How To Navigate Google’s Core Update As A Travel Company

Are you looking for ways to improve your travel marketing?

In order to do so, every tour operator/travel business should be taking note of the changes/updates implemented by the search engine giant, Google.

This is to ensure that all the content shared online meets the criteria of the infamous Google algorithm and ultimately, stay ahead of the competition.

So, let’s take a look at how to achieve this by efficiently navigating Google’s latest core update as a travel company. In this article, we’ll discuss what Google core updates are, why they’re important, and how you can use them to maximize your travel marketing potential.

What Are Google Core Updates? 

Every few months, Google updates its ranking algorithms. The purpose is to improve the search experience for users. This is done to provide content that is relevant, trustworthy, and adds value.

These updates can affect the performance of many indexed web pages. This is understandably frustrating. Your previous efforts to optimize your website may have produced great results. Then along comes a Google core update, and everything may change. Why does Google do this?

The Purpose Of A Google Core Update  

As mentioned, Google makes these regular changes to its search algorithm to make search results more relevant to users across multiple industries. This is a necessary action for Google to stay relevant as a popular search engine.

Fortunately, Google announces the updates when they are implemented, in order for you to check whether they affect you, and revise your tactics for SEO accordingly.

The main purpose of this particular update is to take a people-first approach. This is so that the readers attain more original, helpful content that is written by actual people for people, and avoid content creation that prioritizes the requirements of the search engines.

Google Core Updates forces you to rethink your content strategies. This tool keeps the online experience vibrant and valuable for both content creators and users. However, these updates mainly serve the interests of the users.

How Google Core Updates Can Affect Your Travel Website 

How do you know if a core update will affect your travel business? If it impacts the performance metrics of your website, you’ll notice two distinct effects.

Your Rankings In Google Search Results Could Drop

The best way to gauge this is to type in the most common travel keywords associated with your content into a Google search. Does your tour company’s site or related content pop up on the first page of the results?

You can also use a rankings tool like Ahrefs to check your ranking.

Your Website Traffic May Noticeably Decrease

This is a natural consequence of a lower ranking in search engine results, and it can have a disastrous effect on your travel business. Less traffic can result in fewer tour bookings.

Of course, Google core updates will only affect Google search engines. Considering that Google is the most popular search engine, it is bound to make a dramatic difference to your visibility.

That said, there are several ways to market a tour on Google, And core updates will not affect all sites.

The Importance Of Attaining Organic Positioning 

If you’re just not getting the desired results from your travel marketing efforts, an effective avenue to take is to examine what’s missing from your marketing strategy. It may well be your organic positioning or SEO.

A Google core update can affect your organic position. But why does this happen, and why is this so important?

The core update may change what it looks for in the search function, which will affect the results that it offers users.

The travel companies now positioned at the top of the search engine results page (SERP), will get the lion’s share of the business.

This is because very few visitors will scroll further down after the first few results. That is why you need to stay abreast of all Google core updates published so that you can retain your top positioning.

Use Google Guidelines To Drive Traffic To Your Site 

We know it’s often easier to retain existing clients than acquire new ones. And there are several ways you can drive more repeat business to your travel business.

In order to grow and prosper, every travel business has to drum up business from new clients. Successful content marketing can increase traffic to your travel website and generate interest in your products and services.

Google’s core update guidelines can be of great help with this. It may give you the direction you need to establish your travel company’s content at the top of SERP for the best results.

So, how should you approach the latest wave of Google core updates in your travel marketing efforts?

How To Approach Google Core Updates As A Travel Company 

How can you use Google core updates as an opportunity to improve your travel marketing?

To help you determine if your site and content will be affected, there are free tools that allow you to see the changes caused by these core updates.

SEO tools like SEMRush, RankRanger, and Moz offer free algorithm update trackers that you can use.

Two of the more recent Google core updates that may be relevant to your online presence are the Google Helpful Content Update and the Google Product Review Update.

Let’s take a closer look at what these updates entail.

Google Helpful Content Update 

Travel marketing relies heavily on online content. Every travel business or tour company needs a strong and well-thought-out content marketing strategy to engage users and attract new clients.

Google’s new helpful content update aims to direct users to more original helpful content. Content that is more people-focused, rather than SEO focused, will be given preference. Align your web content with this people-centric update, and ensure that it is current, engaging, and relevant to recent travel trends.

Good SEO practices are certainly still useful. In fact, not optimizing your content for SEO is one of the content marketing mistakes that many small travel businesses make. Meeting SEO standards should not be your only consideration.

Is your tour company creating content that meets SEO for SERPs, yet doesn’t resonate with current travel themes and user experiences?

The Google helpful content update will highlight this inconsistency by reducing your ranking in search results.

Google Product Review Update 

The latest Google product review update entailed a ranking change that aimed at increasing the visibility of in-depth product reviews.

Aside from strong SEO practices in your blog posts, you’ll improve your visibility if your tour or travel product reviews meet the following criteria:

• Offers expert knowledge
• Explains what sets it apart from competitors
• Meets users’ needs and interests
• Is a comprehensive description of your travel offers
• Meets the search internet of keywords
• Provides evidence of your expertise, for example, travel awards you have won
• Displays original, engaging content
• It is well-written and appropriately formatted

WeTravel’s Innovative Review Widget Feature 

Most travelers rely on reviews to make their decision when booking a holiday with a new travel company. An impressive review profile will assist this process by improving your reputation and increase your conversion rates.

That’s good news for any travel company, as increasing your conversion rates increases your revenue. While there are several things you can do to improve the UX experience, positive reviews play a significant role in your travel marketing.

Because rave reviews are essential to the success of any travel business, you’ll find our review widget invaluable. And you can easily embed your WeTravel review widget in your Squarespace, Weebly, or WordPress site.

Final Thoughts 

Google core updates can have a major impact on your rankings and web traffic, but don’t be discouraged.

See them as an opportunity to revise your content in a way that will better engage clients and widen your reach. In doing so, you will not only retain the interest of existing clients but also attract new ones.

So let us help you to grow your travel business. We can help you make the most of your travel company’s website with targeted travel marketing strategies that work.