Over the weekend I decided to plan a big, belated birthday trip, and the world really is my oyster. I have no one else to compromise with on destination or accommodations. My inspiration was a Travel & Leisure article about inexpensive flights, including flights from NY to Milan. This, of course, led to a lot of flitting around the internet researching the many different destinations I might enjoy, and now here I am researching a trip to Skiathos, Greece and weighing all the pro's and con's of the political situation alongside getting to check the Greek Isles off my travel bucket list.

My point in telling you this story is that the moment of inspiration (as you'll recall it was cheap flights to Milan) often quickly morphs into an altogether different trip, and the way travelers arrive at their final destination has changed substantially in recent years. Case in point, I have yet to run a Google search on anything about this trip except a remote Greek destination I'd never heard of. This isn't to say that Google searches aren't still critical; in fact, exactly the opposite is true. And here's why.

My search thus far has included Facebook, online magazine articles, and OTAs (I am one of those 51% of travelers who do some of their inspirational searching on intermediary sites). As my decision funnel narrows, I will get more specific about what I'm looking for, and no doubt, I will absolutely find my accommodations using a combination of travel review sites, OTAs, and direct searches.

Skiathos looks like paradise— Photo by TrustYouSkiathos looks like paradise— Photo by TrustYou
Skiathos looks like paradise— Photo by TrustYou

Because travelers are diversifying their process, and they aren't relying on the Google search for as many aspects of their decision as they used to, it's that much more critical that hotels and hospitality providers are front and center when travelers do take to the search engine to compare rates and amenities. Nobody is going to the second page of search results. It's page one or die when it comes to appearing for your hotel brand name or long-tail searches such as "Athens hotel in Paleo Faliro."

With Google's recent algorithm updates, a hotel's ability to make an appearance on the first page is guided more than anything by trustworthy, quality content. Google really understands what travelers want, and the search engine is looking to see if you do, too. Serving up anything but the most relevant, engaging material will only hurt your cause. Expanding your idea of what constitutes content can, however, make a difference. For instance, pushing out guest feedback surveys that can be fed directly to your website—and to Google—qualifies as unique and highly relevant content. Using that information in the form of rich snippets also qualifies as useful content and can make a hotel website competitive with the high-powered OTA's for rankings.

In terms of more traditional content, traveler- and hotel-generated video and images can offer a powerful boost as long as it serves the traveler (that is, as long as it doesn't appear to be too gimmicky or promotional). As well, dive deeper into guest segments to craft content. Perhaps your property is after the family reunion market or the military market. Write content specifically toward these groups.

Also consider guest bloggers and their ability to generate social signals that will get attention. For instance, a local food writer may have a solid following and could bring a lot of attention to the hotel blog just by shares and re-shares of a post about local restaurants.

Getting creative is important but being strategic in terms of the value of content that Google desires when considering traveler needs is the ultimate goal in a rankings strategy. Now, I'm off to consider the rest of those Greek Islands. Avtio!

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Über TrustYou

TrustYou optimiert Kommunikations- und Feedback-Prozesse in der heutigen, schnelllebigen Geschäftswelt. Mit dem Bewusstsein für die Bedeutung vereinter Kommunikationskanäle konzentriert sich das Unternehmen darauf, sofortige Antworten über bevorzugte Kundenkanäle bereitzustellen. Das Zuhören von Gästefeedback ist ein wesentlicher Bestandteil, um Kunden zufriedenzustellen, Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu verbessern und die allgemeine Geschäftsstrategie zu optimieren.

Im Mittelpunkt von TrustYou steht die Customer Experience Platform (CXP), eine stabile Lösung, die nahtlose Kundeninteraktion ermöglicht. CXP ermöglicht es Unternehmen:

  • Gästewünsche effektiv zu hören und darauf zu reagieren, um endlose Möglichkeiten zu schaffen.
  • Umfassende Erkenntnisse von verschiedenen Online-Plattformen zu verstehen, um eine informierte Entscheidungsfindung zu ermöglichen.
  • Hotelbewertungen auf Websites und Google zu präsentieren und positives Feedback zur Steigerung der Buchungen zu nutzen.

TrustYou setzt sich dafür ein, es Unternehmen möglich zu machen, Vertrauen aufzubauen, fundierte Entscheidungen zu treffen und in ihren Branchen erfolgreich zu sein. Erfahren Sie mehr über TrustYou und unsere CXP-Plattform unter www.trustyou.com.

Über unsere Plattformen

Customer Experience Platform (CXP): TrustYou's "CXP" (Customer Experience Platform) gewinnt an Bedeutung und bietet essentielle Kundeninformationen auf einen Blick. Diese innovative Lösung liefert handlungsorientierte Informationen, die auf spezifische Bedürfnisse auf Objekt- und Kettenebene zugeschnitten sind und neue Standards in der Branche setzen.

Customer Data Platform (CDP): TrustYou präsentiert stolz die Customer Data Platform (CDP) als Antwort auf die wachsende Nachfrage nach verbesserten datengetriebenen Einblicken und Personalisierung. Diese innovative Lösung sammelt und konsolidiert Kundendaten aus jedem Kundenkontaktpunkt, um einheitliche Kundenprofile zu erstellen und Einblicke in das Kundenverhalten in der gesamten Organisation zu bieten. In einem zweiten Schritt integrert sich CDP mit Best-of-Breed-Marketingzielen wie Mailchimp und Google Ads, um effektive Marketingkampagnen durchzuführen und Direktbuchungen zu erhöhen.

Für weitere Informationen besuchen Sie: www.trustyou.com

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