The Google Travel Takeover And What It Means For SEO via @sejournal, @JRiddall

Google Flights and Google Hotels person dominated travel-related Google hunt presumption successful caller years, which has been seen arsenic a menace by galore question operators.

However, if approached properly, the maturation of Google Travel represents an accidental for those who set their strategy.

SEO adept Lily Ray shared the Google Travel graph beneath connected a LinkedIn post a fewer months ago. It lone takes a speedy glimpse to spot important month-over-month maturation of Google’s/travel/ directory crossed travel-related hunt terms.

Screenshot from LinkedIn station by Lily Ray, June 2024

This is contempt the fact, arsenic Lily points out, that Google Travel results don’t look to beryllium the astir broad oregon helpful, which are presumably cardinal criteria erstwhile it comes to integrated visibility.

In fact, successful galore cases, erstwhile you hunt for a city-specific operation on the main Google Travel page, it simply takes you to a Google hunt results leafage for the city, wherever your hunt begins anew.

Google-dependent question companies look astatine the accelerated maturation of Google Travel and spot 1 thing: a menace to their existence.

However, remember, Google is not acting arsenic an cause for astir of these transactions, truthful you tin inactive execute and turn online.

You simply request to accommodate your strategy and found your authority, relevance, and experience to springiness your marque the champion accidental to amusement up connected Google Travel surfaces on with your ain pages successful integrated hunt results.

We’re going to measure 4 circumstantial question surfaces: Google Flights, Google Hotels, Google Vacation Rentals, and Google Explore. We’ll unpack the pursuing for each one.

• Google Travel operation and quality successful Search.
• Who’s presently winning with Google Travel.
• Optimizing to look successful Google Travel spaces.

Note: There is 1 different surface, Google Things To Do, which is presently lone disposable arsenic a Google Ads product, but did unrecorded until November 2023 nether the Google Travel page. From an SEO perspective, “Things To Do” tin beryllium recovered arsenic a database of things to observe wrong Google Explore. We’ll interaction connected this further erstwhile discussing however to optimize for this surface.

Understanding Google Travel’s Structure

In lawsuit it wasn’t wide from the graph above, Google Travel is huge. And by huge, I mean huge.

There are efficaciously 2 levels to Google Travel erstwhile it comes to integrated search.

1. Google Travel SERP (Search Engine Results Page) Features

Google Travel SERP features, which are efficaciously listings of flights oregon properties on with location, date, and different diagnostic filters to assistance searchers take the champion flight, hotel, oregon abrogation rental enactment to suit their needs.

Typical question SERP features for flights, hotels, and abrogation rentals look similar this:

Screenshot from hunt for [flights to san Francisco], Google, August 2024

Screenshot from hunt for [hotels successful san francisco], Google, August 2024

2. Google Travel Organic Pages Appearing As Typical Organic Search Engine Results

Screenshot from hunt for [cheap flights from austin to san francisco], Google, August 2024

Screenshot from hunt for [hotels successful san Francisco], Google, August 2024

This reappraisal volition absorption connected the second of the 2 due to the fact that these are the easiest to measure.

We besides assume, successful astir cases, that erstwhile 1 of the integrated results appears, there’s a precocious likelihood the SERP diagnostic volition besides look astatine the apical of the page.

Semrush recognizes implicit 750,000 Google Travel pages successful the U.S. alone.

Assuming Semrush’s crawler won’t crawl and scale each azygous page, it’s precise tenable to presume the existent fig of Google Travel pages exceeds 1 cardinal successful total.

Google Travel Page Structure And Appearance In Search

The main Google Travel leafage is beauteous bare bones with “Google” arsenic the rubric tag, 1 H2 heading labeled “Popular Destination” and a expansive full of 124 words.

Not precisely an workout successful SEO champion practice, but past again, this leafage astatine slightest does not fertile good for the word “travel.”

Screenshot from Google Travel Home page, September 2024

Flights

The Google Flights page, by examination (at the clip of writing), ranks successful the apical 3 for the presumption “travel,” “flights,” and galore different high-value keywords.

This leafage offers a overmuch much robust idiosyncratic acquisition with formation search, an interactive formation hunt map, utile tools to find the champion deals, FAQs, and links to fashionable formation departures/destinations.

However, this leafage is specifically focused connected aerial travel, whereas each different leafage 1 results are much holistic successful their broader question offerings.

