2026 Motel Marketing Checklist
This section provides a focused breakdown of key marketing activities that meaningfully improve occupancy for small to mid‑sized motels. It focuses on the channels that drive real demand: Booking.com, Expedia, Google Business Profile, Google Search, AI Search, and Direct Booking CRO. It includes best practices, ranking levers, optimisation tactics, and frequency checklists.
1. Booking.com Optimisation (High Impact)
Booking.com is the strongest driver of online demand for most Australian motels. Your visibility depends on content quality, ranking behaviour, pricing competitiveness, and review score.
Core Ranking Levers
Review score and recent reviews (highest impact)
Photo quality + number of photos
Room type order and naming clarity
Availability patterns (consistency)
Competitive pricing (no gaps, no large jumps)
Conversion performance (better conversion = better rank)
Low cancellation rates
What to Optimise
Photos (Top Priority)
Upload 30–50 high quality images
Replace default “Room” as main photo with your best exterior or best room photo
Use correct aspect ratios
Add photos of: car parking, reception, pool, guest bathrooms, accessibility features
Room Types
Clean naming (e.g., Deluxe Queen – Renovated vs Queen Room 2)
Correct capacity settings
Consistent descriptions across OTAs
Content Quality
Highlight location, business travellers, key amenities
Add improvements (“Newly renovated”, “Upgraded bedding”)
Pricing & Promotions
Maintain price parity
Use Genius Level 2 only if necessary
Use mobile rates selectively
Avoid overusing discounts—protect ADR
Booking.com Weekly Tasks
Check photos for optimisation opportunities
Check ranking via incognito search
Review competitor pricing
Respond to all reviews
Ensure no room types missing availability
2. Expedia Group Optimisation (High-Moderate Impact)
Expedia contributes more corporate + domestic leisure business.
Key Optimisation Areas
Improve photo count and quality to match Booking.com
Ensure all amenities + services are ticked correctly
Add package rates (e.g., room + breakfast)
Ensure Wotif, Hotels.com, Expedia display identical room types
Avoid large rate discrepancies with Booking.com
Expedia Monthly Tasks
Update room descriptions
Review competitor rate positioning
Re-upload refreshed photos
Monitor conversion score in Partner Central
3. Google Business Profile (GMB/GBP) Optimisation (Very High Impact)
GBP drives local search, phone calls, map traffic, and direct bookings.
Ranking Factors
Relevance (your category, your description)
Distance (cannot control)
Prominence (reviews, photos, activity)
Optimisation Checklist
Business Information
Correct name, address, phone, website, hours
List Motel as primary category
Photos (Extremely Important)
Upload 20–30 high quality photos
Update monthly
Remove old/low-quality customer photos
Reviews
Reply within 24 hours
Encourage branded searches (improves ranking)
Encourage reviews during checkout naturally
Attributes
Add every relevant amenity (parking, AC, pool, laundry, etc.)
Posts
Create weekly posts: events, upgrades, promotions, local guides
Weekly GBP Tasks
Respond to all reviews
Upload 1 new photo
Add 1 Google Post
4. Google Search Optimisation (SEO) (Moderate-High Impact)
SEO for motels is simple but powerful when done correctly.
Core SEO Elements
Fast website (load < 2 seconds)
Mobile‑friendly design
Clear room type pages
Location‑rich content (e.g., “Motel in near ”)
Event-based pages (optional but strong)
What to Optimise
Title tags + meta descriptions
ALT text on all photos
Add an FAQ section
Use simple internal linking
Google Search Monthly Tasks
Publish 1 blog post (local event, attraction, travel tip)
Test mobile speed
Update homepage content
5. AI Search Optimisation (Future-Focused, High Relevance)
AI Search (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity) will increasingly answer “Where should I stay near…?”
How to Optimise for AI Search
Have clean, structured content on your website
Maintain consistent property data across all OTAs
Use natural language that answers queries
Add “why stay with us” sections
Improve review quality (AI heavily weights sentiment)
AI Search Content Checklist
Write pages that directly answer:
“Best motels in ”
“Where to stay near <hospital/event>”
“Affordable accommodation near ”
Add “5 reasons guests stay with us” to homepage
Add accessibility information clearly
6. Direct Booking CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation) (High Impact)
Small website improvements dramatically increase direct bookings.
Direct CRO Checklist
Speed & Mobile First
Website load under 2 seconds
Mobile‑optimised pages
Room Pages
High quality photos
Benefits listed clearly
Consistent naming with OTAs
Homepage
Bold “Book Direct & Save” messaging
Clear location statement
Trust symbols (awards, Google review screenshots)
Clear phone number
Booking Engine
Simple steps
No hidden fees
Make rate parity clear
Direct CRO Weekly Tasks
Check rates match OTAs
Test booking engine mobile flow
Upload 1 new photo
7. Frequency Checklist – What to Do & How Often
This is your master operating rhythm for motel marketing.
Daily
Respond to reviews (GMB, Booking.com, Expedia)
Check OTA availability
Check competitor pricing
Weekly
Upload 1 new GMB photo
Create 1 Google Post
Review Booking.com pricing + availability
Review website homepage messaging
Update at least 1 OTA photo
Monthly
Full OTA content audit
Re-upload updated hero images
Review SEO metrics
Publish 1 SEO blog post
Review AI search visibility
Test booking engine conversion flow
Update Expedia/Wotif content
Quarterly
Refresh room photos
Rewrite room descriptions
Re‑audit website page speed
Check all OTA rate connectivity
8. Activities Ranked by Impact on Occupancy
Highest Impact
Review score improvement
Booking.com photo optimisation
Google Business Profile optimisation
Accurate room type structure across OTAs
Direct booking CRO fixes
Medium Impact
6. Expedia optimisation
7. SEO updates
8. Google Posts and photos
Long-Term Impact
9. AI search optimisation
10. Content marketing + blogs
Interested in levelling up your Motel Marketing? Join our Motel Management Course today.
