SEO for Tour Operators: 4 Tactics to Generate More Leads

Do you want to attract more leads for your tour operator business? If so, you need to start implementing SEO tactics!

Ranking higher on search engines will help you become more visible to potential customers, and generate more quality leads.

In this article, we will discuss four techniques that you can use to improve your SEO ranking and attract more leads.

Overview About SEO for Tour Operators

Search engine optimization (SEO) for tour operators is the practice of improving the search rankings of a website on search engines. The higher the ranking, the more likely people are to find your website.

True, it can be a complex and time-consuming task, but tour operators need to understand the basics of SEO and apply it accordingly.

Why Is Search Engine Optimization Important for Tours and Activities?

If you're a tour operator, you might be wondering why SEO is so important. After all, isn't the point of a tour to get people to see the sights in person? Isn't that what marketing is for?

Here's the thing: people use the internet to research their travel options now more than ever before.

And when they do, they're more likely to choose the tours and activities that come up first in their Google search results.

That's where SEO comes in.

Many tourism business owners might have a fantastic tour operation business, with amazing tours, a great landing page or web page, and the best customer journey in the industry - but without SEO, potential customers will never find you online.

Just think about how many times you've scrolled past the first search results page on a search engine. If you're like most people, probably not very often. The vast majority of people only click on results from the first page, which means that if your tour business isn't there, you're missing out on a lot of potential customers.

Still not convinced? Here are the other top reasons why SEO for tour operators is worth your time.

SEO Builds Trust And Credibility

Any good tour operator knows that one of the most important keys to success is having a strong online presence.

So how can you make sure that your travel company website will rank higher and appear at the top of search engines?

SEO is important for travel and tourism websites because it helps build trust, authority, and credibility with potential customers.

Good on-page optimization (especially on your most important pages) and user experience also signal to Google that your site is worth showing higher in search queries. This will help you attract even more potential customers.

Organic Search Is Still the Main Source of Web Traffic

Did you know that organic search is still a main source of traffic, despite popular belief? SEO is key to appearing as a top result on search queries in Google and other search engines.

Organic search results can show up for your clients or prospects no matter their stage - from interest to consideration to retention.

Paid search like Google AdWords is mostly used for the conversion stage. However, organic traffic is a long-term strategy for your search rankings.

This makes SEO for tour operators an essential tool in your digital marketing arsenal to gain organic traffic.

It Is Much More Cost-Effective

This brings us to the next point. Many businesses shy away from SEO because it requires an investment of time and money.

But compared to other marketing channels such as pay-per-click advertising, SEO can be a more cost-effective and sustainable way to generate traffic in the long run.

Of course, paid search may drive traffic, but it only drives traffic so long as you’re paying for it. Organic drives traffic as long as your content exists.

SEO Strategies for the Travel and Tourism Industry

1. Target your Keywords

Keywords and keyword phrases are what potential customers are searching for when they are looking for a tour operator like you. Essentially, your targeted keywords should aim to answer the questions that travelers ask when looking for information on a search engine.

For example, if you're a tour operator specializing in safari tours in Africa, some of your target keywords might be "safari tours Africa" or "best safari tour operators."

Also, write a detailed keyword-rich description, add relevant keyword tags, and include your target keyword in the title.

Below are some best practices for choosing relevant keywords.

Know what's good and what's not

Here's the thing about keywords: you need to know what's good and what's not.

Not all keywords are created equal, and if you're using the wrong ones, you could be doing more harm than good. So how do you know which keywords are worth your time?

Here are a few things to look for:

Relevance

Make sure the keywords and search terms you're targeting are relevant to your business. There's no point in ranking for a keyword that no one is searching for.

Competition

Take a look at who else is ranking for the search term. If there are already established players in the space, it might be tough to break into the top spot.

Search volume

How many people are searching for the keyword? If it's a high-traffic keyword, it might be worth targeting. If not, you might want to consider other options.

Google Analytics is one of the best SEO tools for tour business owners of all sizes that can help you analyze and process search data.