Screenshot from Google Flights Home page, September 2024

The superior relation disposable connected the Google Flights leafage is simply a formation search, which, erstwhile enabled, provides a abbreviated database of the “Best departing flights” (“ranked based connected terms and convenience”) followed by a overmuch longer database of “Other departing flights.”

It is bully to enactment however best-departing flights are being ranked erstwhile it comes to determining however to look successful this list.

There are besides opportunities to way prices oregon comparison pricing via a day grid oregon terms graph tied to your selected question dates.

Hotels

Google nary longer appears to person a dedicated Hotels leafage per se, arsenic google.com/travel/hotels presently redirects to a Google Hotels hunt leafage that has a rubric tag, “Discover Hotels For Your Next Trip – Google Hotels.”

Similarly, determination is nary Google Vacation Rentals page, but determination is simply a Google Vacation Rentals hunt page, which has a rubric tag that is simply “Google Hotel Search.”

Curiously, google.com/travel/vacation-rentals does not presently exist.

As you tin spot successful the screenshot below, Google Travel Hotels are tightly integrated with Google Maps. Filters alteration searchers to refine their needs based connected price, ratings, stars, amenities, and different factors.

Also enactment that hotels offering “Deals” are highlighted with greenish buttons and pricing, and they mostly emergence to the apical of the hunt results, overmuch similar best-departing flights. This is not the lawsuit with abrogation rentals.

The supra are important factors erstwhile considering however to optimize for quality successful these hunt results.

Screenshot from hunt for [toronto hotels], Google, September 2024

Vacation Rentals

Google Vacation Rentals are akin to hotels, displaying a filterable listing of properties alongside an interactive Google Map.

However, searchers are required to click connected a effect from the database oregon map, which past provides further lists of “Booking options” and “Additional results from the web.” Both lists supply booking options, but being recovered nether the existent “booking” class is evidently much valuable.

Each listing includes an Overview, Prices, Reviews, Photos, and About section. The prime and quantity of contented contained successful each of these undoubtedly origin into however properties are ranked and displayed.

Screenshot from hunt for “toronto abrogation rentals”, Google, September 2024

Explore

The past constituent of Google Travel to see is Explore.

As the sanction suggests, Explore is focused connected enabling travelers to hunt for caller destinations oregon look for deals based connected their fund and question dates (important to enactment for brands keen to beryllium recovered here).

Explore is efficaciously a filterable, interactive representation displaying thumbnails of imaginable destinations with formation prices, which, erstwhile clicked, extends into a fuller presumption of ranked things to do, places to stay, formation options, accusation connected erstwhile to visit, and questions asked by different travelers.

The rubric tag for this interactive leafage is dynamic based connected the starting determination chosen by the user, e.g., “Toronto to anyplace | Explore.”

As mentioned earlier, things to do/discover look astatine the apical of an Explore results page.

The “things to do/discover” connected Explore look to beryllium the astir fashionable section places and attractions, which person been optimized from a section SEO perspective. Reviews are beforehand and halfway here, arsenic they are successful the Google Map Pack.

The Help fastener connected Explore indicates, “These destinations are ranked chiefly by popularity, and the outgo and convenience of question from your location. Factors see frequence of mentions crossed the web, destination hunt queries, question time, fig of stops, and airdrome changes during layovers.”

It is absorbing and important to enactment the inclusion of “frequency of mentions crossed the web” arsenic a ranking factor.

Screenshot from Google Explore Home page, September 2024

So, Who’s Currently Winning With Google Travel?

While immoderate brands presumption Google Travel arsenic a menace and with disdain, others spot an accidental and are reaping the benefits of having different highly disposable transmission done which to entree their customers.

As Kevin Indig precocious pointed out, large brands person an advantage, arsenic this plays an progressively important relation successful hunt visibility.

A speedy reappraisal of Google Travel Spaces reveals the pursuing players managing to summation prominence:

Google Flights

As you’d expect, the large airlines, buoyed by their important branding and authority, predominate Google Flights.

However, determination surely is an accidental for lesser-known discount airlines/brands to appear, peculiarly nether best-departing flights wherever the cardinal operator is price.

Google Hotels

Here, large edifice chains and online question agents (OTAs) similar Expedia and Booking.com regularisation again.

However, opportunities intelligibly prevarication successful Google Maps and section SEO, wherever smaller, section businesses tin leverage their “local authority” and summation visibility.

Read connected for local SEO strategies and champion practices.

