and what makes your property so attractive. Back this up with reviews/testimonials from previous guests to reassure browsers you’re trustworthy. Then, include a call to action (eg a “Book here/Book now” button).
  • Write with your keyword themes and keywords in mind but avoid thin content. Don’t just create a page stuffed with keywords; it must be content that has real value to your guests to be deserving in Google.
  • Check your spelling and grammar!
  • Avoid duplicate content. Duplicate content refers to content that is similar or identical and is found at more than one URL. Search engines don’t like to waste time searching round the same pages and will punish you for it, by pushing you down the rankings. But watch out, it’s not all as obvious as it sounds … eg you may think you only have your content on one page of your site but Google reads all these as different URLs and therefore duplicate content would be flagged: www.yoursite.com | www.yoursite.com/index | http://www.yoursite.com | http://yoursite.com | https://yoursite.com etc.
  • When you link to relevant internal pages within your website or to external websites make sure you link from relevant keywords within your text rather than “click here”. It’s also important to get external sites to link to you. The best way to do this is by producing good content that they want to share.

Communicate visually

Content doesn’t just mean text. Images and videos provide rich content for visitors to your site and can be key influences in the decision to book. Please invest in decent pictures for your website. Make sure file sizes are small so as not to affect the page load time. A page that loads slowly can negatively effect your website’s ranking, as well as seriously hack off your visitors! If you need it, Pixlr is a good, free image-editing tool. With videos, the rules are more or less the same. Make sure they’re worthy and well shot – they can still, however, be home-made as most mobile phones have decent video facilities nowadays. Just upload your video to YouTube, then embed it in your website. One point to bear in mind, however, is that search engines can’t “see” images or videos. So, it’s important to include a text description of them, which search engines will pick up. For images this is done in an alt tag, a description of the picture, using keywords where appropriate. For videos, YouTube allows you to upload a transcript or if you prefer you can describe the video content.

Evolve

It’s a good idea to think of your website as a work in progress – search engines are always evolving and changing how they create their rankings. Therefore, by association, websites should do the same. It might seem like a lot of work, but all that’s described above can be achieved with little tweaks here and there to your existing site. And, it’s worth the effort. All these tools, if used correctly, should send more traffic to your website. And, more hits means more potential guests, which equals more bookings!

Similar Articles

View all
Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Increase visibility and get your self-catering business seen

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

How can agencies help boost your self-catering business?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

How to attract last-minute bookings

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Switch on to the benefits of channel management

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Tips for boosting your midweek bookings

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

5 Reasons to send an e-newsletter

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Our guide to getting the most out of local searches

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Six steps to securing repeat bookings

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Five reasons why verified reviews are great

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

When and how to ask for reviews

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Should you reply to all reviews?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The gorgeous guide to getting noticed

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The travel buying cycle. Stage #3: Booking

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Psst ... interested in Instagram?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Value for money

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

To list or not to list?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Social networking: what can Google+ do for your self-catering business?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Social networking: what can Flickr do for your self-catering business?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Social networking: what can YouTube do for your self-catering business?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Social networking : what can Pinterest do for your self-catering business?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Social networking : what can Twitter do for your self-catering business?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Social networking : what can Facebook do for your self-catering business?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Marketing your holiday rental business: an overview

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Self-catering dictionary

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Which OTA is right for you? Your Booking.com questions answered

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

12 ways to ensure your holiday cottage is autism-friendly

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Regulation in the self-catering industry: mortgages and short-term lets

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Regulation in the self-catering industry: Setting up your business

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

5 ways to prove your holiday rental is the best

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Use your data to get more bookings

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Increase profits with every booking

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Security tips to stay safe online: extra checks

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Security tips to stay safe online: securing your passwords

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Security tips to stay safe online: accessing your accounts

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Three ways to incentivise your guests to book directly

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Self-caterers: virtual property tours boost your visibility and your bookings

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Remove the barriers that stop guests from booking your self-catering property

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

More than one-third of Britons are still to book their summer holiday

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Do you offer value for money?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

A winning integration for owners of large properties

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Do you invest in the experience economy?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Tips for creating a winning property listing

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Is your website mobile-friendly?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Innovative upselling is the key to profitable self-catering

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Be UpFront with Reviews

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Help for those who don't yet accept online payments

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Why blogs are good for business

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

How to stay safe on the Internet

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Seven steps to add value and be extraordinary!

