Read on for local SEO strategies and best practices.
Google Vacation Rentals
On the Google Vacation Rentals side, attention should be paid to OTAs like VRBO and Booking.com, which are also highly visible and appear in the Booking Options list mentioned earlier, so property owners certainly should leverage these.
However, there are several other property types of online agents (e.g., glamping, short-term rental) who also appear.
As with hotels, vacation property owners should certainly look to leverage their local standing to garner attention and build authority.
Google Explore
The brands that appear to be winning in Google Explore tend to be those offering deals or popular experiences personalized to the searcher’s location and historical preferences, which plays to the desires of the perceived audience search.
As noted, the things to discover/do appearing in Explore will be the most popular attractions and experiences, which have gained local organic search authority.
Optimizing To Appear In Google Travel Spaces
In light of the organic search visibility, Google Travel spaces are able to achieve, travel brands are well advised to do whatever they can to optimize their web presences to gain visibility in these coveted spaces.
Below are some factors and suggestions for each space, considering how content appears to be prioritized for display in each.
Google Flights
To be clear, to appear on Google Flights, you must first be an airline operator offering flights to consumers.
If you are part of such an organization, these recommendations are for you.
Schema Markup
Implement flight schema markup on your flight listing pages to provide Google with structured data about your specific flight offerings (i.e., departure/arrival airports, dates, prices, etc.). This will help Google better understand your content and improve your Google Flights results visibility.
Competitive Pricing
Price is a major factor in Google Flights rankings. Regularly monitor your competitors’ prices and ensure your fares are competitive.
Consider offering special flight deals or promotions to garner attention for specific flights or destinations.
Landing Page Optimization
Create dedicated, keyword and user-experience-optimized landing pages for specific flight routes, destinations, or promotions.
Ensure a clear call-to-action (e.g., “Book Now”) exists, and a straightforward booking process is in place.
Website Technical SEO
Make sure your website has a solid technical foundation (fast loading times, secure connections, logical page and navigation structure, mobile-friendly design, etc.). Technical issues can negatively impact your overall search visibility.
Google Hotels
Google Business Profile Optimization
Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP) to enhance your local authority. Ensure all information is accurate and up-to-date (address, phone number, hours of operation, photos, etc.).
Encourage guests to leave reviews on your GBP and respond to those reviews in a timely manner. Positive reviews and response rates can help boost your rankings.
Post content regularly to your GBP to demonstrate your commitment to community and customer engagement.
Hotel Ad Campaigns
Consider running optimized Google Ads hotel campaigns in concert with your SEO efforts. While not organic in nature, this tactic will enable you to have your hotel’s rates and availability displayed directly in Google search results, on Google Maps, or YouTube. Focus on ads for keywords you do not already maintain high organic rankings for.
Website Optimization
Optimize your website for relevant keywords, user experience, and conversions.
Highlight key selling points (amenities, location, unique features) and include high-quality photos and videos.
Ensure your booking engine is easy to use and mobile-friendly.
Incorporate a blog or other content marketing device as a means to publish fresh, relevant content linking to your primary product pages.
Local SEO
Identify and obtain local citations from relevant sources (listings on online directories and review sites). Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information across the web is crucial for local SEO.
Engage with your local community and build relationships with other businesses in your area.
Google Vacation Rentals
Listings On Major Platforms
Consider listing your vacation rental properties on major OTAs already integrated with Google Vacation Rentals (e.g., Vrbo, Booking).
Optimized Property Descriptions
Craft compelling and detailed property descriptions highlighting your properties’ unique features and amenities.
Include relevant keywords in your property descriptions.
High-Quality Photos
Include professional-quality photos, videos, or virtual tours on your property pages, as these are essential for attracting bookings. Showcase your property in the best light.
Be careful when adding high-quality image or video content to not negatively affect page load or overall user experience, particularly on mobile devices.
Competitive Pricing and Availability
Regularly review your pricing strategy and ensure your rates are in line with similar properties in your area.
Keep your calendar up-to-date and respond promptly to all booking inquiries.
Ask For And Promptly Respond To Reviews
Reviews are prominently displayed under Vacation Rentals and, as such, should be actively pursued and responded to. These will both factor into rank and will no doubt be referenced when consumers are considering booking a property.
Google Explore
Competitive Pricing
Ensure your prices are competitive, considering a fair percentage of consumers on Explore are looking for deals. Highlight any promotions or discounts.
Off-Site Optimization
Google’s inclusion of “frequency of mentions on the web” as a ranking factor in Explore clearly indicates that user-generated content on social media or other external forums like Reddit is being reviewed and referenced.
As such, it will certainly benefit travel brands to be actively engaged with consumers on these platforms.
Consumers of all ages are looking outside of Google to conduct their travel planning and share their experiences. Brands that aren’t monitoring and engaging on these channels are missing out on significant opportunities to extend their reach and build their authority.
Use High-Quality Visuals
Invest in captivating photos and videos to showcase your destination or property. Consumers on explore are searching for unique, new experiences, so provide content that will catch their eye and imagination.
Create Appealing Destination Descriptions
Craft enticing descriptions highlighting the unique features your destination or travel experience has to offer, complementing the visuals noted above.
Up-to-Date Information
Keep your listings updated with accurate pricing and availability, as many consumers may be looking for last-minute travel opportunities.
GBP Optimization For Those Offering Things To Do
As things to do/discover are effective Google Map Pack results, the same suggestions apply as those mentioned for Hotels.
General SEO Best Practices Across All Platforms
Outside of the Google Travel-specific suggestions above, there are several other general SEO best practices site owners should employ to maximize their authority.
Mobile-First Approach
In today’s mobile-driven environment, which is particularly true for consumers exploring or planning their next travel experience, it is critical to have a site that loads quickly and seamlessly on mobile devices.
Content Marketing
A significant component of establishing online authority is having the answers to all of the questions searchers have regarding any given topic.
With travel planning, questions regarding destinations, transportation, accommodation, scheduling, cost, and other considerations abound.
It is essential for travel brands wanting to establish authority to have unique, helpful answers to all of their audiences’ questions via a content strategy that may take the form of blog posts, guides, videos, photos, podcasts, or other content marketing vehicles.
High Quality, Relevant Backlink Acquisition
Despite ongoing arguments about their validity and value, contextually appropriate backlinks obtained from domains with high authority and high relevance, will have a positive effect on a website’s authority by extension.
Travel brands looking to increase their authority should endeavor to establish strong partnerships, conduct digital PR, and obtain high-value backlinks from such sources.
What’s Next For Google Travel?
SEO is ever-changing, and this will be no different from what Google Travel is concerned with. Google AI Overviews have been rolled out in full and are being returned in search results across a number of categories.
They are not currently highly prevalent in travel, but there is no doubt AI is already part of the travel search experience. Something like AI Overviews, where searchers can interact with results to build their ideal trip plan more naturally, is coming.
Google Explore is already an interactive experience, and I’m fairly certain this will continue to evolve, powered by AI.
The good news on this front, as per a recent SEO Clarity research study, is SEO for AI Overviews is, at this point, very much the same as traditional SEO.
This study reveals in the top ranking, organic search results and sites/content make up the bulk (~99%) of what’s presented by AI Overviews.
Your Google Travel SEO Plan
The impact and dominance of Google Travel in organic search results is undeniable.
The question becomes, how do savvy travel marketers take advantage of, rather than shy away from, the challenge of being found in Google Travel spaces?
The focus, from an SEO perspective, should be on many of the traditional SEO and local SEO best practices aimed at establishing authority and trust among consumers, as prescribed in the past.
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