4 Content Secrets to Make Your Travel Site a Top Destination

Although travel guides will always be in vogue, today’s voyagers rely heavily on travel websites and social media to spark ideas and book their excursions. Between people who are planning vacations and those who are dreaming about them, plenty of people are interested in visiting your website and blog. By offering great content that assist people like a friendly but knowledgeable hotel concierge, you can get a leg up on the competition.

Whether you’re selling tickets, booking cruises, or promoting your boutique hotel or B&B, here are four tips that will put your travel site on the map.

1. Create a content-rich blog

Want to get the best content marketing ROI? Put your money where your blog is. If you have a site that doesn’t get updated too often — say you switch things up seasonally, but not in between — regular blogging can help boost your visibility through search engine optimization (SEO). If someone is looking for a hotel in your area, you want to be high in the results to catch travelers who don’t already know you.

Although attracting readers to your blog is key, all the SEO work in the world won’t matter if your blog isn’t offering high-quality, thought-provoking content. Make sure you’re creating this content regularly, lest your readers get bored and go somewhere else for their information. By offering readers content they actually want to read, you’ll generate real interest and win return visitors. 

2. Decide what to write about

When it comes to blogging for travel, offer readers interesting and useful information. Save quick promotional hits, like news about a special offer, for email and social media.

Travelers are often looking for answers to specific questions — a fact you can use to your advantage. USA Today found that the #1 reason customers interact with hotels on social media is to find general information about the environs — the kinds of questions you’d ask a concierge.

Blog posts that offer meaningful information on a destination can establish you as an authority on that locale. In writing these posts, take advantage of the growing trend toward natural language search queries, such as “What’s the best surf spot in San Diego?” 

3. Use e-mail to keep travel dreams alive 

People’s inboxes are crowded, but everyone responds to an attractive email that offers a new adventure. A compelling subject header is like a great title — it makes people want to click. Make sure the words inside the email are carefully crafted for maximum effect. 

A helpful strategy is to segment your email list so you’re getting the right messages to the right people. Have empty rooms you’d like to fill this weekend? Email a special rate for new guests. Hope a recent visitor will give you a good review on TripAdvisor? Follow up on their stay with a personalized email that includes review site links. Personalized email marketing gets 29 percent more unique opens — and 41 percent more unique clicks — than broadcast messages.

4. Enhance your social media presence

One in five travelers use social media to get travel ideas and destination info, so meet them halfway. A well-crafted social media post can show people you understand their wants and needs, and bring them to your site. Post links to your blog, destination advice, and tips for cheap travel. If there’s bad weather in your area, your customers want to know about it, and they’ll appreciate you going out of your way to tell them about it.

Some major don’ts in the world of social media include auto-posting or pushing content back and forth across multiple platforms. An example of this would be a Facebook status pushing to a tweet that only links back to the original Facebook post. Your audience doesn’t need to see the same thing in three or four different places. Make sure the content you distribute on your platforms is fresh, interesting, and diverse. A good content vendor can help.

If you’re running a travel site, chances are you’re putting up with a tremendous amount of competition. The best, most pragmatic way to keep yourself on your customers’ horizon is by enhancing your online presence through blogs, marketing emails, or social media — or, better yet, a combination of all three. And Prose Media is here to help you connect with your audience. Sign up today for free, no-obligation access to our platform. We would love to see what you have in mind.