SEO for Travel

In the highly competitive world of travel SEO, catching the eye of adventurers and holidaymakers can be challenging. To make your mark, you need a successful SEO strategy highlighting your unique experiences. 

Our SEO agency is aware of how tricky it can be to do SEO for travel websites. So we’re going to bring you everything our professional team would do for a travel company to help your website climb search engines. 

SEO for Travel Websites

Understanding SEO is key for making your travel website pop up where travellers are looking. Getting your travel site to show up first in search results means more eyes on your travel packages or blog. It’s all about making sure your site is the first stop for anyone planning their next adventure.

As a travel website, search engine optimisation helps you establish credibility and trustworthiness in a busy market. By creating well-optimised content that shares breathtaking destinations, travel tips and the latest in travel trends, you become the go-to guide for travel information. This not only increases engagement but opens the door to more booking opportunities and partnerships for you.

Keyword Research

Researching the search phrases travellers use when looking for their next adventure is what you’re after in keyword research. Aim to make your site the ultimate guide for travel and destinations. This earns you points with Google, ranking your articles and guides higher in search results. 

Consider the unique experiences your travel service offers. Highlight these as your main attractions. These services become your pillar pages for which you can create a topic cluster. To create a cluster you need a keyword strategy that includes every keyword that relates to the main pillar page. 

Tools like Ahrefs or Answer the Public are great for sparking ideas for content that explores every aspect of what you offer. For example, if you’re known for “Eco-Friendly Tours,” you might write about:

• Top Eco-Friendly Destinations in [Area]
• How to Travel Sustainably with [Your Company]
• Tips for Eco-Conscious Travel

When you have every topic covered for your pillar pages, it’s time to create engaging content and build a network of links between your articles.

Internal Linking

When you properly connect pages on your travel website, you make it easy for visitors to navigate your travel website. This setup also lets search engines grasp the structure of your site and rank it more effectively. 

Consider this structure as a starting point:

Homepage > Pillar Page > Articles

Homepage > Adventure Tours > Guide to Epic Adventures

This structure serves as the foundation for developing a collection of topic clusters and relevant supporting articles. Begin by linking articles to each pillar page, ensuring your links create a network like so:

• Each article links back to its pillar page
• Each article is linked from another within the same topic cluster
• Each pillar page connects to the homepage

Vary your internal links anchor text instead of sticking to exact matches; if an article is about “Adventure Tour Packing List,” change up your linking phrases so you don’t over-optimise. Effective internal linking leverages the power of your top pages to improve rankings across your site, not just the front page.

Content Strategy

Every SEO plan needs a strategy and SEO for travel is no different. You’ll have to consider the type of travel stories, guides, and insights you’ll share. And on top of that how regularly you can publish articles and where to start first. 

Your strategy should pinpoint what will make your travel site a go-to spot for travellers. Identify which topics are going to move the needle most for your travel company. When you have this knowledge it will provide you with your first steps. 

Craft your content to highlight the adventures and experiences you offer, making your site irresistible to travellers. Keep your blog updated with posts on travel hacks, hidden gems, and updates from the travel world. This capitalises on trending and topical searches that can be easier to rank for. 

Don’t forget to make these part of your travel content plan:

• Structured data
• Keyword rich headings
• Meta descriptions
• FAQs

Solid SEO is more than just keywords. It’s about delivering content that captivates, educates, and inspires readers to pack their bags with your guidance.

Local SEO

Getting your travel website noticed in local searches can really set you apart. If you have physical locations, make sure your Google Business Profile is updated and filled with relevant keywords that describe your services. 

This not only ranks your travel business in Google search results and Google Maps but also opens the door for travellers to drop reviews. Having people talk about their amazing travel experiences with your service online is worth its weight in gold. So encourage happy travellers to share their stories. Positive feedback can really sway potential customers and lift your ranking in search results.

For your site, create pages aimed at local searches like “Adventure Tours in Perth.” Create unique content for each location you cover to keep things fresh and avoid duplicate content issues.

Link Building

Securing links from respected and relevant sites signals to search engines that your travel content is reliable and deserves a higher ranking.

