Top 10 Tips on Using Contextual Advertising in Tourism

Entering the market for a new company, regardless of the industry, is a complex undertaking that requires careful analysis. Contextual advertising in tourism is one of the most effective ways to attract potential customers. But you need to understand how to set it up correctly, considering the niche’s specifics. Susan Craig shares valuable tips on this subject.

PPC for travel websites offers a lot of opportunities:

• prompt launch — usually within a day;
• a clear focus on the potential client due to a clear definition of keywords;
• the best option in case of seasonal sales of services — for example, travel is popular during summer vacations and New Year holidays;
• opportunity to test the promotion of a new destination;
• quick reach of the audience using any device
• ability to test the effectiveness of a new website design;
• availability of many advertising formats.

The use of contextual advertising is in great demand — this method of promotion is more effective if you need to achieve results quickly. This article will discuss top tips on using contextual advertising in tourism.

Website usability: what to pay attention to before starting PPC

The tourism niche is a highly competitive area for setting up contextual advertising. Therefore, when creating advertising campaigns, several specific website features are important to consider for their successful launch. Here they are.

1. The content and structure of the website should be clear and user-friendly: tour search, various filters for trip search, navigation menu on the site, etc. 
2. Site loading speed. As a rule, the sites of travel companies are filled with graphic elements. They should be optimized because otherwise, the user will leave the site without waiting for its full load. There are special programs that allow you to check the loading speed of the site on different devices. 
3. Adaptation of the structure and content of the site for mobile devices. 
4. Feedback forms on the site. When a potential customer contacts you, how quickly do you respond to his request? Do you send information after they enter their contact information?
5. All forms, buttons, and transitions on the website should work correctly. 
6. No unnecessary or distracting from the target action elements on the home page. 
7. You should have testimonials on the website and other online platforms. When choosing a travel agency, potential customers often rely on positive reviews about it on the web.

If you see a competitor’s website that takes a long time to load, even on a powerful PC, do everything you can to make a potential tour customer prefer you. The ease of use of the website is vital for the client. It directly affects the reputation of the travel agency.

As an example, Bookatrekking.com has a simple design with simple colors and readable fonts. A convenient menu helps visitors find everything they need, while bright images convey what awaits them. This simplicity differentiates it from other competitors and even makes it memorable. As a result, PPC campaigns of Bookatrekking.com are effective with high conversion because potential customers easily find what they require.

Stages of setting up PPC for travel agencies

You must work in a specific order for an advertising campaign to succeed.

1. Identify the target audience. You need to figure out who the buyers of your services will be. Usually, the target audience is defined within one city or region of the country. Your travel agency should have enough staff to process orders. Only those who want to travel to another country with your help will visit your office.
2. Tracking competitors’ processes. Advertising a travel site will work if you evaluate all the advantages and visible disadvantages of other market participants. Study competitors’ websites in your city, region, and other countries. This allows you to see the average price of the service. Based on the data, you can offer a service that other companies do not provide.
3. Identify the destinations where customers will travel. To make travel advertising work, find out where people in your region go on trips depending on the time of year. Take statistics from open sources for at least the last 6 months.
4. Based on competitors’ advertising, you can create your own hot offer. Advertising for a travel agency of this type should contain an offer that a potential client cannot refuse.

Travel contextual advertising can even be based on representatives of certain professions  — for example, businessmen who need to expand their sphere of influence — interests, and religious preferences. After studying your competitors, you need to start setting up your campaign:

• creating a profile in Google Analytics;
• adding the tracking code to an existing website;
• setting up tracking — including call tracking, if some customers call your company;
• connect your Google Ads profile to Analytics;
• importing goals into Ads;
• creating a PPC campaign;
• selecting the region of promotion;
• setting the budget;
• setting up an ad display schedule.

Contextual advertising for travel websites should include negative keywords (irrelevant queries). Within a day, advertising will start bringing new visitors to your website. Upon completion, you can constantly audit your Google advertising campaign to analyze and optimize further campaigns.

Features of setting up PPC for travel agencies

Effective contextual advertising for a travel agency involves strategic details that resonate with the right target audience. Here’s how to optimize your approach.

