How to Optimize Your Hotel’s Online Presence for AI Search

With artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini taking the internet by storm, it’s no surprise that more and more travelers are using them to research vacation experiences and plan itineraries. Over 40 percent of American travelers have selected lodging recommended by AI planning tools. So, how do you ensure that your property appears in those recommendations?

Read on for tips, techniques, and strategies to boost your property’s visibility in AI-powered searches. These strategies are collectively known as GEO (generative engine optimization) or AIO (artificial intelligence optimization).

Travelers turn to AI visual search tools such as Google Lens to seek their inspiration; Google Lens now hosts more than 20 billion, yes, billion, searches each month. Their AI analyzes the images searched and returns pertinent information on the product and destination pictured. However, this isn’t to say text is now obsolete. Viewers begin with an image and follow through with a text or voice query.

To attract visual searchers, the images and videos across your website and online platforms should be top quality. Invest in professional images that showcase your property’s story—images that are truly of your property and not AI generated. Though AI visual searches may expand your online audience and drive conversions, using AI-generated images on your site erodes credibility. Don’t sell something that isn’t actually there!

Important tip: Remember to provide ALT text for your images, both for accessibility and visibility.

When potential customers use AI assistants such as Alexa or Siri, they use conversational language. In fact, because generative AI can understand and build on previous queries, AI-powered search feels more like a dialogue than a traditional keyword search—so it’s important to use natural language on your website and focus on longer key phrases to become part of the conversation.

The more concise, the better, as AI searches generally pull responses of 40-60 words. Elements that organize textual content—such as headings, bullet points, tables, and even short summary boxes—are useful too.

As with SEO, keyword stuffing remains an exercise in futility. Not only does it result in unnatural language, the algorithms know how to identify and avoid it.

Know the common questions travelers ask about your destination and provide answers in simple, conversational language… then consider natural follow-up questions. Formats like “how to” and “what is” work well for both generative AI and voice search.

Often, these questions are about proximity to attractions and activities, so location information should be readily available along with accurate, up-to-date descriptions of your property’s amenities, room types, policies, etc. Partner with and promote other businesses that offer unique, local experiences to further showcase your area’s appeal.

An FAQ page and blog are excellent places to display your local expertise and boost both GEO and SEO. Be as specific as you can; what in-depth knowledge do you have that others on the internet don’t? Include real-life examples, guest reviews, and original perspectives whenever possible. This kind of helpful, human content performs well for both AI tools and real visitors.

The advent of AI has made it necessary to revise the traditional SEO playbook, but it hasn’t yet made that playbook obsolete—it just demands a smarter, more conversational approach.

Speaking of SEO, the user experience factors it weighs, such as mobile friendliness and site speed, are important for GEO as well. AI tools often pull results that load fast and are easy to navigate on mobile—both for user satisfaction and crawlability. Implement a responsive design that adapts according to the user’s device and ensure that your site loads in less than four seconds.

If you’re having trouble with site speed, check for outdated or unnecessary materials (files, graphics, plugins, etc.) that can be removed. Also, compress images, videos, and other essential files to improve load speed without compromising quality.

AI searchers often look for accommodations based on specific preferences like “pet-friendly,” “beach access,” etc. What do you deliver that other properties don’t? Whatever it is, guests are using AI to find it, so be clear and specific about your unique features so AI tools can match your property to relevant queries.

Use your blog, FAQ page, and reviews to curate your unique selling proposition with natural, conversational language that speaks to both generative search and traditional SEO.

Be clear about who your activities and amenities are best suited for. Are they family oriented or perfect for couples? Either way, AI platforms (and guests) should know. If you want to appear in a search for “What are the best couples’ activities in Vancouver, BC?,” your content should reflect those experiences.

Schema markup is another SEO technique that carries over to GEO. Embedded as tags in a page’s HTML code, it tells search engines—and AI tools—precisely what information that page covers. You can use schema to indicate the page’s title, author, publication date, and more.

This added context can improve how your content appears in search results and make it more discoverable by AI-driven platforms.

AI-powered searches return information from more than just your website, which makes it important to maintain a robust presence across the web, including on OTAs, social media, Tripadvisor, and your Google Business Profile. Contact information such as name, address, and phone number (NAP) should be consistent across these sources.

Your Google Business Profile is another valuable spot for an FAQ, especially as AI emphasizes local recommendations. Customers can post questions on your Google Business Profile, and you can publicly respond to them. You can even create a question yourself, respond, and upvote it for higher visibility to guide potential guests.

Be aware that AI does not only source information from content you produce. Other users may create content about your property, and that content may appear in an AI search. Reviews are one example of this. AI platforms emphasize reviews that align with the searcher’s intent and demographic. For example, if a searcher mentions pets, their search may highlight reviews that do so as well. Managing reviews and other user-generated content to reflect your property in the best possible light is a key part of maintaining your online presence.

Look for outside public relations opportunities to increase credibility. Mentions in news articles, blogs, influencer content, and other trusted websites (ideally, with backlinks) all raise your profile with AI search algorithms.

Update content regularly across the web and include publication or revision dates to signal that the information is current. Search engines and AI tools prioritize fresh, relevant content—especially when users are looking for timely, trustworthy recommendations. Not every blog post needs to be created from scratch; refreshing and expanding existing content can go a long way in maintaining visibility.

Play around with your own AI search tools to evaluate how your property is represented. That way, you can identify any content gaps or opportunities to tweak your website and online presence for greater visibility. Because many AI tools take an individual’s previous searches into account when providing answers, it’s best to conduct these searches in incognito mode to keep answers unbiased.