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Find out what web developers like about SuperControl

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Can your guests pay online? Five reasons to give them that choice

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Can't keep up? Four simple ways to stay social

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

How to respond to negative reviews

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The art of getting positive reviews

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Why we should be revelling in reviews

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Is there a best time to send a marketing email?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The travel buying cycle. Stage #5: Sharing

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The travel buying cycle. Stage #4: Experiencing

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The travel buying cycle. Stage #2: Planning

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Online booking: it's all about customer choice

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Using social media to improve customer service

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Positioning for performance

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Top five offers and added value ideas

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Your local knowledge

Latest news / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources / Test / Work Smart

Leap Ahead in Guest Communication: 29 Automated Touchpoints with SuperControl

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Navigating the Review Landscape and Embracing Feedback

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The Power of Insight: Why Self-Caterers Need Google Analytics for Direct Bookings

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Driving Guest Satisfaction with SuperControl's Guest Login

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Sizzle Into Summer: Your Essential Self-Catering Peak Season Checklist

Booking behaviour / Latest news / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Unlocking the Power of Direct Bookings with SuperControl: Tips and Strategies for Success

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

How to keep your SuperControl account spick and span

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Pausing, planning and preparation: Getting your self-catering business ready for 2023

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Understanding Revenue Management

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Boosting your revenue in an energy crisis

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Booking Channel Success: Back to Basics

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Going for gold? How to apply for self-catering and tourism awards.

Booking behaviour / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Professionally Priced in 2022

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Perfectly Priced with Trevorrick Farm

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The Power of Premium with Premier Cottages

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Debunking the Myths of Dynamic Pricing

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Lights, Camera… Gweithredu! Dioni Holiday Cottages

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources / Uncategorised / Work Smart

Dealing Direct Thanks to Life at SuperControl

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Dedicated to your Data

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Preparing for booking recovery

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Christmas bookings ... in August

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Quirky vacation rentals

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Maximizing the value of every booking

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Create top photos to sell your holiday rental

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

5 easy ways to boost midweek bookings

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Regulation in the self-catering industry: insurance and short-term lets

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Business rates down one third for English and Welsh self-caterers

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Regulation in the self-catering industry: health and safety

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Regulation in the self-catering industry: fire safety

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

How accessible is your self-catering accommodation?

Industry forecasts / Self-Catering Resources

Regulation in the self-catering industry: an overview

Booking behaviour / Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

The top 5 self-catering trends

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

What is a SuperControl licence and how many do you need?

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

How to get more bookings from the channels you advertise on

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

3 ways to get more bookings from your Airbnb listing

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The art of storytelling in three short steps

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

How to grow your self-catering business with smarter pricing

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Does your website give guests what they want?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Reputable reviews are crucial for every self-catering business

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Targeting your website audience on Facebook

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Target your guest database directly using Facebook

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Save money and reach more travellers by targeting your Facebook posts

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

A premier offering to guests and self-catering accommodation providers

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Virtual reality: the future of holiday rentals?

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Are UK self-caterers charging enough?

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

Six reasons to showcase your accommodation on Instagram

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Are your bookings up this year?

Booking behaviour / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Record-shattering start to 2016

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

92% of guests expect to be able to "Book now"

Booking behaviour / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

How are your bookings shaping up so far this year?

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

The bottom line on bookings

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Top holiday search terms: 'Pet-friendly' and 'Dog-friendly'

Booking behaviour / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

How are your term-time bookings measuring up?

