SEO for Bath Hotels & B&Bs: Rank Higher on TripAdvisor Search
How Bath's top hotels and B&Bs get more direct bookings, reduce OTA commission fees, and dominate local search results in Britain's most beautiful city.
Why Bath Hotels Need SEO (Not Just Booking.com)
Bath welcomes over 5 million visitors yearly. Yet most hotels rely on Booking.com and Expedia, paying 15-25% commission on every booking. A strong SEO strategy means more direct bookings, higher profit margins, and control over your customer relationships.
High-Value Keywords for Bath Hotels
Bath tourists search differently than London visitors. They want Georgian architecture, Roman history, and boutique experiences. Here are the keywords that drive bookings:
- "hotels in Bath city centre" - 3,600/mo
- "boutique hotels Bath" - 1,200/mo
- "bed and breakfast Bath" - 2,400/mo
- "luxury hotels Bath" - 880/mo
- "hotels near Roman Baths" - 720/mo
- "romantic weekend getaway Bath"
- "pet friendly hotels Bath"
- "hotels with parking Bath city centre"
- "Georgian townhouse hotel Bath"
- "spa hotels Bath weekend break"
Pro Tip: Seasonal Keywords
Target "Bath Christmas market hotels" (Nov-Dec), "Bath festival accommodation" (May-June), and "summer hotels Bath" for seasonal traffic spikes.
Dominate the Google Map Pack
The Google Map Pack shows the top 3 hotels when someone searches "hotels near me Bath". Here's how to rank:
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Complete Your Profile 100%
Add photos, amenities, check-in times, parking details, and virtual tour links
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Get 50+ Google Reviews
Ask guests to review on Google instead of just TripAdvisor
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Upload High-Quality Photos Weekly
Hotels with 100+ photos get 520% more calls and 2.7x more website clicks
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Use Google Posts
Announce special offers, events, and seasonal packages weekly
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Respond to Every Review in 24 Hours
Response rate affects local ranking and builds trust
Website SEO That Converts Visitors to Bookings
Your website competes with Booking.com and Expedia. Make it easier to book direct:
These appear in Google search results. Make them compelling:
Good Example:
Title: "Boutique Georgian Hotel in Bath City Centre | Free Parking & Spa"
Description: "Stay in a beautifully restored Georgian townhouse 2 minutes from Roman Baths. Luxury rooms, complimentary breakfast, free city centre parking. Book direct & save 15%."
Bad Example:
Title: "Home - The Royal Hotel Bath"
Description: "Welcome to our website"
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Use descriptive filenames:
luxury-bath-hotel-bedroom.jpgnotIMG_4736.jpg - Add alt text to every image for accessibility and SEO
- Compress images to load fast (use TinyPNG)
- Show real photos, not stock images - guests can tell
Build Links from Bath Tourism Sites
Backlinks tell Google your hotel is trusted. Focus on local Bath websites:
- VisitBath.co.uk - Official tourism site
- Bath Echo - Local news coverage
- Bath In Time - Heritage blog
- VisitWest.co.uk - Regional tourism
- Bath Business Web - Local directory
- Partner with Bath Spa, Roman Baths for package deals
- Sponsor Bath Rugby or Bath Half Marathon
- Get featured in Bath wedding blogs
- Collaborate with Bath food bloggers
- Join Bath Tourism Plus for listings
Technical SEO for Booking Websites
Technical issues cost you bookings. Fix these common problems:
Mobile-First Design
72% of hotel bookings happen on mobile. Test with Google's Mobile Test
Page Speed Under 3 Seconds
Every second of delay costs 7% conversion. Use PageSpeed Insights
HTTPS & Secure Booking
Google won't rank unsecure sites. Get an SSL certificate
Schema Markup
Add Hotel Schema to show star ratings and prices in search results
Content That Attracts Bath Tourists
Create content that answers tourist questions and ranks in Google:
- "25 Best Things to Do in Bath This Weekend"
- "Where to Park in Bath: Complete Visitor Guide"
- "Bath Christmas Markets 2025: Dates & Hotels"
- "Romantic Weekend Getaway in Bath: Itinerary"
- "Best Bath Restaurants Near [Your Hotel]"
- Virtual tour of your rooms (YouTube)
- Walking tour from hotel to Roman Baths
- Behind-the-scenes of breakfast service
- Guest testimonials and experiences
- Local staff recommendations for Bath
The Challenge
12-room Georgian townhouse hotel was paying 22% commission to OTAs and ranking on page 3 for "Bath hotels". Direct bookings were just 15% of total revenue.
The Strategy
- Optimized Google Business Profile with 150+ photos
- Built content hub: "Ultimate Bath Guide" blog series
- Acquired 34 local backlinks from Bath tourism sites
- Implemented hotel schema markup
The Results (18 Months)
Need Help Ranking Your Bath Hotel?
We've helped 12+ Bath hospitality businesses reduce OTA dependency and increase direct bookings. Book a free SEO audit to see how we can help your hotel.