Local SEO for Wix Hotels: Google Business Profile, Maps and location search

The vast majority of accommodation searches have local intent. Travellers search for "hotels near [attraction]", "B&B in [town]", "accommodation near [event venue]", and "places to stay in [area]". Local SEO determines whether your property appears in Google Maps results, the hotel pack, local pack results and location-based organic listings. For Wix Hotels businesses, local SEO is often the most impactful SEO channel because you are competing primarily against other local accommodation providers rather than against the global authority of OTAs. This lesson covers optimising your Google Business Profile for accommodation, appearing in Google Maps hotel pack results, creating location and attraction guide pages, building local citations, connecting your Wix Hotels structured data to your local presence, and establishing your property as the go-to accommodation option in your area.

Google Business Profile Setup for Accommodation

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the single most important local SEO asset for an accommodation business. It determines whether you appear in Google Maps, the hotel pack (the map-based hotel listing that appears for accommodation searches), and local knowledge panel results. If you have not claimed and optimised your GBP listing, no amount of on-site SEO will compensate for this gap.

How to set up and optimise your Google Business Profile

• Step 1: Go to business.google.com and sign in with a Google account. Search for your property. If it already exists (from guest reviews or auto-generated listings), claim it. If not, create a new listing.
• Step 2: Choose the correct primary category. Google provides specific accommodation categories: "Hotel", "Bed and breakfast", "Guest house", "Inn", "Holiday rental", "Hostel", "Resort hotel", "Motel", "Cottage rental". Choose the most accurate one.
• Step 3: Add secondary categories if applicable. A B&B that also has a restaurant might add "Restaurant" as a secondary category. A hotel with a spa might add "Spa" or "Day spa".
• Step 4: Enter your complete address exactly as it appears on your Wix Hotels website and other directories. Consistency across all platforms is critical for local SEO.
• Step 5: Set your phone number to the same number displayed on your Wix Hotels site. Use a local phone number (not a mobile or 0800 number) for strongest local signals.
• Step 6: Set your website URL to your Wix Hotels homepage. This creates the critical link between your GBP listing and your website.
• Step 7: Write a comprehensive business description (750 characters max). Include your property type, location, unique features, number of rooms, and primary keywords.
• Step 8: Add high-quality photos: exterior (showing the building and signage), interior (lobby, restaurant, common areas), rooms (at least one photo per room type), and local area shots.
• Step 9: Set your check-in and check-out times, amenities list, and any special attributes (wheelchair accessible, pet-friendly, free Wi-Fi, parking).
• Step 10: Enable messaging and booking links if available in your region.

Appearing in Google Maps Hotel Pack Results

When someone searches for accommodation in your area, Google often displays a "hotel pack": a map-based listing showing nearby accommodation with photos, star ratings, prices and booking links. Appearing in this pack is extremely valuable because it sits prominently at the top of search results.

Factors That Influence Hotel Pack Rankings

• Relevance: How well your GBP listing matches the search query. Accurate categories, complete description and relevant keywords matter.
• Distance: How close your property is to the location the searcher specified. You cannot change your location, but you can ensure your address is precisely plotted on Google Maps.
• Prominence: How well-known your property is. This is influenced by review count and quality, website authority, citations across the web, and brand mentions.
• Review quality and recency: Properties with more, higher-rated, and more recent reviews rank higher in the hotel pack.
• Price competitiveness: Google may factor in pricing data from your website and OTA listings when deciding which hotels to show.
• Website quality: Google considers the quality and relevance of your linked website, including page speed, mobile usability and content quality.

Creating Location and Attraction Guide Pages

Location guide pages are one of the most effective SEO strategies for accommodation businesses. They target "things to do in [area]" and "what to see near [attraction]" queries that travel planners search before and during their trip. These pages drive organic traffic to your site and include natural internal links to your room pages.

