Web Presence and Search Engine Optimization on Hotel Patronage in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study examined the effect of web presence and search engine optimization on hotel patronage in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Web presence, search engine optimization and hotel patronage formed the specific objectives of the study. 1122 employees that had access to information of customers who made hotel reservations from forty-one hotels registered with Akwa Ibom State Hotels Management and Tourism Board formed the population. The study employed a census sampling technique. Primary data were gathered through a structured questionnaire. Simple percentages and charts were employed for the demographic analyses, leveraging the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 to facilitate the data analyses. The univariate analyses were done using means and standard deviations to provide insights into the central tendencies and variability of the data. To test the study hypotheses, the researchers employed Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), facilitated by the SmartPLS version 3.2.9 software. Findings of the study showed that web presence (β = 0.713, t- value = 10.156, p-value = 0.011 < 0.05) had positive significant effect on hotel patronage in Akwa Ibom State and search engine optimization (β = 0.613, t-value = 8.046, p-value = 0.003 < 0.05, a statistically significant and positive effect on hotel patronage. Based on the empirical findings, we recommended that management of hotels in Akwa Ibom State should ensure that they have a well- designed, user-friendly, and informative website that showcase their offerings and provides a seamless booking experience for customers. Regular updates and maintenance of the website should be a priority to keep it relevant and engaging. The hotel owners and operators should prioritize the implementation of effective search engine optimization strategies to improve their visibility on search engine results pages. This should include optimizing their website content, improving website structure and navigation, and leveraging relevant keywords to attract potential customers.