The ways we get valuable links include:

• Digital PR 
• Writing guest posts
• Creating shareable infographics
• Partnering up for collaborations

Aim for a mix of backlinks, particularly from travel-centric sites, to boost your site’s trust and authority. Smart link building does more than improve SEO, it can raise your site’s profile by putting you in front of a new audience. 

Technical SEO

Travel websites tend to have a lot of pages to target keywords across multiple locations and services. This makes it important to health check your site with a technical SEO audit. Give your site a health check at least once a year with tools like Screaming Frog and Google’s Page Insights.

Here are a few important things you should focus on:

1. Speeding up your site’s load time.
2. Ensuring it’s mobile-friendly.
3. Securing your site with HTTPS.
4. Crafting short, descriptive, and keyword-focused URLs.
5. Making your site easy for search engines to crawl.
6. Using structured data to make your content clear.
7. Tackling duplicate content issues with canonical tags or redirects.
8. Keeping your site secure against threats.
9. Implementing hreflang tags for multiple languages

Understanding the Market Dynamics

It’s important to consider how external influences such as changes in the economy or trending locations can impact the travel market. These factors can change traveller preferences so you want to be on top of them. Being flexible and well-informed keeps your travel company relevant and ahead of the curve.

Search engine optimisation isn’t about blindly following the system, it’s also about pairing it with an overall marketing strategy. By engaging in comprehensive market research and keeping an eye on what your competition is doing, you’ll be able to keep track of everything. 

SEO Challenges

Companies are vying for visibility with keywords that have a high level of competition. The battle isn’t just about reaching the top of search engine results. It’s also about adapting to the ever-changing preferences and desires of travellers.

Implementing structured data and schema markup can improve the results of travel-related content. This can seem complex if you’ve not done it before, but it means you can get rich results in the search engine results pages. This helps to make your website stand out from those who don’t have it. 

What are the Benefits of SEO?

While SEO has its complexities, the advantages it offers your travel business are significant. As you rise in search engine results, you’ll see an increase in search volume from organic visitors. This often leads to more bookings and inquiries—directly affecting your profits.

Additionally, SEO allows you to reach travellers who are searching for precisely what you provide. Whether they desire a plush resort or a budget-friendly trekking trip, employing location-based or specific keywords can draw a specialised audience with a higher likelihood of making a purchase. 

How Long Does SEO Take?

Search engine optimisation can take time to see results. There might be some wins that come around the one to two-month mark but it’s best to expect longer than that. 

The timeframe is also highly dependent on a few factors such as

• The age of your website 
• The intensity of market competition
• The results you desire

SEO requires continuous effort. It’s not a one-time task. It can help to have a dedicated team to really reap the benefits. 

Need Help With Your SEO?

Our team here at Prosperity Media has been in the SEO industry for over a decade. During that time we’ve built up an award-winning agency that hosts Australia’s largest SEO conference. No other agencies in Australia can say that. 

If you want to find out what we can do for you, then send our team a message. We’d be happy to take a look over your travel business and provide you with our thoughts. If you work with us, our SEO team works directly with you. We never put account managers in front of you and the SEO team. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is SEO in Tourism?

SEO in tourism is about improving your online presence to ensure it’s easily found for those organising vacations. It involves optimising your website with keywords, backlinks and high-quality content.

How Do I Do SEO for My Business?

To start SEO for your company, begin by using keyword research tools identifying keywords that are pertinent to your business, optimising your web pages, and producing high-quality content. Concentrate on acquiring quality backlinks and regularly evaluate your website’s analytics.

How Do I Market My Travel Business?

To effectively promote your travel business, actively participate on social media platforms, make connections at travel industry events, partner with well-known personalities, provide distinctive travel experiences, and utilize email marketing strategies to maintain awareness of your brand among prospective customers.

How to Do Local SEO for Small Businesses?

Establish your presence on Google My Business and motivate your customers to leave positive feedback to improve your local SEO strategies. Also, try to rank for location-based keywords. This will help your search engine rankings draw customers in your area to your small enterprise.