Travel was one of the hardest-hit industries when COVID-19 struck in early 2020. Millions of travelers had no other choice but to reschedule their trips to a time when things were a bit safer and more comfortable.

So what’s the best way for multinational travel companies to reach and convert vacation-seeking customers once again? By having a top-quality international SEO strategy to turn lookers into bookers.

With online bookings being the primary source of customers, it’s essential for any travel company to rank toward the top of search engine results. The bigger your digital presence, the better the chance your potential customers will find you and choose you among thousands of options.

It’s all about building your visibility and maximizing searchability. That’s where international SEO services come in.

So what are the best SEO practices for the travel industry? What can international SEO services do to improve your business? Whether you outsource your SEO work or your in-house team knows all about SEO for the travel industry already, we have tips to turn all curious lookers into committed bookers.

Think About the Customer Journey

 

Getting customers on board doesn’t just revolve around the booking stage. According to Google, there are four micro-moments within your customer’s journey. So when you’re developing your SEO strategy, think about each of these opportunities.

#1 Dreaming Moments

Dreaming is when people don’t have any firm ideas or plans. This is when your customer is exploring their options and looking for inspiration.

#2 Planning Moments

After the dreaming moment, a customer chooses a destination and begins to investigate details. This is when your customer looks at dates, flights, accommodations, etc.

#3 Booking Moments

Once a customer has finished searching for options, they are ready to book and make their final few clicks.

#4 Experience Moments

Now that the customer has booked the necessary accommodations, they are ready to fill their days with exciting experiences, excursions, and attractions.

Conduct Valuable Keyword Research

 

Understanding your audience's search intent is the first stage of any keyword research. You’ll need to discover all of the best keywords you can rank for, focusing on those that are most relevant to your content, not just those with the highest search volume.

It’s also important to consider seasonality with international SEO. Get to know the specific search trends that come and go throughout the year to make the most of the traffic. And remember, SEO is a long-term strategy. So plan ahead by optimizing content before the travel peaks.

Last, never translate your keywords directly. That is to say, you should not use literal translation for your keywords. Rather, you need to do thorough multilingual keyword research to ensure that keywords are the correct equivalent in each language. 

Open Up Your Site to Link Building

 

Never underestimate the power of link building with international travel SEO. The more visibility you have across unbiased but highly trusted sites, such as MoneySavingExpert Travel Advice or Condé Nast Traveller, the better the chances Google will also see you as a domain authority.

Top-quality link building relies on good PR. Be open to partnerships and invite customers to carry out research with other information sources away from your website content. That way you’ll become a reliable part of the travel sector.

Create an Efficient User Experience

 

Another major part of an international SEO strategy is creating a high-quality user experience. Search engine algorithms now look to website quality as a determining factor when ranking the best websites. So never compromise on design or formatting when developing and creating a website. Make it professional-looking, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to navigate.

Don’t neglect your website’s upkeep either. The better the user experience, the more Google will favor your website. For example, slow loading speed is a signal that Google notices. It leads to a bad user experience and unsatisfied customers.

Publish Excellent Travel Content

 

Content marketing and international SEO are closely associated. Great content draws people to your brand. This happens when the content is a genuinely valuable source of information. For example, if travel content answers FAQs or provides useful and knowledgeable information, your site’s customers will be more inclined to keep returning.

Blogs are perhaps the best opportunity for SEO-driven content. Scattering your blogs with opportunistic and relevant keywords means customers will find you in their search for specific terms, questions, or phrases.

So how do you create a blog that’s actually a worthwhile part of your international SEO work?

Choose Relevant Topics

After conducting keyword research, choose a blog topic that’s relevant to the search intent. Some of the best travel blog topics may include:

• Local guides
• Travel tips
• Places to visit
• Top attractions

Once you’ve chosen your topic, create an outline using your keyword research and the facts and figures you’ve collated. Then write the piece and have it reviewed and edited.

Capture the Reader's Attention

Your blog should be both SEO-driven and high quality. Your readers may be able to find your blog, but will they enjoy reading it? Does it serve a genuine purpose? You can capture the reader's attention by:

• Writing a headline that’s informative and eye-catching
• Using images to enhance the written content or further explain complexities
• Keeping it short, simple, and well-structured

Conclusion

Whether you’re in talks with professional international SEO services or have started planning your SEO yourself, remember that travel and multilingual SEO go hand in hand.

 

TransPerfect has access to a global network of over 10,000 native-speaking linguists, covering over 170 languages. From keyword research to blog creation and translation, TPT Digital is a TransPerfect company that can help with your international SEO.

 

If you’d like to discuss and how TPT Digital can support your international SEO strategy, please contact us at tptdigital@transperfect.com.