Google Vacation Rentals

On the Google Vacation Rentals side, attraction should beryllium paid to OTAs similar VRBO and Booking.com, which are besides highly disposable and look successful the Booking Options database mentioned earlier, truthful spot owners surely should leverage these.

However, determination are respective different spot types of online agents (e.g., glamping, short-term rental) who besides appear.

As with hotels, abrogation spot owners should surely look to leverage their section lasting to garner attraction and physique authority.

Google Explore

The brands that look to beryllium winning successful Google Explore thin to beryllium those offering deals oregon fashionable experiences personalized to the searcher’s determination and humanities preferences, which plays to the desires of the perceived assemblage search.

As noted, the things to discover/do appearing successful Explore volition beryllium the astir fashionable attractions and experiences, which person gained section integrated hunt authority.

Optimizing To Appear In Google Travel Spaces

In airy of the integrated hunt visibility, Google Travel spaces are capable to achieve, question brands are good advised to bash immoderate they tin to optimize their web presences to summation visibility successful these coveted spaces.

Below are immoderate factors and suggestions for each space, considering however contented appears to beryllium prioritized for show successful each.

Google Flights

To beryllium clear, to look connected Google Flights, you indispensable archetypal beryllium an hose relation offering flights to consumers.

If you are portion of specified an organization, these recommendations are for you.

Schema Markup

• Implement flight schema markup connected your formation listing pages to supply Google with structured information astir your circumstantial formation offerings (i.e., departure/arrival airports, dates, prices, etc.). This volition assistance Google amended recognize your contented and amended your Google Flights results visibility.

Competitive Pricing

• Price is simply a large origin successful Google Flights rankings. Regularly show your competitors’ prices and guarantee your fares are competitive.
• Consider offering peculiar formation deals oregon promotions to garner attraction for circumstantial flights oregon destinations.

Landing Page Optimization

• Create dedicated, keyword and user-experience-optimized landing pages for circumstantial formation routes, destinations, oregon promotions.
• Ensure a wide call-to-action (e.g., “Book Now”) exists, and a straightforward booking process is successful place.

Website Technical SEO

• Make definite your website has a coagulated method instauration (fast loading times, unafraid connections, logical leafage and navigation structure, mobile-friendly design, etc.). Technical issues tin negatively interaction your wide hunt visibility.

Google Hotels

Google Business Profile Optimization

• Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP) to heighten your section authority. Ensure each accusation is close and up-to-date (address, telephone number, hours of operation, photos, etc.).
• Encourage guests to permission reviews connected your GBP and respond to those reviews successful a timely manner. Positive reviews and effect rates tin assistance boost your rankings.
• Post contented regularly to your GBP to show your committedness to assemblage and lawsuit engagement.

Hotel Ad Campaigns

• Consider moving optimized Google Ads edifice campaigns successful performance with your SEO efforts. While not integrated successful nature, this maneuver volition alteration you to person your hotel’s rates and availability displayed straight successful Google hunt results, connected Google Maps, oregon YouTube. Focus connected ads for keywords you bash not already support precocious integrated rankings for.

Website Optimization

• Optimize your website for applicable keywords, idiosyncratic experience, and conversions.
• Highlight cardinal selling points (amenities, location, unsocial features) and see high-quality photos and videos.
• Ensure your booking motor is casual to usage and mobile-friendly.
• Incorporate a blog oregon different contented selling instrumentality arsenic a means to people fresh, applicable contented linking to your superior merchandise pages.

Local SEO

• Identify and get section citations from applicable sources (listings connected online directories and reappraisal sites). Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) accusation crossed the web is important for local SEO.
• Engage with your section assemblage and physique relationships with different businesses successful your area.

Google Vacation Rentals

Listings On Major Platforms

• Consider listing your abrogation rental properties connected large OTAs already integrated with Google Vacation Rentals (e.g., Vrbo, Booking).

Optimized Property Descriptions

• Craft compelling and elaborate spot descriptions highlighting your properties’ unsocial features and amenities.
• Include applicable keywords successful your spot descriptions.

High-Quality Photos

• Include professional-quality photos, videos, oregon virtual tours connected your spot pages, arsenic these are indispensable for attracting bookings. Showcase your spot successful the champion light.
• Be cautious erstwhile adding high-quality representation oregon video contented to not negatively impact leafage load oregon wide idiosyncratic experience, peculiarly connected mobile devices.

Competitive Pricing and Availability

• Regularly reappraisal your pricing strategy and guarantee your rates are successful enactment with akin properties successful your area.
• Keep your calendar up-to-date and respond promptly to each booking inquiries.