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Making last minute bookings work for you

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Not taking bookings online? Here's what you could be missing (in £££s)

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

10 Simple Steps to Safeguard your Business Online

Self-Catering Resources / Work Smart

The Travel Buying Cycle. Stage #1: Dreaming

Booking behaviour / News / Work Smart

3 Common Pricing Challenges and How Dynamic Pricing Solves Them 

News / Work Smart

Escape the Haunted Pricing Trap: How to Use Dynamic Pricing to Break Free from Underperforming Rates  

Market intelligence / News / Work Smart

Guest Blog: Top 5 Tips from Coolstays to Help Your Property Stand Out Online

News / Work Smart

The Task at Hand: Managing Compliance for Large Portfolios

News / Work Smart

Wondering If You’re Leaving Money on the Table? Price Labs Can Help 

News / Work Smart

Unlock the Power of Data with the Key Data Dashboard and SuperControl

Booking behaviour / Industry forecasts / Latest news / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Top Trends: Navigating 2024's Top Holiday Rental Trends: What Self-Caterers Need to Know

Careers / Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

The Good Vibe Tribe: 2023 Round Up

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Warm Up to Winter: Your Guide to Seasonal Bookings

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

SuperControl Spotlight Story: Emma of Vale Farm and the Value of Reviews

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Using Booking Extras to Craft a Hauntingly Memorable Halloween Guest Experience

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

SuperControl Spotlight Story: Celebrating 30 Years with The Gardeners Cottages

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Celebrating SuperControl’s Win as "Best Supply Contribution" Partner of Booking.com

Booking behaviour / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Maximising Occupancy in the Era of Last-minute Bookings: A Guide to Lead Times and Channel Management

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Reignite the Booking Spark: Encouraging Rebooking Using SuperControl's Auto Email Functionality

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Brenda's Journey: From Cheetahs to Championing SuperScholar, an Unforgettable Learning Adventure

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

SuperControl's World Tour: Exploring Self-Catering Trends from Around the Globe

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources / Uncategorised

The Devil’s in the Data: 3 ways to streamline your self-catering business in 2023 

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Christmas Crackers with Tobias

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the bonnet with Arkadiusz Rzyduch

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

A Guide to Winter Bookings

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the Bonnet with Shani Asbridge

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the Bonnet with Jade Winning

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the Bonnet with Shona Crowshaw

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Booking Brilliance: How Dynamic Pricing and Upselling Add Value from Pay to Stay

Booking behaviour / Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Peak Season Booking Behaviour

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the Bonnet with Gary Irving

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the Bonnet with Megan Russell

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the Bonnet with Bradley Proudfoot

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Prune or Plum? Michelin Star-Like Properties with Plum Guide

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the bonnet with Pawel Kruza

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

The Staycation Boom Continues 

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the Bonnet of SuperControl with Rosie Georgeson

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Under the Bonnet of SuperControl with Daniel McMillan

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Together, we make the remarkable happen!

Booking behaviour / Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Payments, Authentication and Security: Understanding 3DS

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources / Uncategorised

Stepping up for Mental Health

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

The Value of Trade Associations

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Exploring Self-Catering in Ireland with Decoy Country Cottages

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Castles and Client Care with Tobias

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

No keys? No problem! Attracting New Guests with RemoteLock

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Adapt and Learn with Hoe Grange Holidays

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Self-catering, SuperControl and Saltbox Escapes

Booking behaviour / Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Spotlight: Berehayes Secret Recipe to Booking Success

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

SuperScholar - Championing Savvy Self-Caterers

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Sharing the Love on Valentine's Day

Self-Catering Resources

Strengthening the Self-Catering Sector

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Building Windmills

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

How to Adapt your Strategy and Tactics to Navigate Government Restrictions

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Self-catering booking trends through UK lockdown to 26 May 2020

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Vrbo Post Covering Covid-19

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

COVID-19 Heightened Security Awareness

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

How SuperControl is preparing for PSD2

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Google is 'mobile first' - what does that mean for your self-catering business?

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Holiday cottage descriptions: does what you write really make a difference?

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

SuperControl is helping self-catering businesses prepare for GDPR

Industry forecasts / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Industry analysis: 2017 in review

Industry forecasts / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

How will the card payment surcharge ban affect the UK self-catering industry?

