SEO Best Practices for Small Tour Operators

August 6, 2024

SEO Best Practices for Small Tour Operators 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): love it, hate, don’t know anything about it? We’re here to break it down for you and offer SEO best practices for small tour operators.  

No matter where you stand in your tour operator journey, SEO is one of the best investments you can make for your travel business. Basically, SEO allows you to show up in internet search results based on the amount and quality of content you post across digital channels, your website most of all.  

Especially for small and new tour operators, mastering SEO can significantly enhance visibility, attract more customers, and boost bookings. Though it seems overwhelming and mysterious (trust us, we get it!), anyone can tackle the basics of SEO and achieve results with the right tactics.  

If you’re ready to be discovered by travelers looking for their next dream destination, don’t neglect to make SEO a priority.  

What is SEO? 

Let’s start from the top: SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). When potential customers search for tour-related keywords, effective SEO ensures your website appears prominently, increasing the likelihood of attracting organic (unpaid) traffic. Even better, you’re helping them find what they need faster and easier! Since organic search is the biggest driver of website traffic across the board, it’s a worthwhile endeavor for any tour operator.  

Why is SEO Important for Tour Operators? 

If you want to grow (or just improve) your business, SEO is the way to go. As a tour operator, you want your business to show up where you want, when you want, and how you want! Now more than ever, travelers are looking to Google to help them find the trips they are looking for. In case you need any more convincing, here are a few more benefits: 

  • Increased Visibility: Higher rankings in search results mean more visibility. Most users do not look past the first page of search results, so appearing there is crucial. Think about how often you go to the second or third page of search results…odds are, never! After all, 99% of internet users only look at the first page.
  • Cost-Effective Marketing: Unlike paid ads, SEO focuses on organic traffic, which can provide long-term benefits without continuous investment. It’s ROI that keeps on giving.
  • Credibility and Trust: Websites that rank higher in search are often perceived as more credible and trustworthy by users. The more frequently customers see your brand, the more likely they are to consider it.
  • Targeted Traffic: SEO helps attract visitors who are specifically searching for the services you offer, leading to higher conversion rates so you can book more trips, faster.

SEO Best Practices for Tour Operators

Keyword Research

All SEO efforts begin with keyword research. It takes some time and sleuthing to figure out what your potential customers are searching for, but this is the foundation for all your work. Start by thinking of how you would look for a vacation, or the words and phrases you want to associate with your business. From there, you can employee helpful tools to narrow them down.  

  • Identify Relevant Keywords: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Moz to find keywords related to your tours. Focus on long-tail keywords like “affordable adventure tours in [destination]”, “luxury tours in [destination], or “family-friendly tours in [destination].” 
  • Local SEO: Include location-based keywords to attract customers searching for tours in specific areas, such as “safari tours in Kenya” or “wine tours in Napa Valley.” 
  • Competitor Research: Try searching for terms and words that you want your site to appear under and see what results come up. Additionally, visit competitor websites to see how they talk about themselves online and what language they are using.  

Optimize Website Content

The next step is to incorporate your selected keywords into informative and relevant content. Think about things like blog posts, guidebooks, case studies, testimonials, and thought leadership pieces. As you build your content up, your efforts will multiply over time, giving your visibility and search rankings the boost they need to make an impact on your travel business. Through using high quality content, copy, and images on your website, you’ll quickly see benefits.  

  • Quality Content: Create informative and engaging content that answers potential customers’ questions. Blog posts, trip recaps, travel guides, and itineraries are excellent content types. 
  • On-Page SEO: Ensure each page of your website has a unique title tag, meta description, and header tags (H1, H2, etc.). Use keywords naturally in these elements. 
  • Images and Alt Text: Use high-quality images and include descriptive alt text with keywords to improve image search rankings. 

Mobile Optimization

The future of travel is in the palm of customers’ hands – literally! Consumers on smartphones are 47 percent more likely to book more than three trips than their computer counterparts. Adapting any marketing or SEO efforts to be available, easy, and enjoyable to browse on mobile is becoming increasingly more important than the desktop experience.  

  • Responsive Design: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, since many users search for travel services on their phones. 
  • Fast Loading Times: How fast does your content load? You’ll want to optimize images and reduce website load times to improve user experience and rankings.  

Local SEO

No matter how global your travel business is, don’t forget the power of local connections. After all, travelers are typically searching for a specific location for their trips – and many customers like to work with someone local to where they live. This strategy can be very useful for destination management companies (DMCs) that operate on the ground in vacation destinations.  

  • Google My Business: Create and optimize your Google My Business profile with accurate business information, photos, and customer reviews. 
  • Local Listings: Ensure your business is listed in local directories and tourism websites. Consider joining reputable groups like Tourpreneur, too!  

Link Building

There’s power in driving traffic to your site from other sources. When other websites link to your site and vice versa, it multiplies the impact of any SEO. Building connections and relationships with other organizations and individuals in your industry is a great way to start this. Don’t post and ghost, either; be sure to reference your own links and content in any new pieces or pages you publish. You want your links to your content to be used and accessible, rather than just sitting there. The more engagement you get, the higher the boost you get in search rankings!  

  • High-Quality Backlinks: Obtain backlinks from reputable travel blogs, tourism boards, and related websites. Guest blogging and partnerships with local businesses can help. 
  • Internal Linking: Use internal links to guide visitors to other relevant pages on your website, improving navigation and SEO. 

Social Media Integration

Google isn’t the only search engine around – social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are also powerful search tools. Tour operators have a special opportunity to highlight their trips in a very visual and compelling way on social media, ultimately driving more trips booked! Highly shareable and searchable, social media content is a key part of any SEO strategy.  

  • Encourage Sharing: Add social sharing buttons to your website content to encourage visitors to share your tours and blog posts.  

Track and Analyze Performance

Like any other aspect of your business, SEO should be closely monitored, tracked, and adjusted for success. While it can take time (and a lot of patience) to see the change, using important website traffic and keyword data will keep you informed on the progress you’re making through SEO.  

  • Use Analytics Tools: Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console help track your website and keyword performance, identify successful strategies, and pinpoint areas for improvement.  
  • Monitor Rankings: Regularly check your keyword rankings and adjust your strategy based on what’s working and what isn’t. This will help inform where to put emphasis and what moves the needle.  

Seek Outside Expertise

As a tour operator, you have a lot on your plate. If SEO feels like more than you can handle, don’t be afraid to ask for some help from experts that do this every day. Even if you just need a boost getting your SEO strategy off the ground, there are many options for finding the right solution. When it comes to SEO, a little bit of work can go a long way over time. 

  • Outsource work: Platforms like fiverr, UpWork, and LinkedIn can be great resources when you need a freelance professional to temporarily work on your SEO efforts.  
  • Lean on Softrip: Here at Softrip, we also have insight into what other tour operators are doing for their SEO. We can help offer assistance and guidance to get you started.  

Long story short: don’t sleep on search engine optimization! Small efforts add up over time. Implementing SEO best practices is a powerful way for small and new tour operators to enhance their online presence, attract more customers, and grow their business. By focusing on keyword research, content optimization, mobile optimization, local SEO, link building, social media integration, and performance tracking, you can build an SEO strategy that drives results. Start small, stay consistent, and it will pay off in the long run. 

Want to go beyond SEO to transform your tour operations from the ground up? See how Softrip helps tour operators of all sizes to increase bookings, efficiency, and profits.  

Accelerate your travel business with Softrip.