According to the U.S. Travel Association, direct spending by international and resident travelers in the United States averaged a staggering $3.0 billion a day. Travel companies get the lion’s share of this growing market by taking branding and travel SEO strategies to the next level.
Get a piece of the action by maximizing the in-destination experience. From the initial search for a destination and activities to on-the-spot local searches, business on-the-scene throughout the journey attract more travelers.
Travel SEO, branding, and delivering valuable in-destination experiences are the cornerstones to success in this increasingly competitive arena. Find out how to step up your approach to solidify all three aspects of your marketing plan.
Bring on the Destination Experience Branding
While competition is fierce in the travel industry, never retreat in the face of the competitors. Entrepreneurs often speculate if there is room for them to get noticed and stand apart from famous brands with a rich history.
Branding strategies should focus on what a company does better than anyone else. Keep in mind that 90 percent of searchers have not decided on a brand before starting a search. An innovative approach with a creative touch helps consumers remember your company.
Effective branding begins with a consistent and professional approach. People remember a company by a simple logo, memorable slogan, and distinctive colors. With that foundation in place, the next step is to develop a unique voice, so travelers hear you above the din of competitors.
And savvy companies use robust syndication networks for branding, authority, and lead generation. Consistent link building and sharing attract new visitors to your content – and these are potential leads that could have missed your site.
Make Your Travel Website a Window to the World
A smart travel website design can compete with the most prominent players in the industry. Check the site loading speed, update the sitemap, review navigability, and verify the site is mobile-friendly. Travelers search for in-destination experiences via mobile devices – and your website should be accessible and readable from any device.
Travelers are getting more fully immersed in destinations than ever before. A recent study revealed 74 percent of Americans are now prioritizing experiences over products. Today consumers want to stock up on memorable adventures rather than hoarding goods. A compelling travel site makes people want to get up and go somewhere amazing.
Look objectively at your site. Is there enough white space, or does the content look crowded? Are you using stock images rather than showcasing original ones? Quality photos are crucial in the travel industry. People want to imagine themselves basking on a sun-drenched beach or trekking along challenging terrain. Transform your travel site into a wonderful window to the world. Show and tell travelers what they need to hear to take action.
Satisfaction Encourages Action
Searchers must be satisfied with their findings to take action. Often this is a multi-tiered process based on providing useful information and building trust. The goal is to take a personalized journey down the sales funnel to turn visitors into paying customers. Authenticity is critical in the travel business because consumers want to feel safe throughout the journey.
Learn the lingo of your target market. Develop customer personas then focus on resonating with these visitors. What are their top questions? Scrape Google’s People Also Ask section of the search results to find out what people are asking. How do they search for an in-destination experience?
Choose a niche market to brand the business. Then conduct detailed keyword research to improve travel SEO. Use tools such as Google Analytics to find short-tail and long-tail keywords based on traffic and relevance. Select keywords that fit naturally into the content. Obvious optimization makes people mistrust a site. Be relatable and approachable yet authoritative.
Infuse keywords into the content, title tags, alt tags, and metadata. Use keywords when sharing on social media, and hashtags on sites such as Twitter and Facebook. The right words reach out to a specific segment of the travel market and prove you know what they want.
When Does the Journey Begin?
The in-destination experience and journey begins long before travelers book a trip. Destination experiences are not solely for spontaneous travelers on-the-move. Some travelers prefer to plan a unique itinerary before scheduling a vacation. These well-organized adventurers want the security of knowing what experiences exist before they leave.
Performing localized and general keyword research helps travel companies attract both types of travelers. Travelers searching for somewhere to go now expect instant results, so that they can head in that direction. Local keywords bring this traffic in from mobile devices around the globe. And itinerary travelers may not know they want to go to a particular destination until they discover the incredible experiences they can have there.
Compelling and optimized content brands the business and makes people remember it. Make them taste, see, hear, feel, and understand what they could be missing. Create a sense of urgency with calls to action, so they know what to do. Speak directly to travelers to inspire their desire to do something nobody else they know has. Exclusivity is a driving force, especially for adventure-seekers and luxury travelers.
Focus on FOMO – Fear of Missing Out
With experiential marketing in mind, travelers don’t want to miss out on an unforgettable experience. While exclusivity matters to some, others have a fear of missing out (FOMO). If others are doing it, they have to do it, too.
Put that fear to work for your travel company. Focus on immersive experiences that are like no others. Hint that others are already finding out about them and having the time of their lives. Use descriptions, content, and images to reach out to readers and make them long for more.
Wise companies recognize tapping into the experience economy is a way to build a recognizable brand. When people have fun, they share it on social media. Travelers see these incredible journeys and remember the company offering them.
And millennial travelers are often driven by FOMO and motivated by the social pressure on social media. Share limited-time only opportunities to push fence-straddlers over the edge to book an immersive experience like no other.
