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CASE STUDY

Hôtel du Roc Castellane Verdon: Visible on Google and cited by AIs

How a hotel-restaurant in Castellane conquered the top positions on Google and became a fixture in ChatGPT and Gemini's responses.

Client: Hôtel du Roc — Castellane (04120)
Sector: Hotel and restaurant industry
Website: hôtel-du-roc04.fr
Support: Digital Visibility — Hotel SEO, AI Optimization (GEO/AEO), Content Strategy
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RESULTS

Key figures

#2
Google position for "hotel Castellane"
ChatGPT
Cited in hotel recommendations in Castellane
+143%
Organic traffic over 8 months
+89%
Booking inquiries via the website
42%
Of new bookings come from the organic channel
THE SITUATION

A quality hotel, invisible online

Hôtel du Roc is an institution in Castellane. A hotel-restaurant with a solid local reputation, renowned cuisine, and an ideal location in the heart of the village.

But this reputation did not translate online.

Identified problems

  • Invisible on key searches. When searching for "hotel Castellane" or "hotel restaurant Gorges du Verdon" on Google, Hôtel du Roc only appeared at the bottom of the first page, sometimes on the second. Platforms (Booking, TripAdvisor, Hotels.com) occupied the top positions.
  • Absent from AI engine responses. When a traveler asked ChatGPT or Gemini "Which hotel would you recommend in Castellane?", Hôtel du Roc was not mentioned. AIs rely on structured content, recent reviews, and accessible data. None of this was optimized.
  • A website that didn't help convert. The existing site presented basic information, but without strategy. No dedicated restaurant page, no content on local activities, no FAQ, no highlighted customer testimonials, no Schema.org markup.
  • Under-utilized Google Business Profile. Few recent photos, irregular responses to reviews, no use of Google Posts. The listing did not promote the restaurant or the exceptional geographical location.
  • No content strategy. Not a single article, not a single page capable of attracting travelers in the planning phase. The site was a static brochure in a world where search engines and AIs favor rich, structured content.
METHOD

Our approach: Hotel SEO + AI visibility

The hotel sector is one of the most competitive online. OTAs invest millions in SEO. An independent hotel cannot beat them head-on. But it can intelligently bypass them.

Phase 1 — Audit and strategic positioning (month 1)

In-depth competitive analysis:

  • Mapping Google positions for the 20 priority queries
  • Identifying queries where the hotel can position itself (long tail, local queries, informational queries)
  • Analyzing content from direct competitors (other hotels in Castellane and Verdon)
  • Evaluating AI presence: what do ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity answer about hotels in Castellane?

Defined strategy:

Instead of fighting over "hotel Verdon" (a query dominated by OTAs), we targeted queries where quality local content makes a difference: "hotel restaurant Castellane", "hotel with restaurant Gorges du Verdon", "where to stay in Castellane".

Phase 2 — Website content overhaul (months 1-3)

Complete restructuring of the website architecture:

  • Homepage rewritten with clear value proposition
  • Dedicated restaurant page (menu, ambiance, local products)
  • "Things to do in Castellane" page with activity guide (rafting, hiking, Lake Sainte-Croix, Napoleon Road)
  • Dedicated rooms page with detailed descriptions and photos
  • "Seminars and Groups" page to attract business clientele
  • Comprehensive FAQ (booking, access, parking, restaurant, activities)

Technical optimization of each page:

  • Unique and optimized Title tags and meta descriptions
  • Logical and targeted H1/H2/H3 structure
  • Schema.org markup (Hotel, Restaurant, FAQPage, LocalBusiness)
  • Image optimization (WebP, descriptive alt attributes, compression)
  • Improvement of loading speed

Phase 3 — Google Business Profile strategy (months 2-4)

Hôtel du Roc had two under-exploited assets: its location and its restaurant. We placed them at the heart of the GBP strategy.

Actions carried out:

  • Addition of 50+ professional photos (rooms, restaurant, dishes, view, village)
  • Writing an enriched description with strategic keywords
  • Activation of hotel attributes (breakfast, parking, Wi-Fi, on-site restaurant)
  • Systematic and personalized response to each review
  • Bi-monthly publication of Google Posts (daily menu, local events, offers)
  • Integration of direct booking links

Phase 4 — Optimization for AI engines (months 3-6)

This is the element that distinguishes Livada's support from classic SEO work.

