How to Boost Online Bookings Over the Summer with SEO

Maximising online bookings over Summer is essential for those in the travel and hospitality industries. A bustling time of year for tourists and locals alike, eager to enjoy the sun whether in their own country or abroad, Propeller has compiled a plan for businesses to boost online bookings using local SEO, seasonal promotions and mobile enhancement.

Optimise website pages for local search queries and ensure your online listings are accurate. Local SEO is a key influencer in a searcher’s decision making process over which restaurant or eatery they want to visit. 

• Google My Business Listing: Ensure your GMB listing is complete with your business name, address, phone number, and business hours. Regularly update your listing with any recent photos and special offers to entice customers.
• Local Keywords: Make sure to use local keywords in your content, meta descriptions, and headings. For example, if you run a hotel in London, use keywords like “London summer hotel deals” or “best hotel in London.”
• Customer Reviews: Encourage your valued customers to leave positive reviews on Google My Business profile. High ratings and great reviews will significantly improve your place in  local search rankings​.

Create limited-time offers and discounts for the summer season. Promote these deals through your website, email newsletters, and social media channels to get attention.

• Seasonal Offers: Offer discounts designed to bring in customers during Summer. An offer on Aperol Spritz? We’ll see you there. Promote these as exclusive summer deals and watch customers flow in.
• Package Deals: Create attractive package deals that bundle accommodations with local attractions, meals, or tours. This adds value and convenience for your customers.
• Referral Programs: Encourage existing customers to refer friends and family by offering discounts or rewards for successful referrals.

Promotion Channels

When devising a plan to publicise your promotions, it is important to consider which combination of channels will bring you the biggest return on investment.  

• Website: Highlight special promotions on your homepage and create dedicated landing pages for you offers. Use clear and compelling CTAs and use A/B testing to understand what formats your customers respond the most to. 
• Email Newsletters: Send regular emails to your subscriber list with updates on summer promotions. Personalising emails based on customer preferences and past behaviour will also increase engagement on this channel.
• Social Media: Use social media platforms to promote your summer deals. Create engaging posts with high-quality images and videos showcasing what your business has to offer over Summer. Additional features like Instagram Stories and Facebook Events will increase your reach​.

Mobiles are now the main device used when people search and book travel and activities, so ensuring your website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate​ is a priority.

• Responsive Design: Ensure your website is responsive and functions well on all devices. As mentioned above, a smooth mobile experience is particularly crucial as more users book travel and activities through their smartphones.
• Fast Loading Times: Optimise images and caching to improve page load times. A fast-loading website reduces bounce rates and increases the likelihood of conversions.
• Mobile-Friendly Booking Process: Simplify the booking process on mobile devices. Minimise the number of steps required to make a booking and ensure the process is accessible and intuitive for all users. Offer multiple payment options and ensure forms are easy to fill out on a small screen​.

Mobile-Specific Features

• Click-to-Call Buttons: Make it easy for users to contact you directly from their mobile devices with click-to-call buttons.
• Mobile-Only Discounts: Offer special discounts exclusively for mobile users to encourage bookings through mobile devices.
• Geo-Targeted Ads: Use geo-targeting to display ads to users based on their location. This is particularly effective for last-minute bookings and local promotions​.

Implementation Timeline

Here’s a basic plan that includes leveraging local SEO, offering special promotions, and enhancing the mobile experience to boost online bookings. While this is a good structure to follow, when building your strategy it is important to go into further detail and understand how you will achieve your goals. 

Month 1: Preparation

• Run an audit of your website to understand your current local SEO status and identify areas for improvement.
• Plan and design your summer promotions, including package deals and referral programs.
• Begin updating your website and ensuring it is mobile optimised.

Month 2: Launch

• Update your Google My Business profile with new photos and offers.
• Launch your summer promotions on your website, social media, and email newsletters.
• Implement and test mobile-specific features such as click-to-call buttons and mobile-only discounts.

Month 3: Promotion and Optimisation

• Continuously monitor your local SEO performance and make adjustments where needed.
• Actively promote your summer deals across various channels.
• Gather and analyse customer feedback to improve the booking process and overall user experience.

By following this plan, your travel and hospitality business can effectively boost online bookings over the summer period, leveraging the power of local SEO, special promotions, and an enhanced mobile experience.