Hotel marketers are shifting away from traditional search engine optimization (SEO)toward strategies that focus on AI-friendly visibility, often called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), because travelers increasingly use AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Search Generative Experience to find and book stays. In this new landscape, ranking high on classic search result pages matters less than being directly cited or surfaced by AI assistants when users ask natural language questions about travel, destinations, or lodging. To stay discoverable, hotels must adapt their digital content — emphasizing structured data, clear conversational answers to traveler queries, and storytelling that AI can understand and use — rather than relying solely on keyword rankings and traditional SEO signals. Brands that embrace GEO are more likely to maintain visibility and bookings as AI reshapes how travelers search and decide where to book.
