The New Visibility Game for Destinations in a Smart Search World
The New Visibility Game for Destinations in a Smart Search World
For Destinations, this shift marks a new era. It’s no longer enough to just rank on Google or be listed on OTAs. To be recommended by AI, Destinations must invest in generative engine optimization (GEO), a strategy focused on citations, content authority, and a strong presence across multiple online channels.
What exactly is GEO is, how it differs from traditional SEO, and what steps can we take to stay visible in the AI-powered era of travel planning and buying a second home?
What is GEO?
GEO is the practice of improving your destination’s visibility in AI-generated recommendations. Unlike traditional search engine optimization (SEO), which focuses on ranking in search engine results pages, GEO is about being referenced and recommended by generative AI tools.
These AI engines don’t just crawl websites and rank them by keyword relevance; they generate answers by pulling from a wide range of sources across the internet.
Punta Mita on the right track – Radioformula.com.mx
From Keywords to Citations: How AI Evaluates Content
Traditional SEO is centered around keywords. You optimize your website for phrases that users type into a search bar like “best luxury hotels in Barcelona” and aim to appear on the top search results. At the same time, you make sure your rental properties are listed on OTAs and metasearch platforms to cover as many discovery channels as possible.
GEO works by aligning our destinations digital presence with the types of content AI engines trust. These engines synthesize responses using citations from sources like OTAs, travel golf & rental, hotel websites, travel blogs, forums, and even video content. Some citations appear directly in responses, while others are used behind the scenes to train and validate answers.
The Signals Behind AI Recommendations study revealed the types of citations (or sources) that generative AI platforms rely on most when recommending resorts & hotels. The top sources included:
- Online travel agencies vocational rental platforms: Over 40% of all citations came from OTAs, including global players like Booking.com , VRBO and niche platforms.
- Resort & Hotel websites: 10% of citations came directly from official property websites.
- Travel blogs: 5% of citations were from independent or media-run travel blogs.
- Community forums: 8% came from platforms like Reddit and Tripadvisor.
- YouTube: 6% of citations originated from video content and reviews.
It’s not just about being mentioned, it’s about how consistently and positively your brand is portrayed. AI engines appear to assess sentiment when reviewing these sources, analyzing guest feedback to identify patterns.
The GEO Playbook for Destinations
There’s no single tactic that guarantees our destination will be recommended by AI engines. Visibility in generative search is the result of a well-rounded strategy built on consistency, authenticity, and a strong digital presence.
Here are the core areas to focus on:
- Ensure You’re Listed on the Right OTAsOTAs, VRBO, and Airbnb remain the most cited source in AI recommendations for hotels and rental properties due to their abundance of structured, real-time data like rates, availability, and guest reviews. Therefore, it’s important to be listed on a mix of major platforms as well as niche OTAs and rental pages relevant to your target audience, whether that’s adventure travel or luxury stays.Make sure your destination name, description, and branding are consistent across every listing as AI engines look for clarity and alignment across sources, and discrepancies can weaken your credibility.
- Don’t Neglect Your Destination WebsiteYour website is one of your most valuable digital assets. It should contain all of the information AI engines—and travelers—are looking for about: resort, hotels, golf, attractions, amenities, policies, booking options, FAQs, guest reviews, and high-quality images. Structured formatting helps AI better understand your content, so prioritize clear headers, bullet points, and concise descriptions.Technical performance also plays a role. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and free of broken links. Use proper meta tags, alt text for images, and schema markup where possible. A built-in booking engine is key, not only to drive direct bookings but to stay competitive as AI platforms begin integrating booking capabilities.
- Earn Citations through PartnershipsCitations are at the core of GEO. To earn them, you must look beyond your owned channels. Collaborate with travel bloggers, influencers, destination marketing organizations, and local media, and participate in events, campaigns, or storytelling initiatives that position your property as a valuable and reference-worthy source.For example, being listed in articles or vlogs for ‘Top Resorts in Mexico ’ helps improve credibility in highly relevant contexts.Building brand awareness through PR and influencer partnerships increases the likelihood of being mentioned across platforms that AI engines trust, strengthening your overall authority and visibility.
- Embrace User-Generated ContentUser-generated content offers valuable signals of credibility and authenticity. To increase your mentions online, encourage guests to leave reviews on Tripadvisor, Google, and OTAs. Consider encouraging guests to mention specific details about your resort property in reviews, as this kind of context helps AI engines better understand what your hotel is known for.For example, if guests post about your stunning beach club or kid-friendly pool, AI will be able to pull from these reviews when users ask specific queries around these topics.It’s also important to keep an eye on Reddit threads, Facebook groups, and travel forums where your destination is mentioned. These communities often surface organically in AI-generated responses and can impact recommendations. Be sure to respond to threads or negative reviews to provide context around conversations happening online.
Seo Isn’t Dead, It’s Evolving
SEO as we know it isn’t going away—but it is evolving. The rise of generative AI is expanding the playing field, requiring destinations, resorts and hotels to optimize not just for Google but for a growing number of platforms that influence traveler decisions.
GEO represents the next phase of visibility. Hotels that adapt will benefit from stronger digital presence, more AI-driven referrals, and ultimately, more bookings.
As we move toward a future shaped by agentic AI, where travelers can ask, decide, and book within a single interaction, a well-rounded, citation-rich digital footprint won’t just be helpful—it will be essential.
The next time a traveler asks ChatGPT for a place to stay in your city, make sure your Punta Mita is part of the answer.
