Soon, the (true) end of your season (haute) ? And maybe even a well-deserved vacation ? Just before leaving, don't forget your homework (pre-holiday) in terms of SEO (SEO and visibility if you prefer …) ! How we fertilize our plantations to harvest beautiful fruits in spring or summer, boost the visibility of your website so that its audience grows slowly but surely for the next season … Ensuite, leave with peace of mind and bask in the sun; indexing and search engines will do the rest.
In terms of visibility of your website, you should never rest on your laurels or (in case your site does not take off) never despair. Build your site’s audience – when you are a tourism and leisure professional – requires perseverance and application. Why ? Because when it comes to SEO (search engine optimization) everything changes all the time … to the great happiness of Google and the millions of consultants who thrive on supporting pros-who-quickly-lose-the-line-of-history as the rules change so quickly in this area…
1) Google has changed its SEO rules again
It's like a game of cat and mouse or like a boat with holes in it.: in terms of SEO, you always have to start again and you almost never reach the goal … Although it may seem hopeless and irritating, you have to understand Google : its popularity is due to the fact that its engines are capable of giving the right answer to the questions asked by its users with increasing relevance. The quicker and more relevant their responses will be, the more Google will be popular with Internet users around the world. Normal, henceforth, that Google is constantly improving its algorithms even if this requires you to change with it so as not to go down a few ranks in its results pages.
The last change dates back to August 1st and it is strangely called the “Medic Update”. Good news ! This change is of a general nature and does not impose major revolutions in your SEO rules.. However, there are a few points that Google specialists have focused on :
- -your site will be better rated if it offers a great user experience : in plain language, stop entrusting your site to your new geek ! If he does not know and does not apply the basic rules of a tourism and leisure site, Google will consider that your site is “anything” and will downgrade you compared to one of your competitors,
- -enrich the content of your site again and again : we can never say it enough (Content is King, content is king). Donc,write nice things about what you do, your address, about what to see around you, give as much information as possible, publish as many photos and videos as possible … if your site is empty (delirium of minimalism obliges), you may have a lot of trouble “go back up” in the results lists,
- -create content that makes sense and matches what Google users are looking for. You don't know if you're using the right terms ? So go to Google Trends, it's free ! Type the name of your destination, of your category (hotel, trips, guest House, etc …) and see what terms Google users associate with this search:
In the example above, we see that for the terms “Vercors” et “trips”, the most associated terms are, par exemple “canyoning vercors” et “paragliding vercors”. Even if you do not offer these services, nothing prevents you from writing text on your site starting with : “If you come to practice canyoning in the Vercors, know that our cottage is located just a few kilometers from the best spots in the region …”. And so on…
2) Secure your site at the risk of being rejected !
Since last July, if you have not applied an SSL certificate to your site, there is a good chance that your position in Google has dropped significantly(so take a look at your Google Analytics):
- -on the one hand, Google systematically downgrades sites that lack security (SSL),
- -on the other hand, Chrome (the browser, owned by Google, the most used in the world) systematically notifies Internet users if your site is insecure, therefore potentially dangerous for them and their data,
3) Focus your SEO on “local”
SEO “local”, it’s creating as much content as possible on your address and everything around it. Who is looking for this content ? Travelers, obviously, but also their friends and families who are just a stone's throw from you. They heard about you through the media, la publicité, word of mouth or social networks … and will seek to find out more when they have friends or family over and they are looking for an activity to do or a good place to sleep. So think, to content such as that dedicated to welcoming groups at weddings, business outings, etc … Explain what you offer or advise in relation to other local partners. Believe us, this content has a lot of value for Google and your (future) clients.
Don't forget this essential point : on Google, 50% of search traffic comes from searches “locales” …
Consider doubling as much of this content as possible on your Google My Business page (it's free !) and update your content. Don't forget to take a look at the reviews posted on your Google page because more and more “reviews” are posted there by Internet users.
Another way to increase your local SEO is to contact your tourist office: the latter have sites that are generally well referenced (even very well referenced and considered as “serious” by Google). Make sure your establishment is listed on their site, update your description if necessary (article) and your photos by sending them to your tourism office or committee. And give them your internet address so that it appears prominently on their pages and thus generates traffic to your site.. Don't neglect this aspect of your SEO : destination sites (offices, tourism committees …) are highly sought after as travelers approach their stay. The closer the date of their vacation approaches, the more they frequent these types of sites where more information is available (on leisure and events) only on major portals, par exemple.
Don't neglect your local media either (presse, their websites, fanzine, etc …): the more these sites will include a link to yours, the more your ranking will improve in Google.
4) Create a real stroll through your site
It's an understatement to say, but too many sites are still more than poor in “internal links”, i.e. links that go from one page to another. Par exemple, when you talk about a room in one of your pages, display links to pages about other rooms: all this contributes to better SEO of your site because Google robots will follow these links and consider that your pages have content and links between them.
Below, each room page links to other room pages on the site (the page contains at least 4 liens):
In the same way, integrate as many links as possible to your external partners such as through type functions “Around us”.
5) A little touch on social networks to finish …
Remember that a growing portion of your traffic comes from social media; Facebook and Instagram in the lead. Facebook allows you to create a real network of prescribers based on interests (guest houses, boutique-hotels, bike trips, etc …) and therefore reach very precisely the targets that interest you.
Also check that your content is regularly updated (not only through your posts) but also, through the new tools offered by Facebook. Par exemple, this summer, Facebook has opened a new video format 15 seconds which allows you to associate the most beautiful images of your residence or videos more “fun” that catch the eye and entertain the audience.
As Jean de BEAUMONT recalls, the founder of Guides Rivages: *”Facebook is an extraordinary sounding board for very specific products such as tourist guides but also charming hotels and guest houses.. Since the beginning of the year, we invested deeply in this universe and we recorded incredible results : par exemple,== this summer, our articles and hotel and guesthouse recommendations have been seen by nearly 2 Millions of people and our videos have been viewed over 300.000 fois !== We could never have achieved such results with only our website !”.
*For Shore Guides, most traffic now comes from social networks, Facebook in the lead. The lesson to be learned : if your address has a dimension “affinity” expose yourself fully on social networks !”
In conclusion
Don't give up ! When it comes to SEO, it’s a bit of permanent maintenance like for sport. You don't have to stop and manage a few important sessions (autumn, spring) to boost traffic for future seasons.
So now is the time to sow the seeds that will bear fruit. (audience, affinities on social networks) between now and next season.
The advice we have just given will only take you a few hours to apply … but the result will be there. Kindly, gently, your SEO will improve, therefore your audience and your visibility too. Et, if everything is OK, your bookings should follow the same positive trend. Make one last effort and long live the holidays !
Thomas D.
Source: https://blog.elloha.com/2018/10/06/travaux-dautomne-musclez-votre-seo-avant-cet-hiver