1. Precision in keywords. Ensure your contextual advertising is laser-focused by selecting the most accurate key phrases. Boost your cost-effectiveness and conversion rates by incorporating specific details like the names of months, resorts, and vacation durations into your keywords.
2. Tailored destination context. When setting up the context for your travel site, ensure relevance by featuring only the destinations your company serves in your keywords. This targeted approach not only refines your audience but also enhances the likelihood of engaging genuinely interested parties.
3. Unlocking low-frequency gems. Dive into the world of low-frequency key phrases. Explore and adapt them to suit your unique destinations. Unearthing these hidden gems can provide fresh, unique opportunities to connect with potential travelers who might not be reached through mainstream keywords.
4. Localizing presence. In bustling cities, increase your visibility by specifying the area where your office is located. Capitalize on the high probability that a potential client would prefer the convenience of visiting your office rather than a well-known competitor on the other side of the city.
5. Strategic timing for PPC. Maximize the impact of your PPC advertising by considering optimal timing. On weekdays, focus on the second half of the day, strategically aligning with lunch breaks and post-work commutes. During these periods, potential clients are more likely to initiate searches for overseas travel, providing a prime opportunity to capture their attention.

Tourism businesses can unlock the full potential of contextual advertising by cultivating a keen understanding of the target audience, refining ad strategies, and staying agile in response to changing market dynamics.

Top 10 tips on PPC in the tourism domain

1. Geo targeting is very important when advertising mass tours and services of a small travel agency that wants to attract customers who will not travel dozens of kilometers to buy a tour from you. Advertising can be set up so that it is targeted to the client located near the place of sale of services, up to a radius of coverage of 1 km. The advantage is the low cost of attracting traffic.
2. Advanced geo targeting. Another question is if you are engaged in the promotion of VIP tours and services. And here the question arises: do you need advanced geo targeting — will you attract visitors to the site from other cities looking for exclusive tours with the indication of your geo?
3. It is necessary to specify the actual price for the tour in the advertisement. Otherwise, the visitor will simply leave the site if there is a discrepancy with the stated price in the advertisement. Then, the transition will be, money will be spent on advertising, but there will be no conversion. Specifying the lowest price for the tour — for example, from… — can attract low-income customers willing to pay the lowest price for your services.
4. Gathering a semantic core. You can make a map of the project, which will include the names of tourist cities, a list of attractions, the names of all the hotels in the region, and action phrases such as “get, reach, transfer, airport, auto, flight, get, charter, airplane”, etc.
5. Break down keywords by month. People search for travel not only as “travel destination” but also as “travel destination month” and even “travel destination month year”.
6. Break down keyword phrases by resort. Again, don’t limit yourself to country. People often search for a trip as “trip country city” and even “trip country city hotel”. Although it’s a lot of work to process other hotels.
7. Break down key phrases by length of vacation. This is not an obvious principle that many ignore, but for nothing. People search for trips and so “trip for a period of time” (a week, 10 days, etc.), “trip to the country for a period of time”, etc.
8. Other keyword additions. Different additions may appear in key phrases depending on the country, for example, “all-inclusive”, “breakfast”, “for two people”, “with child”, etc. By the way, it is crucial to maximize the use of extensions: additional links, extensions, structured descriptions, etc.
9. The structure of the advertising campaign can be built on the logic of travel selection, from general ads for keywords such as “I want to go on vacation” to specific requests for a particular country, city, attraction, or hotel.
10. Advertising those tours and hotels available for booking when the client visits your page is essential. It is necessary to ensure that the database is constantly updated. Otherwise, there may be a situation when you advertise something the client cannot buy.

By adhering to our 10 pro tips, you will get the maximum efficiency of your PPC campaigns.

Conclusion

Harnessing the power of contextual advertising in the field of tourism can be a game-changer for businesses looking to connect with their target audience in a meaningful and efficient way. The strategic implementation of contextual advertising allows for personalized and relevant messaging, ensuring that potential travelers are exposed to content that resonates with their preferences and interests. 

By understanding the nuances of this dynamic advertising approach, tourism businesses can enhance their online visibility, engage with their audience on a deeper level, and ultimately drive conversions.