Ask For And Promptly Respond To Reviews

• Reviews are prominently displayed nether Vacation Rentals and, arsenic such, should beryllium actively pursued and responded to. These volition some origin into fertile and volition nary uncertainty beryllium referenced erstwhile consumers are considering booking a property.

Google Explore

Competitive Pricing

• Ensure your prices are competitive, considering a just percent of consumers connected Explore are looking for deals. Highlight immoderate promotions oregon discounts.

Off-Site Optimization

• Google’s inclusion of “frequency of mentions connected the web” arsenic a ranking origin successful Explore intelligibly indicates that user-generated contented connected societal media oregon different outer forums similar Reddit is being reviewed and referenced.

As such, it volition surely payment question brands to beryllium actively engaged with consumers connected these platforms.

Consumers of each ages are looking extracurricular of Google to behaviour their question readying and stock their experiences. Brands that aren’t monitoring and engaging connected these channels are missing retired connected important opportunities to widen their scope and physique their authority.

Use High-Quality Visuals

• Invest successful captivating photos and videos to showcase your destination oregon property. Consumers connected research are searching for unique, caller experiences, truthful supply contented that volition drawback their oculus and imagination.

Create Appealing Destination Descriptions

• Craft enticing descriptions highlighting the unsocial features your destination oregon question acquisition has to offer, complementing the visuals noted above.

Up-to-Date Information

• Keep your listings updated with close pricing and availability, arsenic galore consumers whitethorn beryllium looking for last-minute question opportunities.

GBP Optimization For Those Offering Things To Do

• As things to do/discover are effectual Google Map Pack results, the aforesaid suggestions use arsenic those mentioned for Hotels.

General SEO Best Practices Across All Platforms

Outside of the Google Travel-specific suggestions above, determination are respective different wide SEO champion practices tract owners should employment to maximize their authority.

Mobile-First Approach

In today’s mobile-driven environment, which is peculiarly existent for consumers exploring oregon readying their adjacent question experience, it is captious to person a tract that loads rapidly and seamlessly connected mobile devices.

Content Marketing

A important constituent of establishing online authorization is having the answers to each of the questions searchers person regarding immoderate fixed topic.

With question planning, questions regarding destinations, transportation, accommodation, scheduling, cost, and different considerations abound.

It is indispensable for question brands wanting to found authorization to person unique, adjuvant answers to each of their audiences’ questions via a content strategy that whitethorn instrumentality the signifier of blog posts, guides, videos, photos, podcasts, oregon different contented selling vehicles.

High Quality, Relevant Backlink Acquisition

Despite ongoing arguments astir their validity and value, contextually due backlinks obtained from domains with precocious authorization and precocious relevance, volition person a affirmative effect connected a website’s authorization by extension.

Travel brands looking to summation their authorization should endeavor to found beardown partnerships, behaviour integer PR, and get high-value backlinks from specified sources.

What’s Next For Google Travel?

SEO is ever-changing, and this volition beryllium nary antithetic from what Google Travel is acrophobic with. Google AI Overviews person been rolled retired successful afloat and are being returned successful hunt results crossed a fig of categories.

They are not presently highly prevalent successful travel, but determination is nary uncertainty AI is already portion of the question hunt experience. Something similar AI Overviews, wherever searchers tin interact with results to physique their perfect travel program much naturally, is coming.

Google Explore is already an interactive experience, and I’m reasonably definite this volition proceed to evolve, powered by AI.

The bully quality connected this front, arsenic per a caller SEO Clarity probe study, is SEO for AI Overviews is, astatine this point, precise overmuch the aforesaid arsenic accepted SEO.

This survey reveals successful the apical ranking, integrated hunt results and sites/content marque up the bulk (~99%) of what’s presented by AI Overviews.

Your Google Travel SEO Plan

The interaction and dominance of Google Travel successful integrated hunt results is undeniable.

The question becomes, however bash savvy question marketers instrumentality vantage of, alternatively than shy distant from, the situation of being recovered successful Google Travel spaces?

The focus, from an SEO perspective, should beryllium connected galore of the traditional SEO and local SEO champion practices aimed astatine establishing authorization and spot among consumers, arsenic prescribed successful the past.

More resources: 

• Travel Content SEO Strategy: How To Build Links, Traffic & Conversions
• 10 Dos And Don’ts For Building A Successful Travel Website
• A Guide to Local SEO

Featured Image: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock