Online reviews work as a magnet for the potential customers and serve them as an important decisive tool online. Infact SEO experts believe that review management plays an important role in bolstering organic search rankings. And is of high significance to the travel industry .
To know about why SEO for travel websites is essential for the travel industry read the following article .
IMPORTANCE OF REVIEWS FOR TRAVEL INDUSTRY
Trust and goodwill are the most valued assets in every industry. Any consumer while making a purchase or spending any amount of money requires reassurance that his money is being spent in the right way on a trusted product or service. This is where reviews come into action. Positive reviews become the tools to trust for potential customers .
Though it is certain that reviews are not industry specific and are universal to all businesses. Still it would not be an understatement to say that the travel industry depends upon reviews a little more than other businesses .
This is because travel decisions require monetary and faith investment for a place or service which is far away from home territory. And online reviews are the only means that serve as authentic means of decision making .
Travellers are more likely to make an effort to write reviews in mostly two situations. Either for an amazing experience or for a disastrous one. Hence, providing a fair idea of the ride, accommodation, services and more .
It would be appropriate to say that reviews influence booking decisions of travellers .
It is well known that Aviation and hospitality were the most affected industries during COVID-19 complications. The travel business was hit hard first due to the covid situation and restrictions and later due to the safety hesitation of the travellers. In these unprecedented times travel reviews emerged as support systems to these declining businesses .
Consumers who were agitated or nervous in travelling to different destinations and staying in hotels relied upon the positive reviews to trust the hotels and transport for their safety and comfort and ultimately, proceeded to the bookings .
REVIEWS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE SEO PROCESS
Good reviews go hand in hand with the local SEO and can boost your business immensely. Local SEO is an important branch of organic marketing. Whenever a user initiates a search with an intent of finding results within a neighbourhood, Google algorithms understands and provide similar results .
For example: If you search ‘Best travel review agency near me’ then the Google algorithm will produce a list of recommended travel review agencies based on your location depending upon the volume of traffic and quality reviews on it .
If we go by Google, local results are generally based upon relevance, distance and prominence. Prominence here highly depends upon the review count and review score factor. Hence, most travel businesses hire a professional travel reputation management service like Digilink Ads to monitor and moderate their reviews online .
WHERE TO FIND GENUINE TRAVEL REVIEWS TO SUIT YOUR SEO ?
Now that the importance and significance of reviews has been established it is also important to understand and find out the places or sites where users look for reviews .
People generally look for reviews on facebook, quora, tripadvisor, yelp, expedia, bnb and more similar platforms. Hence, keeping an eye the quality of reviews here becomes essential for the success and growth of ny travel business .
REVIEWS FOR TRAVEL REPUTATION SEO
Generally, companies focus upon the volume of reviews and fall back upon the grounds of quality reviews. It is also observed that consumers on their own does not take the initiative of writing reviews until they have had a horrible experience .
Sadly enough most travel related companies dwell upon negative online reviews even after being standard players of their field .
What can you do to resolve this issue ?
There are simple ways through which you can improve your SEO rankings and lead within your industry online
- Follow up with the customers for the feedback
If customers themselves don’t find it necessary to provide you a satisfactory review, it is your responsibility to follow up with them and ask for their feedback and request them to share it online on your desired platform . - In- depth responses
Request your customers to provide comprehensive feedback that includes both pros and cons. Such reviews come out as more genuine and authentic and attract more attention towards it . - Respond to ALL SORTS of comments/ reviews
It is obvious that not all the reviews that you receive would be positive. But what makes you better at review management is your value even towards negative comments. This practice increases your online visibility hence, boosting your SEO and search engine rankings .
Besides, this helps in neutralising the negative comment with your positive approach towards it. Adding more towards goodwill and trust for your business .
CONCLUSION
Reviews are important instruments of effective organic SEO marketing and can have a direct bearing on your search engine rankings. Good reviews help in establishing trust and authenticity in your sector. Ultimately, driving more sales for your business .
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