Types of Location Pages to Create

• Main area guide: "Things to Do in [Town/Area]" - comprehensive guide covering attractions, restaurants, walks, activities and events
• Attraction-specific pages: "Visiting Whitby Abbey: Everything You Need to Know" with a "Where to Stay" section linking to your rooms
• Activity guides: "Best Walks Near [Location]", "Family Days Out in [Area]", "Romantic Things to Do in [Town]"
• Restaurant guides: "Best Restaurants in [Town]" - guests search for this during their stay and your page can rank for it
• Event guides: "Whitby Goth Weekend Guide 2026" or "[Local Festival] Accommodation and Visitor Guide"
• Seasonal guides: "What to Do in [Area] in Winter/Summer/Autumn/Spring"
• Travel logistics: "How to Get to [Town]", "Parking in [Town]", "[Town] Train Station Guide"

Location Page Content Structure

What to include in every location guide page

• An engaging introduction about the area (100-150 words) with your primary keyword in the first paragraph
• Detailed descriptions of 5-10 attractions or activities with practical information (opening times, prices, distances from your property)
• Your own photography of local attractions where possible (unique images outperform stock photos)
• A "Where to Stay" section linking to your relevant room types with a brief description and booking CTA
• An embedded Google Map showing the locations mentioned in the guide relative to your property
• Practical tips from a local perspective: "The best time to visit the harbour is early morning before the day trippers arrive"
• Internal links to related location pages and your room pages throughout the content
• FAQ section answering common visitor questions about the area

Building Local Citations

Local citations are mentions of your accommodation business on other websites, typically in directories and listing platforms. Consistent citations across the web reinforce Google's confidence in your business information and improve local search rankings.

Priority Citation Sources for Accommodation Businesses

• Google Business Profile (essential, already covered)
• Bing Places for Business (bing.com/bingplaces)
• Apple Maps Connect (mapsconnect.apple.com)
• TripAdvisor (tripadvisor.com/owners)
• VisitBritain / VisitEngland / VisitScotland / VisitWales (regional tourism board)
• Local tourism websites for your area (e.g., Visit York, Visit Cornwall)
• Yell.com (UK business directory)
• Thomson Local
• Accommodation-specific directories: LateRooms, Hotels.com, Trivago
• AA Hotel Guide (if applicable)
• Local Chamber of Commerce website
• Local event and attraction websites that list nearby accommodation

Connecting Structured Data to Your Local Presence

Your Hotel or LodgingBusiness schema should include the same address, phone number and geo-coordinates as your Google Business Profile. This creates a clear connection between your website structured data and your GBP listing, reinforcing Google's understanding of your business.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Hotel",
  "name": "The Harbour Hotel",
  "url": "https://www.yoursite.com",
  "telephone": "+44-1234-567890",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "15 Harbour Road",
    "addressLocality": "Whitby",
    "addressRegion": "North Yorkshire",
    "postalCode": "YO21 3PU",
    "addressCountry": "GB"
  },
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": "54.4858",
    "longitude": "-0.6206"
  },
  "hasMap": "https://www.google.com/maps?cid=YOUR_GOOGLE_MAPS_CID",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.facebook.com/yourharbourhotel",
    "https://www.instagram.com/yourharbourhotel",
    "https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel-your-listing",
    "https://www.booking.com/hotel/your-listing"
  ]
}

The "sameAs" property is particularly important for accommodation businesses. It tells Google about all the platforms where your business has official listings, helping Google connect your Wix Hotels website with your Booking.com profile, TripAdvisor listing, and social media accounts.

Local SEO Monitoring and Maintenance

Monthly local SEO maintenance for Wix Hotels

• Step 1: Check your Google Business Profile insights for the past month. Note total searches, direction requests, phone calls and website visits. Track trends over time.
• Step 2: Review and respond to all new Google reviews within 48 hours.
• Step 3: Add new photos to your GBP listing. Google favours listings that are regularly updated with fresh imagery.
• Step 4: Check your GBP listing for any suggested edits from Google or the public. Reject incorrect suggestions and confirm accurate ones.
• Step 5: Google your key accommodation keywords and check your position in the hotel pack. If you have dropped, investigate whether new competitors have entered or your reviews/citations need attention.
• Step 6: Publish at least one new blog post or update a location guide page to keep fresh content flowing to your Wix Hotels site.
• Step 7: Check your top 5 citation sources to verify your NAP is still consistent and your listings are still active.