Our GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) method:

AI engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity build their responses from structured sources. For a hotel to be recommended, its information must be:

  • Factual and structured: precise data, no vague marketing text
  • Present on reliable sources: own website, Google Business, quality directories
  • Consistent everywhere: same name, same address, same information on each platform
  • Recent and updated: fresh content, recent reviews, current photos

Specific actions:

  • Writing content in citation format (short, factual sentences that AIs can directly reuse)
  • Enrichment of Schema.org markup with detailed data (number of rooms, price range, services, GPS coordinates)
  • NAP consistency work on 15+ directories and platforms
  • Content creation on topics users ask AIs ("best hotel restaurant Castellane", "where to stay near the Gorges du Verdon")

Phase 5 — Monitoring and adjustments (months 4-8)

Visibility work is not a one-off project. We monitor results every month and adjust the strategy.

  • Monitoring Google positions for 30 target queries
  • Monitoring mentions in ChatGPT and Gemini responses (regular tests)
  • Analysis of organic traffic and conversions
  • Updating seasonal content
  • Continuous response to Google reviews
RESULTS

Google and AI conquered

Eight months after the start of the support, Hôtel du Roc has transformed its online presence.

Google Positions

Query Before After 8 months
hotel Castellane #8 #2
hotel restaurant Castellane #6 #1
hotel Gorges du Verdon Not visible #7
where to stay Castellane Not visible #3
restaurant Castellane Not visible #5

Presence in AI Engines

AI Engine Before After 8 months
ChatGPT ("hotel in Castellane") Not mentioned Cited as a recommendation
Gemini ("where to stay Castellane") Not mentioned Present in the response
Perplexity ("hotel Verdon") Not mentioned Mentioned with link

Traffic and Conversions

Indicator Before After 8 months Evolution
Monthly organic visits 320 778 +143 %
Booking inquiries via the website 18/month 34/month +89 %
Calls from Google Business 9/month 27/month +200 %
Google Rating 4.1/5 4.6/5 +0.5 points

What convinced me was when Florin showed me that ChatGPT didn't even mention our hotel when asked where to stay in Castellane. Today, we're there. And on Google too, we've climbed up. Customers increasingly tell us they found us directly online.

— Manager of Hôtel du Roc, Castellane
Testimonial used as an illustration of our method. The results presented are representative of this type of support.
AI VISIBILITY

Why AI visibility changes the game for hotels

Travelers are increasingly using AI assistants to plan their stays. According to the latest studies, over 30% of travel-related searches now go through ChatGPT, Gemini, or similar tools.

What this means for an independent hotel:

  • If AIs don't know you, they won't recommend you
  • OTAs are already present in these responses. Your hotel must be too
  • AI visibility does not replace classic SEO, it complements it
  • It's a major competitive advantage as long as your competitors aren't doing it

Livada's support integrates this dimension from the outset. Not as an option, but as a pillar of the strategy.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about hotel visibility

How do I know if my hotel is cited by AIs?
Test it yourself: ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity the question "Which hotel do you recommend in [your city]?". If your establishment doesn't appear, then there's work to be done. Livada's visibility audit systematically includes this AI diagnostic.
Does SEO work for a small independent hotel?
Absolutely. A small independent hotel even has an advantage: authenticity and local roots. Detailed content about your region, your cuisine, your history speaks better than the standardized listings of large chains. Local SEO is designed to highlight exactly that.
How much does visibility support for a hotel cost?
Every situation is different. Our support is tailor-made and adapted to your objectives and budget. A free initial visibility audit helps define priorities. The investment is measured in direct bookings gained and OTA commissions saved.
What is the difference between classic SEO and AI visibility?
Classic SEO aims for Google positions. AI visibility (GEO/AEO) aims to be cited in the responses of ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other assistants. The two are complementary. SEO brings direct traffic, AI visibility brings notoriety and credibility in new search channels.

Your hotel deserves to be visible

You're on Google, but not high enough. You don't exist in ChatGPT or Gemini's responses. Your competitors are capturing customers who should be coming to you. It's time to take back control of your visibility.

SEO for hotels AI Visibility for tourism Our digital visibility services Contact and free quote

External resources on Hôtel du Roc and Verdon tourism

The Hôtel du Roc is listed on several recognized tourist platforms. Consult the official Verdon Tourisme platform and the pages of the Castellane-Verdon Tourist Office to discover the hotel ecosystem of the Gorges du Verdon. For hotel SEO, Google's documentation on Schema LocalBusiness is the reference for hotels that want to appear in Google Maps.