What to do When you Fall off Search: Hotel Marketing & SEO After GoogleTravel

What to do When you Fall off Search: Hotel Marketing & SEO After GoogleTravel

Sep 1, 2014 | googletravel

Why On-Page SEO is not working for Hotel Marketing – and what you can do about it.

This article, about on-page SEO for hospitality and destination marketing, follows our post on how Google Travel is a game changer for all of tourism, especially hotel Search Engine Optimization (SEO). To recap, the original post charted how Google has moved into travel and showed the impact on local listings in search. In the next series we will look at what can be done. Here is the first issue that looks at the issue from the local travel suppliers and destinations point of view.

For original post on Google Travel see https://marketinghotelsandtourism.com/the-evolution-of-google-travel/

Authority Sites Rank well

The Good news is that Authority sites like Barbados.org rank well in search results and we have recently seen an increase in our organic search referrals (28% increase in August 2014 vs August 2013).

Nevertheless we see the role of sites like ours having to change. We have already taken measure to boost traffic on and off of Google and have an active social and mobile presence with rich content, videos and visuals across main portals like itunes and Amazon, media that broadcast, narrow-cast and pod casts and devices like ipads, iphones, TV screens and magazines, both in digital and printed form.

The Evolution of Destination Marketing

Destination marketing has changed dramatically with the rise of the OTA, and with Googles own foray into tourism. A good case study is the Barbados Tourism Encyclopedia and its website Barbados.org (Borg). Borg evolved from a directory to an encyclopedia and now into a marketing network with social media and external links to a vast array of online resources.

The future of Borg and sites like it lies in its relation to its members and what it does for them. A Destination site, as a marketing partner for local hotel and operators, must now reach far off Google to bring new business from across the most vibrant parts of the Internet to our its members and partners.

travelers use search first

travelers use search first

Search is number one for planning and discovery

Travelers Even with all of the vast changes in online marketing Barbados.org continues to be a huge driver of traffic. Search is still the number one place where buyers start their shopping and travel planning.

The same study found that videos are simple exploding on the net with Youtube becoming a TV station in its own right.

Content is still king

Travelers have an insatiable appetite for information, from video to content and reviews from TripAdvisor to social sites.

video now mainstreem

travel videos explode in popularity

For a great article on  Jeff Bullas on how to write viral posts or writing to make your blog go viral. Jeff shares his experience and dissects the psychology of going viral.

 

 

 

More to come….

hotel seo tips | seo hotel websites | hotel internet marketing
hotel website marketing | hotel website design | hotel social media marketing

Pulling the Strings of Google Travel – Skift

Jul 28, 2014 | advertising, googletravel

Interview: The Puppet Master Pulling the Strings of Google Travel – Skift.

“We are getting started in travel. Although there currently are hints of integrating Google’s disparate travel offerings, you can definitely expect more of that in the future, particularly through search.”

So says Richard Holden, Product management for AdWords, who about a year ago became product management director, Travel, reporting to Sridhar Ramaswamy head of Ads and Commerce.

There are contradictions in where Google Travel is positioned now. Holden believes that one of the key differentiators in Google’s Speed as seen in its flight and hotel search results.

As Holden says “I would say we are execution-focused around comprehensiveness and quality in the product. The parts of the product I am talking about in particular are flights and hotels. We know we don’t cover all the world’s hotels. We want to. We don’t cover all the world’s flight itineraries and we would like to, as well.”

Read on as to what may be the biggest player in Travel In the Years ahead – http://skift.com/2014/07/28/interview-the-puppet-master-pulling-the-strings-of-google-travel

GoogleTravel Related Posts

Google not Planning to Book Hotels | EyeforTravel

May 23, 2014 | googletravel, TravelShopping

Google: talking straight or skirting the issues? | Travel Industry News & Conferences – EyeforTravel.

Google says it not planning to be in the bookings business. Its facilitating people to book with who they want says Nigel Huddleston, Google’s UK Industry Head, Travel,

Google controls 67.5% of the US search market, and over 80% of the US mobile search market. The closest competition in search is Microsoft Bing with 18.4% market share.

Recently Google has licensed Room 77’s software to push mobile bookings and more hotels signing up for Google products, so we have to wonder what exactly the plan to do with its steady encroachment of the travel industry.

In this interview Google spokesperson says no to Bookings, but is that for now? What do you think Google plans are for the future, There is much speculation the Google like Amazon business plan and wants to be a shopping site.

What do you think?

See How small hotel are falling off search

GoogleTravel: A Threat to Online Travel Agents | InvestorPlace

Apr 11, 2014 | direct bookings, googletravel, OTAs

Google Just Became a Real Problem for Online Travel Agents | InvestorPlace.

Will Google use its search platform to get hotels to advertise direct listings to potential travellers and cut out the OTAs.

Google has the user data and easily Target advertisements which would be a compelling offer for hotels who are already looking for ways to not have to pau the commissions OTAs which can be as high as 25%.

The most directly effected by Google’s move into hotels may be TripAdvisor (TA), a search platform where travelers find hotel listings they can book through the online travel agencies or direct.

But it seems logical that G will have its cake and eat too, just as TripAdvisor is now planning to do. Touting that it is a Hotel Friendly engine, where travelers can book direct – TripAdvisor is simultaneously is plotting to offer assisted bookings. Why should we expect GoogleTravel to be any different. It will most likely expect small hotel to bid for links against the OTAs. In that event nothing much will change!