Creating content for travel agency websites is a time-consuming task. Big players with big budgets have tons of content. What are the chances for someone who starts writing travel content today? Is it worth all the effort? In this article we are going to answer this question and shed some light on the subject.
Let's first understand the role of content marketing on a travel agency website. As always, it is very important to put yourself in your customer's shoes. When someone reaches a website, the website assumes the role of the travel agent; it is a virtual travel agent. This is an important mindset shift. What if you treat your website as a travel agent? What does it need to communicate? The website is a mirror of your knowledge. If someone enters your agency or calls your agents and asks about a destination or hotel, those answers need to be on your website too. Is it complex? Absolutely! Is great effort required? Absolutely! In a few paragraphs we will outline how you can make it faster and easier.
Besides content marketing being your customer’s virtual advisor, content has another crucial role in today's online landscape: search engine ranking. What does this mean? People reach your websites through many channels, one of which is the search engine. If you have good content and a good platform that presents content in a way that search engines understand, you will become relevant to your customers. This means that based on the time customers spend on your website, search engines will rank you above other players. We know that there are a lot of tricks for SEO ranking, but the most important factor is the content itself. If you don't have good content, SEO tactics will work temporarily, but when search engines change their algorithms in order to compensate for the tricky tactics used by players, your website will go down in the rankings, and free visitor numbers will fall.
If you invest only in search engine marketing (aka ads), you waste a lot of money if your website is not communicating clearly what customers want to know. Content marketing is essential if you want to make money selling travel services online.
Now that we understand how important it is to have a content strategy, let's see what someone who is starting out can do.
Don't look at big websites and get overwhelmed. They have been built over many years. It's a high entry barrier. If you communicate on your website things as seen through your eyes, the customers will automatically follow. Piece by piece, step by step, your content will grow. Start with one destination and do it perfectly.
The secret here is consistency. If you concentrate your efforts on creating online content daily, in time you will see the results: more visitors, more happy customers and eventually more money. You don't have to invest a lot of effort in the beginning, because it might exhaust you. Even if you invest modestly but you are persistent, you will differentiate yourself from the competition. Content marketing for travel is something that can make the difference in the long run.
Of course, it is important that your platform doesn't erect obstacles to your creating content that is visited by search engines. Travitude has the right tools, built over 15+ years of developing online platforms for travel agencies. If you want to see a demo, you can schedule a meeting with our team. If you prefer to explore the subject further, read our series in which we explain in detail what we believe makes a profitable online travel agency. Read it on our blog