Discover the Magic of Micro-Moments
A robust description of an in-destination travel experience creates a tantalizing fantasy for travelers. Discover the magic of using micro-moments to guide them down the sales funnel and plunge into a new travel opportunity.
Micro-moments are the various planning steps travelers move through before making a decision. The first step is the realization they want to get away. Some know where they want to go, and others are searching for inspiration. This stage is the perfect time to appeal to travelers who have not considered a specific brand, accommodation, or airline.
After researching, travelers are ready to make a plan. They want to bring their dreams to reality. At this point, they are comparing prices and reading reviews to get an overview of what to expect. Many travel enthusiasts start to search for unique activities and experiences at the destination.
With a plan in mind, travelers become eager to book their great escape. They might put down the mobile device to do more in-depth discover on a laptop. During this micro-moment, rely on search to ensure travelers find the experience and get all the details they need to make a decision.
Finally, the travelers have booked a trip and are eager to explore the destination. The majority of travelers don’t know what they want to do until they reach the place. Travel brands have a golden opportunity to reach out to them as they look up information about attractions, local events, restaurants, and landmarks.
Branding and Memorable Tourism Experiences (MTEs)
Once a travel company successfully guides a traveler through micro-moments, it’s time to focus on creating Memorable Tourism Experiences (MTEs). Online interactions help guide travelers to their next dream destination. Engaging customers during their desire to explore is an effective way to reach them and encourage them to take action.
When people enjoy MTE’s, they want to share them with others. Social media posts provide a free shout-out that attracts attention. People see the posts and start to recognize the brand and why travelers love it. Use testimonials to show how exciting the destination can be for travelers who know where to go and what to do.
Create emotion-evoking content throughout every stage of the four significant micro-moments. Dare to be different and reach out to consumers in tech-driven ways. Use multiple touchpoints for users who might be away from a traditional search setting. Progressive travel companies are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to provide location-specific content on-the-spot.
Be a Bold New Kid on the Block
As the travel industry grows by leaps and bounds, innovators are finding ways to assist during specific micro-moments. For example, Google reports one in three international travelers are interested in using digital assistants to research or book their trips.
Brainstorm, research, and ask questions to find gaps in the in-destination experience. Brand the business by filling these gaps with useful information, services, and journeys. Conduct detailed keywords research to find long-tail keywords to describe what the company does for travelers.
In some instances, there may be few other competitors to analyze. Companies forging new ground have a chance to become a leader in their chosen niche. Take a professional yet fun-loving approach every step of the way. Let people know what they could be missing and how your business provides what they crave.
Remember to Get Personal and Have a Good Time
The travel industry is a serious business for the people it employs. Balance professionally planning with an interactive approach. Communicate directly with travelers to create a personalized experience. Remember, travelers are looking for a good time – which often includes people who travel for business.
Tap into their culture and show them how to experience another one that exists hundreds of miles away. Discuss snorkeling in the Bahamas or learning how to prepare sushi in Japan. Draw travelers into the destination and what makes it different from anywhere else on the globe. Inspire them to make memories to treasure forever – and brag about to their friends and family.
Use the latest travel SEO practices to describe MTEs and inspire people to visit a place they may not have known existed. Post on social media, reply to comments and email messages, and customize the approach to get reluctant travelers to book their ultimate getaway. They’re sure to remember it and talk about it for years to come – and you’ll reap the benefits of word-of-mouth branding.
Life is stressful, and everyone wants to take a break. Many travelers save their hard-earned cash to get it. Take the pressure out of planning a vacation by being with them every step of their journey. Answer questions and be ready to help them have a fantastic time. Nobody forgets an experience that relieves their anxiety and makes them want more!
Are you struggling with how to optimize and describe an irresistible in-destination experience? Do you need help finding the right keywords to attract the search engines and real-life travelers? The professional team at Galileo Tech Media work with travel companies to help them exceed their expectations and surpass their goals.
Take your brand beyond the norm and stand out from the competition. We’ll be with you throughout the journey to build a brand, increase organic traffic, and generate more leads. It’s time to get your share of the growing travel industry through personalization, innovation, and the ability to share good times!
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Getting Lost in the Travel Industry Shuffle? Use In-Destination Experiences to Get Discovered!
The travel industry is booming. You don’t want to get lost in the shuffle. Savvy travel SEO and branding are more important than ever. But that might not be enough to transform traffic into travelers. So what’s next?
Modern consumers want experiences, not things. Sharing adventures that are off the beaten track brands your business. And travelers start to notice and trust you.
Discover how to use in-destination experiences to get discovered. Learn the latest optimization and branding strategies to get travelers to book a trip now
Are you ready for the good times, profits, and notoriety? Let’s get the journey started now!
