CMS Lesson 5: Setting Up SEO for Your Website

Help guests find your hotel online

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps your website appear in Google search results when potential guests look for accommodations in your area. With the Smarthotel Editor, it’s easy to manage your site’s SEO — no extra tools or plugins required.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to:

• Add a meta title and meta description

• Optimize SEO per page and per image

• Use fallback SEO settings

• Avoid common mistakes

What is a meta title and meta description?

The meta title and meta description are the two most important fields for SEO. They are shown in search engines like Google when someone finds your website.

Example in Google:

• Meta title: This appears as the blue clickable link

• Meta description: This appears as the gray summary text below the link

These fields are also used in your browser tab and social media previews.

1. Default SEO for your whole site (fallback)

If you forget to fill in SEO details for a specific page, your website will use the default meta title and description.

To set your default SEO:

1. Go to Settings > Site Info

2. Scroll down to SEO Settings

3. Enter a meta title and meta description

4. Click Save

Example:

• Meta title: Hotel Belle Vue – Boutique Hotel in Maastricht

• Meta description: Enjoy your stay in the heart of Maastricht. Cozy rooms, great breakfast, and views of the river.

These defaults will be used for any page without custom SEO settings.

2. SEO per page

We recommend adding custom SEO to every important page on your website.

To add SEO to a page:

1. Go to Pages

2. Click the the three dots next to the page name and click on Edit Page SEO

3. Scroll down to the SEO section

4. Fill in the meta title and meta description

5. Click Republish

Tips:

• Keep your meta title under 55 characters (including spaces)

• Keep your meta description under 160 characters

• Include relevant keywords, like your hotel name and location

• Write clear and inviting descriptions that encourage people to click

3. SEO for images (alt text)

Every image can include an alt text (alternative text), which helps with SEO and accessibility.

To add alt text to an image:

1. Click on any image in your page

2. Click Edit

3. Enter a short description in the Image Description (alt text) field

4. Click Save

Example alt text:
“Deluxe double room with balcony and sea view – Hotel Bellevue, Nice”

Bonus: Use the SEO Assistant

You can use the SEO Assistant in the Smarthotel Editor to check if any images on your page are missing alt text.

How to use it:

1. Open the page in the editor

2. Click the SEO flag icon in the top toolbar

3. Review the checklist — you’ll see missing alt texts listed

4. Click on each suggestion and update the image description

5. Save your changes

Tip: Keep your descriptions short, specific, and relevant to what’s shown in the image.

Common mistakes to avoid

Summary

• Set your default meta title and description under Site Settings

• Add custom meta titles and descriptions to each important page

• Add alt text to every image for SEO and accessibility

• Use the SEO Assistant to check for missing content

• Keep text clear, short, and keyword-focused

• Don’t forget to publish your changes!

Need help?

We’re here to support you.
Email us at support@smarthotel.nl and we’ll gladly assist.