Add Us As A Trusted Google Source Travelers are increasingly asking AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews to recommend places to stay, and those tools cite the websites they trust most. The six strategies below can help your inn become one of those trusted sources. You don’t have to do this yourself, though. Pillow Chocolate is here to help with all your digital marketing needs.
Key Takeaways
- Schema markup is behind-the-scenes code that tells AI platforms exactly who you are, where you are, and how guests can reach you.
- E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust) is the standard search results are measured against, and innkeepers are naturally well positioned to meet it.
- User-generated content, such as guest reviews, shows AI that real people like, trust, and use your inn.
- Digital PR matters because AI trusts what others say about you more than what you say about yourself.
- Topical authority comes from writing about one subject from many angles until AI sees you as the go-to expert.
- Information gain means publishing information that can’t be found anywhere else, answering the specific questions travelers are asking.
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1. Use Schema Markup
Schema markup is specialized code added to your website to help search engines and AI platforms understand your content. Your guests never see schema, but search engines and AI tools do. Since computers can’t read the way humans do, schema spells out what each piece of information on your site means.
Think of it like an invitation to a party. A good invitation clearly lists the what, when, and where, so the invitee doesn’t have to guess. Schema works the same way. It tells Google and AI platforms the name of your boutique inn, where your business is located, and how people can contact you. With that information clearly labeled, AI can confidently offer your inn as a qualified response when someone searches for a “boutique inn near Boise, ID.”
2. Demonstrate E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust. Search results are rated against these four standards, and AI platforms lean on the same signals when deciding which sources to cite. Here’s how each one applies to your inn:
Experience means the content creator has first-hand, lived experience with the topic. Innkeepers often live in the area, or even at the inn. You have first-hand experience living, dining, and enjoying everything your city or town has to offer, so let that shine through in your writing.
Expertise means your content demonstrates superior knowledge about your property, your local area, and the guest experience. Most inns use blog posts to demonstrate this knowledge, sharing insider tips that only a local would know.
Authority means someone else trusts your information. Authority can come from press mentions, backlinks, reviews, awards, and listings in trusted sources like iloveinns. Trust comes from transparency. Who wrote your blog posts? Who are they? Do you have an innkeeper bio on your site? Clear author bylines and bio pages show both guests and AI that real, knowledgeable people stand behind your content.
3. Encourage User-Generated Content
User-generated content is content written by your customers rather than by you. For inns, the most common and valuable form is guest reviews. Reviews show AI that real people like, trust, and use your services. ASK for reviews. Encourage guests to post reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp and directories. Each review acts like a vote for your property.
When travelers consistently mention your cozy rooms, your homemade breakfasts, or your helpful local recommendations, AI platforms take notice. Those repeated, authentic mentions become evidence that your inn delivers what it promises. Make it easy for happy guests to leave reviews, and respond to them thoughtfully to show you’re engaged and attentive.
4. Invest in Digital PR
Someone else saying that you are amazing is trusted more by large language models than you saying it about yourself. That’s the power of digital PR. When a respected publication, travel blog, or local news outlet features your inn, AI sees it as independent validation.
Have you been featured in an article, mentioned in another blog post, or highlighted somewhere else on the web? Make sure to bring attention to it. Share it on social media, add an “As Featured In” section to your website, and link to the coverage. The more visible those third-party endorsements are, the more likely AI platforms are to connect your inn with positive, credible sources.
5. Build Topical Authority
Topical authority means writing a lot about one thing to show you’re the expert AI should recommend. Rather than publishing a single post about a local attraction and moving on, cover that attraction from many different angles.
For example, start with a general post about a popular attraction near your inn. Then write another post about bringing a date to that attraction. Follow up with a post about special events held there throughout the year. You might also cover the best time of day to visit, what to pack, or where to eat nearby afterward. Keep looking for fresh angles. Over time, this depth of coverage signals to AI that your website is an authority on that attraction and a reliable source to cite.
6. Focus on Information Gain
Information gain asks a simple question: does your page say something that can’t be found anywhere else? Google loves information that isn’t available elsewhere, and AI platforms value it too. If your content simply repeats what dozens of other websites already say, there’s little reason for AI to cite you.
Think about what makes your business special and what specific questions people might ask a search engine that would lead them to you. Examples could include:
- Best Kentucky inn for visiting multiple distilleries
- Pet-friendly Colorado inns with full kitchens
- Where to sit in a hot tub under the stars in Maine
People are searching for specific experiences, not just a place to sleep. Lead them to your business by posting about those specific experiences. When your website is the best, most unique answer to a traveler’s question, AI has every reason to point them your way.
Getting cited on AI platforms isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about clearly communicating who you are, proving you know your area, and giving travelers information they can’t get anywhere else. Put these six strategies to work, and your inn will be well positioned to show up in the AI-powered recommendations guiding today’s travelers.
