When we talk about SEO we’re often talking about things like title tags, meta descriptions and links. Those items are all important, but when it comes to your travel company and SEO there are many more instances where SEO is important.
Travel companies, perhaps more than companies in other industries, have listings on various directories. There used to be strategies for listing your company in travel guides and even in the phone book. Those strategies were important because getting people to notice your listing increased the chances of getting more customers.
Now with online directories like Yelp, Google+, Chamber of Commerce and other sites it’s important to focus on the SEO aspects of your listings. With the right strategy your listings on these directories can lead to more traffic and more conversions.
Here are the steps on how to write good listings for various online directories.
Step 1. Use Customer Language (Instead Of Spiffy Travel Words)
Every industry has its own jargon. In the blogging world I’m guilty of using jargon all the time. I have to fight against it because the people I want to attract to my blog aren’t using the same language I want to use all the time.
In the travel industry you’ve probably see words like venue, getaway, and more. Not many people use those terms when they’re searching for places to visit, places to stay and things to do. So this first tip is really for all content you put on the web. Use the language your customers use.
This goes for titles, descriptions and even things like links in navigation and other areas. When you list your travel company on a travel directory or on a local business directory, that directory has some authority with the search engines. Chances are good that your listing will appear in search results, but you need to tweak your wording to use customer language.
This way when a customer searches for a place to stay in Denver they’ll find your B&B. Here’s an example of a title and short description:
Jan’s Lakefront Bed & Breakfast: One of the best places to stay in Denver
That’s better than:
Jan’s Lakefront Bed & Breakfast: A great place to rest your head on your next adventure
Step 2. Focus On What The Customer Gets
Part of SEO is getting someone to find your listing. The second part is convincing that person to take action on your listing and description. To do this you need to have an enticing description that provides the reader with something that they will get if they choose your destination.
In one example we find a water park. One option for writing a description could be:
More fun in one area than you’ll get anywhere else in the state!
That’s pretty good. There is nothing necessarily wrong with it, but you can do better.
Here is another option:
The most fun your family will have this year. Over 50 waterslides, 50 games and a dozen different options for food all while enjoying 200+ days of sun each year!
Now if that description doesn’t sell people on what they get from that water park I don’t know what will. I think one trick is using numbers. For some reason people seem to like numbers in descriptions. It’s easy for them to compare to other options. And when it comes to water parks you know people want to keep the kids busy the entire visit. So selling them on that fact will make them want to take action on your listing.
Step 3. Ask For Reviews Every Time
When we’re talking SEO we’re not talking about the search only on a search engine. That can lead people to the directory, but SEO goes beyond that as well. You have to do well in the search within the directory.
So if you’re on a city site or a state travel site you want to show up well in what is called the “internal search” for that directory.
One aspect that seems to separate listings both on engines like Google and within directories is reviews. Visitors can often shop for travel companies by using the best reviewed and worst reviewed, but they’re also looking for the most reviewed places.
Make getting reviews a priority throughout your company. Ask people that purchase from you for their email address. Then after their stay send an email asking them to review you. Provide links to the various directories that your site is listed on including Google, Yelp and others.
Don’t encourage only good feedback. Ask for honest feedback. You don’t need to offer a discount or anything like that. Simply state that you’re always looking to get better and to hear about what you’re doing well and that feedback is a great way to learn.
In general, the more reviews you have the better you’ll do in various search results both on search engines like Google and on directories.
Final Thought
SEO can make your head spin, but it’s really all about the user or the person you’re trying to sell your services and products to. In a recent interview a Google representative said as much:
Eric Enge, Question 3: Google has been putting more and more emphasis on user experience lately. You discussed this quite a bit at SMX East. Can you share your thoughts on why this is so important to Google?
Gary Illyes: That’s easy: whatever we do, it’s about the user. We want them happy and if we can contribute to their happiness, we will.
Focus on what is best for your target user. Use their language. Use language that makes them feel like they’re getting what they want from your listing. And ask them for their feedback so you can improve and so others can see that others are visiting your travel company.
That’s the key for SEO success for on your site and on other online travel directories.
Image: Kate Ter Haar