By taking these factors into account, you can develop a keyword strategy that will help you achieve your SEO goals.

Choose the right longtail keywords for your tourism niche

Simply put, longtail keywords are specific and unique phrases that your ideal customer would use to find your business online. And since they are so specific, they often have lower search volume than general, more broad keywords.

If you focus on targeting longtail keywords, you can greatly improve your chances of being found by your target audience and ideal customer.

You can also get a better understanding of your customer’s buyer’s journey, and this can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Select the right keywords based on search intent

Search intent is the "why" behind a user's query, and it changes for each keyword you're targeting.

For example, someone searching for the "best time to visit Machu Picchu" is likely looking for information about when to schedule their trip. On the other hand, someone searching for "Machu Picchu tours" is probably ready to book a tour.

As you can see, the same keyword can have different meanings depending on the context. That's why it's so important to understand search intent when doing keyword research.

2. Create Great Content

Creating quality content is one SEO tactic that's often overlooked.

Having great content on your site will attract search engine traffic from Google and other places. Plus, it'll help your tour business website stand out from the competition.

So ask yourself: what kind of content will appeal to your tour customers? What will help them decide on booking a tour with you? Address those needs with your content, and you'll be well on your way to drawing more search traffic (and tour customers!) to your site.

You might also want to keep these things in mind:

Provide Keyword-Rich Content

Providing keyword-rich content helps tour businesses show up higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), which makes it more likely people will find them.

So, it can lead to more traffic and ultimately more customers.

Go deep into your tour offer pages

Well, there's no magic formula, but there is a science to it. Write content with your base keywords, but also research and look into related questions and topics on the subject.

By looking at the first page of your search results, you can get an idea of what people are looking for.

Whatever it is, create content that covers those same entities and aim to make your content at least 30-50% better than the best-ranking page.

3. Optimize Your Website Pages for Mobile

Have you ever tried to view a website on your phone only to find that it's nearly impossible to navigate?

In today's age, there is no excuse for not having a mobile-friendly website. If you are running a tour business that relies on website traffic, then you need to be catering to the majority of your customers who are using their mobile devices to search for your services.

Google has implemented mobile-first indexing for over 50% of websites. This means they’re now crawling the mobile version of your site and not just the desktop version.

So, tour operators need to make it mobile-friendly. Otherwise, you risk losing out on a lot of potential clients and revenue.

How can you optimize your website pages and make them mobile-friendly?

1. Make sure your website design is responsive so that it adjusts automatically to different screen sizes.
2. Use large font sizes and clear buttons so that visitors can easily click on what they want.
3. Minimize the use of pop-ups as they can be very annoying on phones.

By following these simple tips, you can make sure your website is mobile-friendly and ready for the growing number of mobile users.

4. Build Quality Back Links

Off-page optimization is a great way to improve your website's ranking on search engine results pages. And while there are several tactics, the most important is building quality backlinks.

Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They show search engines that your site is authoritative and trustworthy. As a result, backlinks can help improve your website's SERP ranking.

But not all backlinks are created equal. To improve your website's SERP ranking, you need to focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.

How do you go about building quality backlinks?

Write engaging content

Content such as blog post that is well-written and informative will capture the attention of readers and encourage them to share it with others. In turn, this will help to build backlinks organically.

Guest post on other websites

This gives you a chance to showcase your expertise and reach a new audience. Just make sure that you're the only guest posting on reputable websites.

Create partnerships with other businesses in your area

For example, if you're a tour company based in New York City, you could partner with a local hotel or restaurant.

You could list their business on your site as a resource for visitors, and they could do the same for you.

This is a win-win situation that can result in some high-quality backlinks.

Conclusion

SEO is a great way for tour operators to generate more leads. So don't forget to include relevant keywords throughout your content, optimize your website pages for mobile devices, and focus on building quality backlinks from reputable websites.

By following these tips, you can improve your tour business's online visibility and reach a larger audience of potential customers.

What other SEO tips do you have for tour operators? Share in the comments below!