The Invisible Guest: How Dark Social Impacts Hotel Marketing
If you’re tracking your hotel’s marketing performance the traditional way — through UTMs, analytics, and CRM data — you’re only seeing part of the picture. There’s a whole world of referral traffic happening behind the scenes, and it’s called dark social. For the hospitality industry, where word-of-mouth and personal recommendations are already king, dark social […]
Maximizing Your Spa’s Online Presence: A Comprehensive Guide
Establishing a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any spa. Stephanie Smith, CEO of Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics, during the 2025 iSPA Conference offered valuable insights and actionable strategies for spa directors and operators looking to maximize their online visibility and attract more clients. Balancing Operations and Marketing Many spa professionals struggle […]
Backlinks – Importance in SEO Strategy
A key component in a comprehensive off-page SEO strategy includes backlinking. What is a backlink? A backlink is a link from another website to a page on your website. Backlinks are a key ranking factor for search engines like Google and Bing. The more ‘quality’ backlinks you have is a contributing factor to increasing your […]
Maximizing Your Hotel’s Digital Launch: A Comprehensive Guide
Building your hotel’s digital presence requires meticulous planning and execution across various channels to ensure maximum visibility and seamless operations. From GPS submissions to paid marketing and content optimization, here’s how to effectively position your property for success. GPS: Getting Your Hotel Found Ensuring your hotel can be easily located is a foundational step in […]
Strategies for Marketing Your Pet-Friendly Hotel
When I think of pet-friendly hotels, I can’t help but remember how important my pets are to me and how they can affect my personal travel decisions. Years ago, my husband and I were traveling home to Ohio from North Carolina for Christmas with our dog when we hit the aftermath of a blizzard in […]
How Hotel Digital Marketing Can Bridge Gaps in Hotel Commercial Strategy
There continue to be silos in commercial strategy. Let’s dig deeper into how digital marketing needs to function to guarantee a seat at the table. Marketers need to first understand that all their acronyms mean nothing if the hotel isn’t getting its fair share and not taking market share from the competition. Our world is […]
Maximizing Share of Voice and Prioritizing Direct Bookings: A Strategic Guide for Hotels
Share of voice (SOV) is essential for assessing brand visibility and engagement compared to competitors. This metric, (calculated by dividing your brand’s mentions by the total mentions in the market and multiplying by 100), offers insights into your brand’s positioning. By understanding the factors that shape the traveler’s path to purchase, hotels can refine their […]
4 Ways to Maximize the Agency – Hotel Relationship
Strong partnerships between hotels and agencies are crucial for achieving mutual, sustained success. Effective collaboration ensures that both parties can leverage their strengths, streamline communication, and tailor strategies to meet specific needs, ultimately enhancing overall performance and guest satisfaction. Here are several strategies to help evolve partnerships between hotels and agencies for mutual, sustained success: […]
Case Study: Unlocking Unprecedented Growth Through Strategic SEO
Overview An iconic hotel in the heart of Key West, Florida, partnered with Cogwheel Marketing to revitalize its online presence. Facing limited visibility in organic search, we undertook a comprehensive SEO campaign that would transform the hotel’s digital footprint. Despite initial hurdles, including low keyword rankings and minimal referring domains, our strategy led to a […]
Developing a Social Media Plan for your Hotel
Whether you are tasking your in-house team or outsourcing to an agency, resources must be determined to dedicate to social media. This includes resources of both time and money. The size of your hotel and competing market can help you determine how to compete.
