Story Based Question
You manage the digital marketing for a travel agency that specializes in adventure tourism. Recently, you’ve noticed that more customers are using voice search to find travel options, especially while on the go. However, you’re finding that your website is missing from many of these voice searches, and your competitors are popping up more frequently.
Your team asks: “How can we optimize for voice search in the travel and tourism industry to ensure our business is easily discoverable?”
This leads to the key question: How do you optimize for voice search in the travel and tourism industry?
Exact Answer
To optimize for voice search in the travel and tourism industry, focus on using natural language, long-tail keywords, and question-based queries, provide clear and concise answers, optimize local listings, and create content that aligns with user intent.
Explanation
The travel and tourism industry is ideal for voice search optimization because many travelers use voice assistants to find nearby services, book activities, or ask for travel advice. Here’s how to optimize your content for voice search in this industry:
- Use Natural Language and Conversational Phrases
Voice searches are more conversational than typed searches. People typically ask questions in a natural, spoken manner, such as “Where can I find hiking tours in Colorado?” or “What are the best beaches in Mexico?” Your content should mirror this conversational style.- Action: Write content in a way that reflects how people speak. For example, use phrases like “Top hiking spots in Colorado” instead of just “Colorado hiking tours”. This helps align your content with voice search queries.
- Target Long-Tail Keywords and Question-Based Queries
Voice search queries are often longer and more specific. By targeting long-tail keywords, you improve the likelihood of appearing in voice search results. Travelers often ask detailed questions about destinations, activities, or accommodations.- Action: Incorporate long-tail keywords like “best family-friendly resorts in Bali” or “affordable adventure tours in Costa Rica”. Ensure your content provides direct, informative answers to common questions.
- Provide Clear and Concise Answers
Voice search results need to be quick and easy to understand. Voice assistants often pull data from featured snippets, which display concise answers. To ensure your content gets picked up, provide clear and direct answers.- Action: Write content in FAQ format or create dedicated pages with brief, easy-to-read information. For example, for a tour company, an FAQ might answer, “What’s included in a Costa Rica adventure tour?” with a simple list of tour highlights.
- Optimize for Local SEO and Listings
Many travel-related voice searches are location-specific, such as “hotels near me” or “best tour guides in Paris”. Optimizing your website for local SEO helps ensure you appear in these types of searches. Make sure your business is listed in local directories and on Google My Business.- Action: Create and optimize local business listings. Include your location, hours, contact details, and services in a way that’s voice-search-friendly. Also, consider using location-based keywords in your content (e.g., “best hiking tours in Yosemite”).
- Optimize for Mobile and Voice-Activated Devices
Many voice searches are performed on mobile devices and smart speakers. Ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and is easy to navigate helps improve your chances of being discovered via voice search.- Action: Use responsive design for your website, improve load times, and make sure users can easily find booking or inquiry forms from mobile devices.
- Create Content Based on User Intent
Understanding the intent behind voice searches helps you create content that answers user queries. Voice search users are often looking for quick answers, and tailoring your content to match this intent will help you rank higher.- Action: For example, if users are asking, “What are the top attractions in Paris for families?”, create a guide or blog post specifically answering that question. Providing highly relevant and user-friendly content increases the chances of your website being featured in voice search results.
- Leverage Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Structured data helps search engines understand your content better, increasing the likelihood that it will be selected for voice search results. For example, using schema markup for things like events, reviews, and locations can help your travel website’s content stand out in voice searches.- Action: Add schema markup to your website’s pages, such as for travel packages, hotel information, and tour descriptions. This makes your content easier for voice assistants to pull when responding to travel-related queries.
Example
Let’s apply these strategies to your adventure tourism website:
Step 1: Use Natural Language and Conversational Phrases
Your company offers various hiking tours across the U.S., but you notice that voice search results are favoring broader keywords like “best hiking tours”.
- Fix: You rewrite some of your content to mirror voice search behavior. Instead of focusing just on keywords like “Colorado hiking tours,” you write a blog post titled “What are the best hiking tours in Colorado for beginners?”. This conversational approach matches the types of questions people tend to ask using voice search.
Step 2: Target Long-Tail Keywords and Question-Based Queries
You want to ensure that your content ranks for specific queries related to family vacations and eco-tourism.
- Fix: You create a page focused on “best eco-friendly tours for families in Costa Rica”, targeting a long-tail keyword that’s likely to be used in voice searches. On the page, you answer questions like “What are the most eco-friendly family tours in Costa Rica?”.
Step 3: Provide Clear and Concise Answers
A customer might ask, “What’s included in your Grand Canyon hiking tour?”
- Fix: You ensure that your tour page contains a bulleted list of key inclusions: “Guided hiking, transportation, lunch, and park entry fees”. This concise information makes it easy for voice search engines to pull the answer.
Step 4: Optimize for Local SEO and Listings
A potential customer searches for “best tours in Sedona” while on their phone.
- Fix: You ensure your Sedona-based tours are listed on Google My Business with accurate contact details, photos, and customer reviews. You also include location-specific keywords like “Sedona hiking tours” on your website.
Step 5: Optimize for Mobile and Voice-Activated Devices
Since many of your users are on mobile devices searching for last-minute tours, you optimize your site’s mobile experience.
- Fix: Your website has a mobile-friendly design, fast loading times, and easy access to your tour booking forms. This ensures that users can quickly make a reservation after finding your site through voice search.
Step 6: Create Content Based on User Intent
When customers ask, “What are the best things to do in Bali for adventure travelers?”, you realize they’re looking for more than just typical tourist attractions.
- Fix: You write a dedicated blog post titled “Top 10 Adventure Activities for Thrill Seekers in Bali”, focusing on the adventure travel aspect to meet their intent.
Step 7: Leverage Structured Data (Schema Markup)
You want your tour dates and reviews to appear in voice search results for tourists searching for activities in Iceland.
- Fix: You implement schema markup for your tours, including event dates, prices, and reviews. This allows voice assistants to easily pull structured data when users search for “best Iceland tours”.
Optimizing for voice search in the travel and tourism industry requires an understanding of user behavior, natural language, and how voice search engines pull data. By targeting conversational phrases, long-tail keywords, local SEO, and structured data, you can ensure your travel business is visible in voice search results, helping customers easily find and book your tours.