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Government to stop card payment surcharges

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

European Holiday Home Awards 2017: enter now

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Scottish self-catering sector worth £723 million pa, finds ASSC

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

One booking every 25 seconds!

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Self-catering analysis: 2016 in review

Admin / Booking engine / Knowledge base

Indulge your self-catering guests and earn some commission

Admin / Booking engine / Knowledge base

Create a sanctuary for your guests

Booking behaviour / Industry forecasts / Latest news / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Rural self-catering in England worth £3bn per year

Latest news / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Holiday rental industry warns European Commission of dangers of excessive regulation

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

The new SuperControl site has support and resources to meet all your self-catering needs

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

European Holiday Home Awards 2016: winners announced

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

SuperControl channel manager launches new two-way connection with Airbnb

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

Does your glamping accommodation meet VisitEngland's stamp of quality?

Booking behaviour / Industry forecasts / Self-Catering Resources

August booking patterns: what should you expect?

Latest news / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Are you paying too much VAT on your fuel bills?

Latest news / Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

What does Brexit mean for the self-catering sector?

Latest news / Self-Catering Resources

SuperControl's superstars

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

What do guests expect from self-catering accommodation providers?

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Card payment surcharges - do you pass them on to your guests?

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Industry analysis: 2015 in review

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

The shocking cost of not taking bookings online

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

The average cost of self-catering accommodation in Britain

Industry forecasts / Self-Catering Resources

How are your summer bookings shaping up?

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Visa debit card changes: what you need to know

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

January's been a record-breaker

Booking behaviour / Industry forecasts / Self-Catering Resources

What's in store for self-caterers in Q1?

Booking behaviour / Self-Catering Resources

Are you ready for November?

Self-Catering Resources

Objections to taking online bookings; what's yours?

Booking behaviour / Industry forecasts / Self-Catering Resources

Get ready - 3 self-catering booking trends to expect in August

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Find out about legal changes to taking online bookings and payments

Self-Catering Resources

Get online bookings on VisitScotland.com with SuperControl

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

It's the generation game!

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Your website: what holiday makers are really looking for?

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

Effective and free: Google Places for self-catering

Market intelligence / Self-Catering Resources

TV licensing for self-catering accommodation

Latest news / News

SuperControl’s Chris Baxter Discusses PMS Strategies on Yapstone Podcast 

Latest news / Market intelligence

Prepare Your Self-Catering Agency for HMRC’s New Reporting Rules  

Booking behaviour / Latest news

Why Bank Transfers Might Be Costing You Direct Bookings (And What You Can Do About It)

Booking behaviour / Market intelligence / News

Can UK Properties Still Capitalise on Summer Bookings? 

Market intelligence / News

Understanding New HMRC Reporting Rules: A Guide for Self-Catering Agencies 

 

Schedule a call with one of our specialist Business Development Consultants and find out how our fully integrated
Property Management System, Channel Manager and industry leading partnerships can help your business thrive.

This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. We use necessary cookies to make sure that our website works. We’d also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. By clicking “Allow All”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
These cookies are required for basic functionalities such as accessing secure areas of the website, remembering previous actions and facilitating the proper display of the website. Necessary cookies are often exempt from requiring user consent as they do not collect personal data and are crucial for the website to perform its core functions.
A “preferences” cookie is used to remember user preferences and settings on a website. These cookies enhance the user experience by allowing the website to remember choices such as language preferences, font size, layout customization, and other similar settings. Preference cookies are not strictly necessary for the basic functioning of the website but contribute to a more personalised and convenient browsing experience for users.
A “statistics” cookie typically refers to cookies that are used to collect anonymous data about how visitors interact with a website. These cookies help website owners understand how users navigate their site, which pages are most frequently visited, how long users spend on each page, and similar metrics. The data collected by statistics cookies is aggregated and anonymized, meaning it does not contain personally identifiable information (PII).
Marketing cookies are used to track user behaviour across websites, allowing advertisers to deliver targeted advertisements based on the user’s interests and preferences. These cookies collect data such as browsing history and interactions with ads to create user profiles. While essential for effective online advertising, obtaining user consent is crucial to comply with privacy regulations.