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Localised SEO strategies for travel suppliers

July 29, 2010 | Hospitality Industry

By understanding local search trends, travel operators have a much higher chance of breaking into the market they are targeting. Here are some tips on how travel operators can develop an effective international SEO strategy.

- Research popular local keywords and phrases. In Italy, the phrase ‘lastsecond’ is a popular search term in relation to travel, and is similar to the English phrase ‘last minute’. Different countries use different search terms, and culturally specific colloquialisms are often popular. This is why translation doesn’t work for multilingual SEO.

- Know where your customers are travelling to. In Spain, online booking is most popular for booking local (Spanish) flights and holidays, whereas the sun-seeking Brits prefer to book holidays to Spain and France. People are more likely to find your site if it caters to what they are searching for.

- Use local social media. With some of the top travel companies now using social media to reach their audience, there’s no doubt it’s quickly becoming the marketing tool of choice. But think locally. In Germany, StudiVZ is very popular, and in China, QQ.com and renren.com are the top dogs. Don’t assume a Facebook strategy will reach everybody.

- Spread the word. Your site may be well known in the UK, but there are plenty of local online travel agencies across in other countries who’ll be after the top spot search ranking. Building good quality links on popular travel websites (thought not competitors) in your destination market will bump up your search ranking. You could also consider paid advertising on these sites.

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